Canning with Honey

Honey has been used in jams, jelly and other preserves for hundreds of years. Although most home canning today is accomplished with white refined sugar, many home canners want to reduce their sugar intake and also do not want to use artificial sweeteners in their jams. Honey is the perfect addition for canning as it brings natural sweetness and is easy to work with.

You can substitute honey for sugar in most existing canning recipes but there are some changes that must be made in the jam- or jelly-making process in order to accommodate honey. Here are some tips for incorporating honey into your canning projects:

1. Honey is sweeter than sugar.

Honey is a richer and sweeter substance than sugar and therefore you only need ¾ cup of honey to equal one cup of sugar. To make the adjustment to your recipe, take the amount of sugar called for and multiply it by 0.75 to get the required amount of honey. For example, a recipe that calls for six cups of sugar would only need 4 ½ cups of honey.

2. Honey changes the gelling qualities of the jam or jelly

Because honey is a denser sweetener, it does not react the same way with the natural pectins in fruit as sugar does. Using a commercial pectin, like Certo, will ensure a firm-setting jam or jelly when using honey.

3. Honey is not recommended for children under 2 years of age

The warning about potential botulism poisoning from spores that originate from raw honey have been around for many years. Although the warnings generally say "all honey", keep in mind that botulism spores are killed when honey is heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes or longer. The process of boiling the jam or jelly would effectively eliminate chances of contamination.

4. Honey adds liquid to the preserves

When canning fruit in a simple syrup made with honey, hydration does not matter as honey will act just like white sugar. In a jam or jelly, however, it will make it slightly looser and therefore the jam should be boiled a few minutes longer to reduce the liquid.

5. Honey adds its own flavor to preserves

White sugar adds nothing to your preserves except sweetness. Honey, on the other hand, has its own unique character that it will add to the preserves. Use a light mixed flower honey to minimize changing the flavor. Avoid rich honeys such as buckwheat or black sage as they will overpower the preserves.