Honey is one of my favourite unrefined sugars! On a rainy day nothing beats a big cup of hot chocolate with a dash of honey. I love using it in my baking, as it adds moisture and make the product last longer. Here is all you need to know about honey!
Quick facts about Honey
Honey is produced by the honey bees from the nectar of the flavours. It has a very distinct flavour, but the Acasia honey has a milder flavour than the respective other types. It is the flours that the bees consume that decide how distinct the flavour is. Make sure that you buy raw honey, as the pasteurized ones are lacking all the positive helth benefits.
For an overview of Honey compared to the other unrefined sugars check out the post “All you need to know about natural sugar”.
Sweetness
Honey tastes a bit more sweet than white sugar, but it is less sweet than Agave syrup(Agave nectar). Replacing white sugar for honey with the same amount, but if you use over 1 cup, you may reduce each cup with sugar to 2/3-3/4 cup honey.
How to use
When baking with honey I prefer a mild and light taste, so I use Acacia honey. Honey adds moisture to the baking products, and make it last longer. When baking, lower the heat approximately 25 degrees celcius, and watch it carefully as it burns more easily. By adding 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to each cup honey used in the baking you will end up with a more fluffy product.
The healing properties of honey disappears when it is heat processed. Store the honey in a cool, dry and dark place.
Nutrition facts
Honey holds approximatelt equal amounts of fructose and glucose, and small amounts of sucrose. It may cause a spike in the blood sugar, but still has lower GI than the refined sugars.
Honey has anti- bacterial, anti- viral and anti- fungal properties. Just remember that when honey is heat processed these properties disappears. Honey has antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body, enhances immunity, and it is shown that it may reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) properties in the blood. Honey also has small traces of minerals and vitamins.
Raw friendly and not vegan Honey
If you eat the raw diet be sure to read the label, although most of the types of honey are raw. Honey is not vegan. Agave syrup is a good vegan substitute for honey.
Where to get it
I buy my honey in the grocery shop. If you can’t find it there you can always find it online. For example you can get organic acacia honey sent worldwide here (use code GOP133 to get 10 dollars of your first buy) or at Vitacost here (use the link https://www.vitacostrewards.com/jdHckjY to get 10 dollars of your order). In Norway you can buy it online for example here.