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Honey's Little Secret As A Sugar Substitute

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By MARY A. KEITH

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 4, 2009

How do I substitute honey for sugar in baking recipes?

For each cup of sugar called for, use 3/4 cup of honey and reduce the other liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. In equal measures, honey is sweeter than sugar, so you'll have the same sweetness level. Be aware that not all recipes take kindly to honey. It browns more rapidly, so keep an eye on the batter while it bakes. If bread or cake looks like it is browning too rapidly but is not done, you can lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan to protect the surface while it finishes baking. And store the final product carefully. Honey tends to draw moisture, so baked goods such as sweet breads can actually get beads of moisture on them, which make them look spotty.

I found a recipe for spiced apple rings that is super simple. It uses cinnamon red hots for the flavor and color. You just make a sugar syrup with them and cook the apples in it. How long do I need to cook them in jars to be able to store them on the shelf or give them as gifts?

The recipe that has been tested for canning spiced apple rings has vinegar added to increase the acidity. So for your recipe I can't give you canning directions that I am sure are safe. I can give you the tested recipe to try, but with your current recipe you'll need to keep them refrigerated to be sure they're safe.

Which acai juice is the best? I've tried a couple that taste OK, but they're all expensive. Which gives the most benefit for the money?

There's no way I can give you an answer to that. The research hasn't been done to confirm how much of it would be necessary, how long you'd have to take it for a definite health benefit, or how it must be processed to retain the active ingredients. And I couldn't find any reports on testing of the various products on the market - probably because there's nothing definite yet to test for. If you like one better than another, that's probably as good as any way to decide.

What's the difference between stock and broth? I see both on the market now, but can't taste much difference between them.

There's not much to differentiate, so don't blame your sense of taste. A broth is defined as the liquid left after cooking meat, fish or vegetables in water. The only difference in definitions is that a stock is the strained liquid left after cooking meat, fish, vegetables and other seasoning ingredients in water. So stocks are strained, and may have more seasoning. In practice, most stocks are reduced or concentrated by slow-simmering, so the flavor in a stock should be more intense. Some stocks start by browning the meat, bones or vegetables before boiling. These brown stocks will have more of a cooked, rather than boiled, flavor.

Is it OK to freeze rum balls? I made some and got more as gifts, and we can't possibly eat them all right away.

It is certainly safe to freeze them, and the flavor should keep well. But I can't find any directions or comments on how well the texture holds up. I suspect that they might come out crumbly. If so, use them as topping on pudding, ice cream or parfaits and no one will suspect a thing!

Mary A. Keith, a nutrition and health agent at Hillsborough County Extension, can be reached at (813) 744-5519 or mkeith@ufl.edu.

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