The whipped honey cream is obtained by processing honey in a special way. The aim is to promote the formation of small sugar crystals and prevent them from forming large ones to ensure that the honey remains creamy and therefore easy to spread. Whipped honey cream can be used to sweeten drinks or baked goods, but it is also excellent spread on toast.
Ingrediants
- 450 g of liquid honey
- 45 g crystallized honey (i.e. thick and grainy)
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of herbs (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla (optional)
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Selecting the Crystallized Honey
Step 1. Use honey that has already been whipped
The process of making whipped honey cream requires crystallized honey to be added to a liquid type. By crystallized honey we mean honey that has hardened naturally, becoming dense and grainy; once added to liquid honey (because it is younger) it will favor the formation of sugar crystals. One option is to use honey that has already been whipped.
- The whipped honey cream can be found ready in some specialized shops, directly from beekeepers or online.
- Acacia honey or wildflower honey is generally quite liquid so it can be used as a base for this recipe.
Step 2. Use powdered crystallized honey
Another option for making whipped honey cream is to use sugar crystals that formed naturally in an initially liquid honey. Over time, any untreated honey tends to crystallize, and you can pulverize some of those crystals to make whipped honey cream.
- Take out a few sugar crystals from an old honey jar and then crush them with your blender or food processor until you get a fine powder. Once pulverized, add the crystals to liquid honey to make new ones form.
- If you prefer, you can pulverize the crystals using the pestle and mortar.
Step 3. Make the sugar crystals from scratch
If you don't have a jar of honey that has thickened or some previously whipped honey at home, you can make crystals using liquid honey, as long as it hasn't been filtered or pasteurized.
- Put the jar of honey in the refrigerator (make sure the temperature is below 10 ° C).
- As the hours go by, the honey will gradually begin to crystallize. After a few days, enough crystals will have formed to prepare the whipped honey cream.
- Crush the crystals with the blender, food processor or using the pestle and mortar to make a very fine powder.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Pasteurized Whipped Honey
Step 1. Prepare the ingredients you need
There are two main varieties of honey on the market: raw (or raw) unfiltered and pasteurized. The pasteurization process kills pollen, spores and bacteria, and you can do it at home by heating liquid honey before adding crystallized honey. The ingredients and tools you need are the following:
- A liquid honey and a crystallized honey;
- A medium-sized pot with a lid;
- A wooden spoon or a silicone kitchen spatula;
- A cake thermometer;
- A glass jar with lid (both sterilized).
Step 2. Heat the honey
Pour the liquid honey into the pot and heat it using medium-high heat. Monitor the honey temperature with the cake thermometer and wait for it to reach 60 ° C.
- In addition to killing bacteria, heating the honey dissolves any whole sugar crystals. In fact, the first crystals may have formed in liquid honey and in this case, whipping it would harden rather than become creamy.
- If you want to prepare a large amount of whipped honey cream, you can proportionally increase the doses of liquid and crystallized honey. The ratio between the crystallized and the liquid must be 1:10.
Step 3. Stir frequently
Stir the honey often as it heats to keep it from burning. When it starts to get warm, you can add a few ingredients to flavor it to taste. For example, you could gradually incorporate:
- 2 or 3 g of cinnamon;
- 5 ml of vanilla extract;
- 5 g of an aromatic herb of your choice, such as oregano or thyme.
Step 4. Let the honey cool and remove the foam that forms on the surface
When the thermometer indicates that the honey has reached a temperature of 60 ° C, turn off the stove and move the pot to a cold surface. Let it cool and occasionally remove the foam that forms on the surface. Wait for the temperature to drop to 35 ° C.
Step 5. Add the crystallized honey
Pour it into liquid honey when it has reached 35 ° C and then stir gently until the crystals are completely incorporated.
It is important to mix gently so as not to introduce air into the honey, otherwise more bubbles will form
Step 6. Let the honey rest
Put the lid on the pot and move it to a quiet corner of the kitchen. The honey must rest for at least 12 hours at room temperature; meanwhile, other air bubbles will move to the surface.
Over time, the crystallized sugar will cause more small crystals to form. As a result, the honey will gradually become creamier and creamier
Step 7. Remove the foam again before you jar the honey
After giving him time to rest, eliminate the air bubbles that have surfaced. Transfer the honey to a sterilized glass jar (or airtight plastic container), then close it with the lid.
Removing the air bubbles from the honey is not essential, but it improves the appearance of the final product
Step 8. Store the honey in a cool place for about a week
Store the jar in a place where the temperature is around 14 ° C and remains constant. Let it crystallize for at least 5 days and up to two weeks.
- An underground cellar is the place of storage par excellence since it normally guarantees a fresh and constant temperature, alternatively you can store honey in a garage or, at worst, in the refrigerator.
- Once the indicated time has elapsed, you can store the whipped honey in the kitchen pantry.
Part 3 of 3: Making Raw Whipped Honey
Step 1. Transfer the honey to a sterilized glass jar
The process used to prepare raw whipped honey cream is quite similar to that in which it is pasteurized. The main difference is that unfiltered raw honey does not need to be heated, and therefore is not pasteurized, before adding the sugar crystals.
To simplify the process, transfer the liquid honey to a glass jar with a wide mouth. This will allow you to mix it more easily after adding the sugar crystals
Step 2. Add the sugar crystals
Pour the sugar crystals, whole or powdered, into the jar with the liquid honey, then start mixing gently. Continue to work it gently for about three minutes to evenly distribute the crystals.
- Stirring too vigorously would risk incorporating a lot of air, thereby damaging the texture and delicate flavor of the honey.
- This is the moment when, if you want, you can add ingredients of your choice to flavor the honey.
Step 3. Store the honey in a cool place for about a week
Put the lid on the jar and find a place where the temperature is around 14 ° C and remains constant. The honey will need to rest for about seven days, during which time it will take on a fantastic creamy consistency.
- Don't worry if air bubbles form inside the honey during the time it rests. Being raw honey this is normal, given the modest fermentation.
- Once the indicated time has elapsed, you can store the whipped honey in the kitchen pantry.
Warnings
- Raw (or raw) honey has not been pasteurized and therefore may contain pollen, bacteria and other particles that can cause anaphylactic shock, food poisoning, and other unwanted reactions.
- Babies under the age of one year should not eat any type of honey as it could trigger infant botulism.
