Honey is a fantastic substance that you can get naturally. In fact, it is the derivative of many types of sugars around the world. This fact alone makes it one of the most essential substances around the world.
It has been around for years and has always been eaten by the wealthy and gorgeous. That said, technological innovations have made it possible to transform honey into a new form, and this process is called caramelization. You would definitely love the taste when it is caramelized. The caramelization process is a lot more tricky than it may sound and needs to be done in some careful steps. Otherwise, it won’t form the beloved caramel you want, causing you to waste your honey, time, and efforts.
That said, this article would explain how to caramelize honey and the benefits of eating honey.
History Of Honey
As mentioned earlier, honey has been around for thousands of years; it has been used as both a food and a medical relief. It contains many compounds that are beneficial to humans, which is one of the reasons why so many people consume this delicacy.
Basically, honey looks like a thick, golden liquid, and it is made by bees from a flowering plant’s nectar. In order to do this, they gather up all the nectar they plant to produce and then consume it. After a while, they would regurgitate the nectar onto the plant. Honey would be the resulting substance left after water has evaporated.
This substance is dated to be as old as 2100 B.C. it was documented in writings of Egypt, India, and Babylon. As you may already expect, this was the first sweetener man used to add sweetness and flavor to his food. In fact, this honey was so precious that it was even used as a form of currency and offering to the ancient gods.
In addition to that, it was also used to make surprising things such as cement, furniture, polishes, and varnishes. A lot of people prefer using honey to processed sugar because honey is healthier. Honey contains 100% empty calories, which makes it a perfect sweetener for people who want to live a healthy lifestyle.
How To Caramelize Honey
Caramelizing honey can be more complex than it looks. One of the factors you have to consider before you caramelize honey is the variant. There are several types of honey variants, and some of them are:
- Acacia honey
- Alfafa honey
- Clover honey
- Lavender honey
- Chestnut honey
- Sage
Note that these variants would all give considerably different tastes, textures, and colors. Even the smell would be different!
Another thing to consider is the type of production process the homey you have gone through. As you may already know, there are different forms of processed honey, and they include liquid, pasteurized, whipped, or even honeycomb forms.
When you want to caramelize honey, you only need a few ingredients. These ingredients are a minimum of 450g of honey, water in one tablespoon, and half a teaspoon of lemon juice.
That said, the process to caramelize honey can be done in a few steps. These steps are:
Mixing
The first thing you have to do when caramelizing honey is mixing the components together. As mentioned earlier, the right chemicals contain honey, water, and lemon juice. The first thing you should do is to mix the honey, water, and lemon juice into a saucepan. It would be best to do this step right. This is because if you add too much eater or lemon, it tends to either be too watery or too sour. If you add too little water or lemon, the caramel tends to form abnormally.
Heating
This is the second process of caramelizing honey, and it involves heating the resulting mixture. The first thing you should consider while heating is to make sure that the heat is low. If it’s too high, ti tends to mess up the honey. Hence, try and heat your mixture over low heat and stir with a rubber spatula. Leave it until it starts to simmer.
Simmering
This is the mistake many people make when making honey. When it starts to simmer, many people tend to think that it is ready and thus take it off the heat. However, taking it off the heat would cause the mixture to form abnormally in the final process, rendering it useless.
Instead, when it starts to simmer, leave it to simmer for two minutes. During this process,s it would be best not to stir again to allow the mixture to solidify. If you leave the mixture for longer than two minutes, it would irredeemably damage it, making it unedible for use.
Pouring
The best way for you if it’s the right time to pour is when it has a nutty aroma. You shouldn’t worry because although that nutty aroma differs depending on the honey variant, its smell is still pungent enough to distinguish.
Another way you can know if it is ready to pour is its color. If it’s ready, it would most likely be dark. That said, if it has a dark color and a nutty taste, turn the mixture over into a clean bowl, bottle, or jar.
It is best to use a glass or ceramic container for this because the plastic may alter the taste and smell. Additionally, multiple reports show that plastic contains compounds that are carcinogenic when heated.
Cooling
This last process is relatively simple. It just involves you cooling the substance. As a note of warning, it would be best to make sure that the substance is cool before you start using it. This resulting substance can now be called caramel.
Benefits Of Eating Caramelized Honey
Now that you know how to caramelize honey, as well as some history on this delicious substance, here are some benefits you can get from eating caramel:
It contains antioxidants
If you are into self-care, you should probably know what antioxidants are. They are simply chemicals that promote both your internal health and your outward appearance. People that eat antioxidants tend to look more healthy and fit than those who don’t.
That said, it may come at little surprise that caramel is rich in antioxidants. Some of these antioxidants include organic acids and flavonoids. These antioxidants provide you with several health benefits, such as reducing the risk of getting a heart attack, strokes, and several types of dangerous cancers.
Cholesterol is improved with caramel
In some cases, cholesterol is a hazardous substance that can cause some devastating effects when it accumulates. It can cause the development of severe heart conditions such as heart diseases, liver problems, strokes, and so on. The accumulation of bad cholesterol is known as atherosclerosis.
Several studies have shown that compared to sugar, caramel can reduce the amount of bad cholesterol and promoted an increase in good cholesterol. Ultimately, it led to a weight loss of 1.8% in the participants of that particular study.
It helps to heal burns and wounds
Burns and wounds are extremely annoying injuries to sustain, no matter the size or severity. If you dont treat it in time, it can usher in the development of several infections. In some severe cases, it can lead to some life-threatening conditions or fatal occurrences.
Luckily, frequent consumption of caramel can promote the healing of burns and wounds. You can get faster results by applying the caramel directly to the wound or burn.
Many scientists believe that this healing property is caused by caramel’s antioxidative properties and its anti-inflammatory effects.
You may be wondering if it’ll leave scars, but the truth is that it won’t. It helps to treat a lot of skin conditions such as psoriasis and lesions. This is why a lot of skincare routines include the use of caramel in their formulas.
It can reduce coughs
Coughing is a problem that a lot of people encounter in their daily lives. On some occasions, these can be light coughs and disappear within a few minutes. At other times, these coughs can linger on for hours. The fact is that no matter how light or heavy these coughs are, they can be pretty annoying.
Fortunately, caramel is known to be an effective choice for treating coughs and suppressing cough-induced insomnia.
Final Words
Caramel is an excellent substance that a lot more people should use. It has proven its effectiveness and uses over time, which is why it is used for so many medical purposes.
If you want to start taking caramel for medicinal purposes, make sure you consult a medical practitioner for directions. Sometimes, taking caramel can be dangerous too. For example, it can cause children under one year to exhibit symptoms of botulism.
That said, this article has helped to highlight how to caramelize caramel and the benefits of eating caramel. If you’ve been thinking of the best time to swap that sugar for the caramel in your home, this is your sign!