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When honey is harvested, it is collected in liquid form. However, after honey has been processed to control crystallization, creamed honey is formed. In this article, we are going to look at what creamed honey is and how to make it from natural honey.
Honey is collected from bee combs in liquid form. Some honey companies prefer to sell honey in this natural form while others sell it as creamed honey. Creamed honey is also referred to as whipped honey, spun honey or churned honey. Contrary to what many people thin, creamed honey has no additives added to it. In fact, the only difference between creamed honey and liquid honey in its natural form is that creamed honey is crystalized.
The difference between creamed honey and liquid honey can be seen after you leave honey for a few months. In the natural honey, the crystals are gritty and huge and nasty while in creamed honey, the crystals are silky and smooth.
For many people, creamed honey is a better choice by far than standard honey. It even costs more than regular honey. This however does not mean that you always have to buy creamed honey, and this is because you can easily make your own creamed honey at the comfort of your home.
The science behind the making of creamed honey is simple. When the regular honey is processed, it produced a huge number of small crystals that prevent the formation of large crystals like is regular honey. This is also why creamed honey is easy to spread and has consistency to its thickness. This is because it is the glucose that crystalizes in honey. And because glucose is naturally white in color, creamed honey has a lighter color than regular honey.
Creamed honey is considered thicker and creamier and generally much better than regular honey. If you have not had creamed honey yet, you should definitely try it and see what you’ve been missing out. It is better in sandwiches as it is easy to spread and will not tear bread.
And because of this, it costs more than regular honey. However, you need not pay more since you can make honey right in your kitchen. The following steps show how you can make creamed honey at the comfort of your home.
To make creamed honey, you need regular honey first. You can buy the honey, or harvest it. All you need to ensure is that the honey has no crystals. For instance, if you had honey locked away somewhere for months and want to use it, there is a high chance crystals have formed. If there are crystals, get rid of them by heating the honey until all the crystals melt.
It is important that you don’t heat the honey directly. Instead, you can boil some water and put in the honey jar and leave it for some time to melt. Do this until the honey appears runny. When this happens, leave the jar to cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.
To make creamed honey at home, you need a little creamed honey first to begin with. Using just one jar of creamed honey, you can be able to make gallons of creamed honey. Ensure you have a jar of your favorite creamed honey for this step. Once the regular honey has cooled to room temperature, add about ten percent of it to the regular honey and stir well till they are fully mixed.
Once the mixture has fully been mixed, store this solution in a cool place with about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This mixture should be stored anywhere between three days and a week. A good place to store the mixture would be in an unheated garage.
During the storage period, ensure that you always check the state of your mixture to know when it is ready. It is easy to identify when creaming has occurred. The resultant honey in the jar will be firm and will not our when the jar is fully tipped over. However, when you stir using a spoon, the honey will be able to flow although very slowly. Stir the honey to the right amount of thickness and put it in a squeeze bottle to use it. If you are not planning to bottle it however, you should avoid stirring the mix. The creamed honey stays in its consistency if stored at 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are a lover of honey, then you probably know there are different forms of honey. There is pasteurized honey and it is mostly found in grocery shops. It is honey that has been processed to remove natural occurring yeast and consequently, lots of beneficial enzymes. This is why pasteurized honey is somewhat transparent in color. With creamed honey and regular raw honey, none of these beneficial components has been removed.
Regular honey is raw and is usually harvested directly from the bee comb. Major impurities are removed and it is then bottled and sold. When this honey is left unattended for too long, you will notice that it solidifies and crystalizes. The crystals are large and thick and have to be melted to be able to use the honey again.
Creamed honey is formed when this raw honey is thrown into a honey creamer – a machine that spins it till the crystals are smooth and fine, and this is what is referred to as creamed honey.
Regular liquid honey is great for cooking, baking and adding to tea, coffee and other beverages whereas creamed honey is great for sandwiches, toasts and breads.
Both creamed honey and regular honey are good for you. For many people, whichever honey they choose depends on personal taste. Creamed honey is however better for bread as it has small fine crystals and better consistency in its natural form. At the end a little extra work and you will have a quality creamed product!
