Saturday, March 27, 2010

Honey Powder

Ready for another
Product Review?

And today's topic is: Honey Powder
Honey powder - lets cover the basics:  This text is taken directly from the container.

Directions: use as a sweetener on hot cereals, substitute for sugar or honey in recipes

Liquid Honey Substitution: Honey Powder - Example: 1 c. liquid honey is equal to 1 c. honey powder and 1/4 c. water

Re-hydration: Slowly add 1/4 c. cold water to 1 c. honey powder.  Mix well.  Heat mixture on low to dissolve sugars.  Place in a covered jar and cool.  Use as you would fresh honey.

Ingredients: Honey powder (honey, refinery syrup), fructose.

Contents can be stored for 10-15 years under proper storage conditions.

Lets make some!


 Start with your powder... add the water... and you are left with this:

It is a runny, crystallized looking liquid about the consistency of heavy cream.
Next, heat to remove the crystals (I microwave 1c. of honey for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times throughout).
Liquid should be crystal free when heated sufficiently.

**This is a very important step!

If the honey has ANY crystals in it they will sink to the bottom.  Over time, they will turn into a waxy substance that is unedible and will most likely ruin the honey.
Be sure it is totally clear before you stop heating.

This is regular honey on the left, and powdered honey on the right, before it has ben heated to remove the crystals.
See how its all cloudy?

This is powdered honey (on the left) after it has been heated.
 The color turns from bright yellow to dark amber, and the consistency is that of maple syrup.  It should be clear, without any crystals.

Now that it's made, lets do a Quality Check:
- Smell: Minor difference, I probably wouldn't notice if I didn't have regular honey to compare it to.

- Taste: Noticably different, but close enough for it NOT to matter.  To me, it tastes artificially sweeter than regular honey, but good enough that I'd eat it on a piece of bread.

- Texture: The same, although not quiet as thick as regular honey - about the consistency of maple syrup.

- Color: Dark brown/amber.  Regular honey is gold.

- How long does it last once it's been made?
After one month crystals will begin to form on the bottom.
The honey will continue to crystallize on the bottom as time passes (I let it sit for 3 months).
The crystals will not go away after reheating (I brought it to a boil and they were still there).
The taste and texture of the honey is the same.
I am sure it will last several months, continuing to crystallize, without any taste difference, but because it lasts so much longer as a powder, I chose not to experiment after 3 months.

Okay, now lets get down to the facts:

First, how much do you get?
~ 7 1/2 cups of powder, which equals 7 1/2 cups of honey.
By the way, it comes in a #10 size can, but it is based upon weight, so don't be suprised when you find that it is only about 1/2 way full.

Ok, lets talk Price:
I just bought 80oz. (10 cups) of regular clover honey for about $20.00 (on sale).
A can of honey powder runs about $9.00, and as we've discussed, provides about 7.5 cups.
So yes, it is cheaper than regular honey. Almost half as much.

What about Shelf Life?
10-15 years under proper storage conditions.
Real honey has an indefinate shelf life (but that doesn't mean it does not have a 'best if used before date', so keep that in mind).

So... Is it worth it?
In my mind, yes.  It (along with real honey) is a pantry staple at our house.
I use it consistently for cooking - mostly for making granola.  I like it better for cooking because it isn't as thick as real honey, which makes it easier to incorporate with the other ingredients.
That, and it is cheaper!

**UPDATED 11/10/13
I decided to update this post because this particular brand of honey powder is no longer available in stores.  I wanted to provide a link to the honey crystals that I use now.  They are a higher quality than what I posted about above, and they also have more honey in each #10 can.  You can purchase it online as well, so location is no longer an issue.  You can view the product at the link below:
Thrive Honey Crystals

3 comments:

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  2. Whats the difference between the powder honey and real honey as we can see in the image the color of the honey is different in both of the images so we can easily nofify that which Honeydew powder is powder honey and which one is real honey.

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