honey
A thick, sweet liquid made by bees from flower nectar, ranging from pale and mild to dark and strongly flavored depending on the flowers it came from. Used as a sweetener, and because it's almost entirely sugar, it also helps baked goods hold moisture and acts as a mild preservative.
Buying guidance
Flavor and color vary a lot by floral source -- a mild clover honey and a strong, dark wildflower or buckwheat honey will change a dish differently, so taste an unfamiliar jar before using it somewhere delicate. Raw or crystallized honey hasn't spoiled; warm the jar in hot water to reliquefy it rather than microwaving it hard, which can scorch pockets of it.
Substitutions
- Maple syrup -- similar sweetness and moisture with a distinct flavor instead of honey's floral notes.
- Light corn syrup or agave syrup -- close in sweetness and stickiness, more neutral in flavor.
- Granulated sugar plus a little extra liquid -- honey supplies both sweetness and moisture, so replacing it with dry sugar means adding back roughly the liquid volume removed, about 1/4 cup per cup of honey.
Tips & common mistakes
Don't give honey to a baby under one year old -- it can contain botulism spores that an infant's digestive system isn't yet developed enough to handle, though this poses no risk to older children or adults.
Storage
It doesn't need refrigeration and essentially never spoils if kept sealed -- store it at room temperature in a cupboard. Refrigerating it actually speeds up crystallization rather than preventing it.