INFUSING HONEY

[Harpo]

Hi guys,

am thinking of infusing some of my honey... I don't want to heat it so the other method I've heard of is to add a syrup...

My question is, if working with 1 kg of honey, how much water based syrup could I add before it would spoil?

TIA

[Michael Bush]

What are you wanting to infuse it with?  The two most common methods I know of are to use essential oils, which will actually emulsify better in honey than syrup, and powdered flavors, but the powders are usually used in creamed honey.  Personally I feel the same way about flavored honey ad flavored coffee, it's something you might do with really bad tasting honey or bad tasting coffee... but there is no reason to cover up the flavor of good honey or good coffee...  Also keep in mind that it changes honey from a simple food to a processed food when you add flavor.

As far as adding syrup to honey, I would never do it.  As far as how much would spoil it, that would depend on your meaning of the word "spoil".  I think any would be a bad idea, but if you mean "ferment" then that depends on the water content of the syrup and the water content of the honey.  If the results are above 18 percent water I would really worry and preferably the water should be 17.1 percent or less.  Speed of fermentation is a combination of water content (anything above 17.1 CAN ferment but if it is below 18 it usually takes a long time), temperature (anything up between 80 and 120 will ferment much faster than below 80 F and yeast will die above 130 F.), and how much yeast it is inoculated with and what KIND of yeast it is inoculated with.  At 18% or so at room temperature most honey will keep for a year or more but will ferment eventually.