Culinary Notes
The Browning Trap: Honey is high in fructose, which caramelises and burns much faster than table sugar. If you use honey in a marinade for grilling, brush it on in the last few minutes of cooking. If you put it on at the start, the meat will turn black before it is cooked through.
Baking Chemistry: Honey is acidic (pH ~3.9). If you substitute sugar with honey in a cake, you often need to add a pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) to neutralise the acid and help the rise. Also, lower the oven temperature by 15°C to prevent burning.
Crystallisation: If your jar turns solid and gritty, it has not gone bad. It has just crystallised (a natural process). To fix it, place the jar in a bowl of warm water (approx. 40°C) and stir until it turns liquid again. Do not boil it, or you destroy the enzymes.
Emulsifier: Honey is a great binder for vinaigrettes. A teaspoon of honey helps mustard and vinegar blend with oil more stably than sugar does.
