# Honey Candy



## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

Anyone have a recipe for making hard candy from honey? The recipe I tried was to heat the honey to hard crack stage and then flavor it. However, 5 out of 5 batches tasted more like burnt honey than anything.


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

are you heating the honey in a double broiler


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

You cant heat honey (or any sugar) to hard crack stage in a double broiler.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I've always done it with cappings meltings (honey from melting the caps which is already a bit dark). I've always added some butter and cooked (stirring constantly) until hard crack. It is tricky to cook any sugar to hard crack and not burn it. Honey is no exception. I've also made taffy by following a "pulled taffy" recipe...


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

Chef Isaac said:


> You cant heat honey (or any sugar) to hard crack stage in a double broiler.


 
Chef I stand educated you are a wealth of culinary knowlege. Please clue us in on the secret to doing this. My guess would be a good heavy sauce pan to help distibute the heat constant stirring and medium to low heat.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

*Honey Taffy*

Ingredients: 1 cup honey
Instructions: Heat to boiling and continue gently to 280º F.
Remove from heat, pour onto buttered pan and allow to
cool until a dent can be in it when pressed with finger tips.
Butter your hands. Pull taffy until light and porous. Pull taffy
into long strips about 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch taffy
kisses. Wrap individually and store in fridge.


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

There is a few more tricks to it. You have the right idea with the heavy pot. I would take some lemon juice and coat the inside of the pot. Pour out any left over lemon juice. 

I would also have a small amount of water and a brush near by so you can brush down the sides of the inside of the pot while cooking the honey. 

I would also add some water to the honey. Put a lid on it and bring it to a boil. The water will be evaperated anyway. The water acts like insurance so the honey will not burn (at least not right away). Take the lid off and cook to the stage you need it to. 

Over stiring will cause crystalizes to be formed... not good!!!


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

*honey and molasses*

My wife sometimes makes a delicious candy using honey and molasses. I never paid close attention to the details, just the end product. I do know that she pours it onto a cookie sheet, then breaks it into random pieces and wraps them in wax paper. yum!


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/sugar-stages.html


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

Chef Issac,
What does the lemon juice and wetting the sides of the container do?

Thanks for the tip on over stirring. I'm certain that I was doing that. I was using a tiny pot (pint size) with no double-boiler. Another mistake I guess?


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## Chef Isaac (Jul 26, 2004)

waya:

The lemon juice prevents unwanted crystalization.


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## kc in wv (Feb 1, 2006)

*My attempt at using honey*

I guess this could go under my worst mistake when cooking with honey.

I have made hard candy with karo syrup, sugar and water, boiling to hard crack stage and adding flavoring. Then I pour it on a marble slab and work with a spatula until it starts to stiffen and then I cut into chunks.

One of my favorite old fashion candy's is horehound and honey so I decided to try and make it. I replaced the Karo with honey. When I put in the horehound flavoring in the fumes came up into my face. Everything in my head that could generate moisture did. My sinus's have never been that clear.

Then when I tried the candy it had a great taste but stuck to the enamel of my teeth like super glue. It would not come loose until the candy melted.

That was over 30 years ago and I haven't tried to use honey in the candy since. I am sure you can make a hard candy with honey, but I value my teeth too much to experiment


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

KC,
that's another problem I had besides an off flavor and the granulization. What gave me the idea was a candy "honey chew" but mine wasn't chewy. It was just mean on the dental work!


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