Reader's Question : Honey Substitution

Howling Hill asks: I want to substitute honey for sugar in our jams but don’t know if the swap of a dry ingredient for a wet ingredient matters. And, is the amount comparable. For example, if a recipe calls for 3/4 cup of sugar is it ok to use 3/4 cup of honey instead?  Also, what about applesauce and maple sugar. Are they acceptable substitutes for sugar when jamming (not to be confused with jammin’).  Actually, we’d like to do this substitution for baking also. There I assume it must matter about the wet ingredient v. dry ingredient.  Please, some advice!

Phelan’s Answer: When it comes to using honey instead of sugar in your liquid recipes, you can use equal amounts without reducing anything. However, baking becomes a tad more tricky. In baking you can replace up to half the sugar. If the recipe calls for 2 cup of sugar, you would use 1 cup of honey. Then reduce all the other liquid ingredients by 1/4 cup, for each 1 cup of honey used. Honey is also heavier than sugar so it will need a little lift, add 1/2 tablespoon baking soda to every 1 cup of honey. You will also need to reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees, as honey will burn faster than sugar.

So to break it down:

2 cup sugar= 1 cup honey + 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda
- 1/4 cup of liquid ingredients – temp 25 degrees.

Kathie’s Answer: Substituting honey for sugar in jam can effect the gel quality.  I highly recommend checking out Pomona’s Pectin, if that’s a route you want to go.  Most health food stores carry it, and while slightly more expensive than regular pectin, its much easier to use and lasts longer in my experience.  The insert inside the box gives instructions for jams/jellies with no or low sugar and honey recipes.  I also can’t say enough good about the book, Putting it Up with Honey: a Natural Foods Canning and Preserving Cookbook by Susan Geiskopf.  Its a great recipe with lots of various recipes using honey for all your home canning needs.

Kristine’s Answer: i second the recommendation putting it up with honey…i really like that book for honey inspired recipes. also, when using it, remember that honey is a lot sweeter than sugar so less is needed to get the amount of sweetening desired. sometimes, you can get by using 2/3 – 3/4 up of honey in place of sugar.  also, honey cooks differently than sugar so you might need to reduce the temperature about 25 degrees and/or watch the time.  one other thing to keep in mind is that honey is acidic. you might want to add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to the mix which will reduce the acidity of the honey and make your baked goods fluffier.

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