Honey Plus

Ontario's honey is produced yearly from July to September and can be purchased directly from Ontario beekeepers via roadside stands in the summer and stores, or the internet throughout the year.

Ontario's distinctive tasting honey is derived from floral sources such as clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, goldenrod, basswood and summer flowers.

Types of Honey

Ontario honey is sold by weight and comes in various forms such as:

LIQUID HONEY is extracted from the comb and strained for clarity. All liquid honey will naturally granulate and may be used in that state or be re-liquefied by placing the container in warm water until all crystals are gone. This sweet food can be used in many recipes or eaten right off the spoon.

CREAMED HONEY or whipped honey is produced by crystallizing liquid honey under controlled conditions. This smooth and opaque honey spreads especially well on bread or crackers.

COMB HONEY is as it comes "packaged by the bees" still in the original beeswax combs. The comb and honey can be chewed together and the comb can be swallowed. Chunk honey is honey combs packed in wide-mouth containers filled with golden liquid honey.

PASTEURIZED HONEY has been heat-treated to destroy yeasts which can cause honey to ferment. Pasteurized honey tends not to crystallize because the heat treatment melts dextrose crystals that can promote granulation.

Grades of Honey

Liquid and creamed honey are graded according to quality. Grades are based on clarity, on colour and on standards of moisture content. The grade that consumers should look for is No. 1, which has low moisture content, and therefore, excellent keeping qualities.

Floral Sources and Flavours

Ontario Honey comes in various colours and flavours. The colour and flavour of a batch of honey will depend on what flowers were available to the bees at the time when they were gathering the nectar.

Honey made from only one flower source has a distinctive flavour and colour. Beekeepers often keep beehives where the bees have access to only one type of flower in order for the bees to create these wonderfully flavoured honeys. Some examples of Ontario flower honeys are clover, alfalfa buckwheat, basswood, golden rod and summer flowers.

The nectar source of these flowering plants also affects the colour of the honey. Lighter coloured honeys will have a milder taste whereas darker coloured honeys will have a stronger flavour.

White Honey is gathered from clovers, basswood and canola.

Golden Honey, with its own distinctive flavour, comes from goldenrod and other fall flowers.

Amber (or dark) Honey, which is the strongest flavour, is primarily gathered from the buckwheat flower.

Nutrition

Honey, nature's unrefined sweetener is produced by the bees from nectar gathered from flowering plants. Honey is mostly made up of two simple sugars, laevulose (fruit sugar) and dextrose (glucose). Honey is a healthy naturally thick fluid, consisting of 17% water and contains traces of maltose, sucrose, vitamins, minerals, organic acids, ask and enzymes. As honey's sugars are mainly fruit sugar and glucose, it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Honey's quick absorption makes it an excellent source of energy or a quick pick-me-up that can be readily added to various drinks and snack foods.

Storing Honey

Store honey at room temperature in a dry place. Honey is hydroscopic and can easily reabsorb moisture and aromas from the air. Always keep honey covered tightly to retain its distinct flavour and aroma, and to protect it from moisture absorption.

If storage area is very warm (above 80 degrees F.), creamed honey will retain its texture better if refrigerated. Honey may be stored in the freezer, if well sealed, without any change in flavour or texture.

Baking with Honey

Mild flavoured honey is best for baking or cooking. Add honey to batter in a fine stream, beating constantly. Baked goods containing honey brown more quickly, therefore, the temperature should be reduced by 25°F degrees to prevent over-browning and flavour change. Baked goods also remain fresh and moist for a longer period of time when honey is used, for example, Christmas cakes or fruit loaves.

Substituting Honey for Sugar

Use the same amount of honey and cut the liquid by one quarter, for example:

1 cup sugar + 1 cup milk = 1 cup honey + 3/4 cup milk

Replace sugar with three quarters of honey, for example:

 

Honey will slide out of measuring cups or spoons if oil is measured first or if the measures are rinsed with hot water.

Ways to Use Honey

The main uses of honey are in cooking, baking, as a spread on breads and as sweetener on everything from beverages to the creation of honey wine called mead.

View our growing list of honey recipes as well as 1001 Other Uses for Ontario Honey at ontariohoney.ca !

Canning and Preserving with Honey

Canning with Honey

Mild flavoured Ontario honey may be used as a substitute for sugar when canning fruit.

Light Syrup = 1 cup Ontario Honey + 3 cups boiling water

Medium Syrup = 1 cup Ontario Honey + 2 cup boiling water

Freezing with Honey

Fruit can be successfully frozen in a mild flavoured honey syrup. To enhance the fruit's natural flavour and colour, only the mildest flavoured honey should be used. The prepared fruit is placed directly into freezer containers and covered with one of the following appropriate well chilled syrups.

Light Syrup = 1 cup Ontario honey + 3 cups very hot water

Medium Syrup = 2 cups Ontario honey + 3 cups very hot water

Leave head space for expansion. Crumple a piece of waxed paper and leave on top to keep the fruit under the syrup. Seal, date and freeze.

Fruit may also be frozen, without the use of syrup, by drizzling honey over the prepared fruit which has been previously placed in freezer containers.

Jams and Jellies with Honey

Ontario honey may be substituted for sugar in most jam and jelly recipes. If a recipe calls for 4 cups sugar, use 2 cups honey. Cook the jam or jelly slightly longer than time stated in recipe using sugar. When substituting honey, use a commercial liquid or powdered pectin. The consistency of the jam or jelly will be somewhat softer.