Ever since honey was discovered, this sweet goodness has become a huge part of our daily life. It is a must-have food to stockpile in our kitchen pantry and food cabinets—considering several health benefits it offers while lasting for long periods of time (or even forever). Although some people tend to turn away from honey as they can’t stand the sticky sensation in the mouth, as well as the sticky mess it leaves on measuring cups and teaspoons. Consequently, people learned to dehydrate honey to get around their sticky concerns.
In this post, we will go over everything about dehydrated honey. We will also teach how to dehydrate honey with and without a food dehydrator.
What is Dehydrated Honey?
As the name implies, dehydrated honey is basically honey that has been dehydrated with or without a food dehydrator.
It is also known as ‘dry honey’ or ‘powdered honey’ as natural honey will turn into powder once the dehydration process is over.
Additionally, the color and texture of dehydrated honey is similar to corn flour. It is the preferred ingredient when baking a recipe that must be limited in moisture content, as well as the sprinkle on some bread, biscuits, cupcakes and other pastries of such.
Uses of Dehydrated Honey
Dehydrated honey has many uses, most particularly in baking and cooking:
Sugar Substitute
Since dehydrated honey is processed into powder, it can be an excellent substitute for sugar. It acts and works just like sugar does. However, if you plan on adding it when baking pastries, you should keep in mind that it will not caramelize or even add some chewiness on the food. Moreover, sprinkling it in large quantities will only result in stickiness since it will likely gather moisture.
Natural Sweetener
Dehydrated honey is a natural sweetener which can be used in drinking beverages like tea, coffee or juice. It is a much healthier option among other sweeteners since it is packed with antioxidants and nutrients.
Additional Ingredient
Dehydrated honey can be an extra ingredient in various recipes. You can add it in your favorite barbecue sauce or sweeten up your spaghetti sauce. It can also be used when marinating pork, beef, chicken or turkey before cooking. Just sprinkle it in a considerable amount and once the meat is cooked, you will notice some glaze effects—adding distinct tasty flavor to your dish.
Benefits of Dehydrated Honey
It may be different in form, color and texture- but it is still honey- holding all the benefits of a natural honey.
Improved Digestion
Honey contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial compounds, treating infections all throughout your body. It will help to reduce any possible cramping and constipation symptoms.
Cut in Gaining Weight
Dehydrated honey contains less carbohydrates and calories as compared to what sugar has. By including this in your daily diet, it will help to improve your metabolism, assisting in weight loss.
Enriched Skin
There are lots of ways you can eat dehydrated honey but you can also add it to your preferred skincare products. Honey holds antiseptic properties which help to soothe acne-prone skin whilst keeping your skin moisturized, preventing excessive oil production.
Why Should You Dehydrate Honey?
Perhaps you have a question in mind why some people choose to dehydrate their honey when it is already wonderful in its natural form. Apart from its stickiness concerns, there are many reasons why you should dehydrate honey.
Preservation
It is true that honey will last for long periods of time or even forever but only if it remains unopened and stored properly at a certain temperature. An opened jar of honey won’t definitely spoil in a matter of days but over time it will take form into crystals, making it problematic to even use. Dehydrating the honey will remove the moisture, hence avoiding crystallization.
Prevention of Bacterial Growth
Dehydration is the safest and healthiest way to preserve food as compared to canning and freezing. It will prevent any bacterial growth since the moisture, in which these bacteria flourish, is all taken out. It simply makes the dehydrated honey much safer for consumption than natural honey.
Flavor Consistency
Natural honey contains yeast which helps in fermenting the honey over time. Even though fermentation occurs, it does not make honey harmful for consumption but rather only affects the flavor. Thus dehydrating the honey will prevent the degradation of flavor.
How to Dehydrate Honey at Home
With Food Dehydrator
- Begin with coating your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour a small amount of honey and spread it all over to make it thin, allowing the moisture to escape easily. Make sure its thickness is not exceeding 1/8 inches.
- Add flavor in the honey with ground ginger, cinnamon or anything you think that will complement the taste of honey. (Optional)
- Set the dehydrator at exactly 120° F, going over this temperature may cause a tendency of burning your honey.
- Leave the honey in the dehydrator and check it from time to time. The dehydration process can go on at least 24 hours. If you notice its texture is dry and rather solid, you take it out of the dehydrator and cool the honey down.
- Break it in smaller pieces and crush it until it becomes powder or form it in any shape you want. Do not leave it sitting outside exposed to direct air as it will only absorb moisture, making it all sticky again.
Without Food Dehydrator
- Place a large deep pot on the stove and heat it up at around 50 to 100° F. You need a large deep pot as the honey will bubble up once it is heated.
- Check the temperature with a food thermometer. Once it reaches 50 to 100° F, you can pour your honey over the pot.
- Check the temperature of the honey once it starts to boil. When it reaches 300° F, turn off the stove and cool the honey down.
- Put a small amount of cornstarch in the jar as it will eliminate any moisture left from the honey.
- Again, break it in smaller pieces and crush it until it becomes powder or form it in any shape you want. Do not leave it sitting outside exposed to direct air as it will only absorb moisture, making it all sticky again.
How to Store Dehydrated Honey
Storing dehydrated honey is rather easy. You just have to transfer it in an airtight container and store it in a cool, dry room away from moisture. By doing so, it will retain its dryness and will definitely last for a long period of time. Lastly, as we’ve mentioned before, do not let the dehydrated honey sit out for too long as it will get ruined. You should store it as soon as it is grounded.
Final Thoughts
Look, dehydrated honey is still honey, but you realize the substantial difference it makes once it turns into powder. It becomes more convenient to use than natural honey, considering the number of benefits and its various applications. It might look pretty sitting on a shelf, but in the real world when survival matters, dehydrating honey is a no-brainer.