Tips for Cooking with Honey

Traditionally, honey comes in a range of colors including white, amber, red, brown and almost black. Its flavor and texture vary with the type of flower nectar from which it was made. While the most commonly available honeys are made from clover, alfalfa, heather and acacia flowers, honey can be made from a variety of different flowers, including thyme and lavender. Therefore, depending on the type of honey you choose the flavor and color of your final product might defer.

If your honey has crystallized, placing the container in hot water for 15 minutes will help return it to its liquid state. Do not heat honey in the microwave as this alters its taste by increasing its hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. To prevent honey from sticking to measuring cups and spoons, use honey that is in its liquid form.

Honey makes a good replacement for sugar in most recipes. Since honey is sweeter than sugar, you need to use less, one-half to three-quarters of a cup for each cup of sugar. For each cup of sugar replaced, you should also reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by one-quarter of a cup. In addition, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF since honey causes foods to brown more easily.

However, to substitute sugar for honey the texture and taste of your favorite recipe would be compromised, in addition to a less than accurate measurement. However with organic honey sweeteners, such as Mama Healthy® Honey Crystals, you can actually simply replace processed or regular sugar 1 to 1 (1:1) with the Sweet and Dry free flowing Honey Crystals with no sticky mess to add a taste of honey. Unlike with Honey, organic Honey Crystals can be stored at room temperature without worrying about it solidifying.

Honey can also be used as chicken seasoning and in chicken rubs. Chicken Recipes made from honey such as honey chicken recipes, chicken honey mustard, honey glazed chicken, and honey baked chicken and are excellent and provide the taste and flavor you desire in a rich and tasty chicken meal.