...Honey is not really something I have 'missed' as a vegan...I never really gave it any thought...
...but when my internet pal Shaheen posted about the Vegan Dandelion Honey that her friend made for her over at
Allotment 2 Kitchen...I was intrigued...
...so last night I thought I'd try making some Vegan Honey...
...of course I don't have access to any dandelions this time of year...but I do have chamomile tea...that I get in bulk at the
SDA store in WNC...
...and I had some organic gala apples...
...I chose these two ingredients (fruity and flowery) because they are the flavors that my tongue 'remembers' of honey...and just a hint of pollen...
...so I cut up the apple...and tossed in a spoonful of chamomile...not an exact measurement...and since I wanted 2 cups of liquid...I added 2 cups of water...
...cooked it until the apples were tender (falling apart actually)...and then blended it with the stick blender...
...strained it through my jelly cloth...
...washed the pot and measured two cups of liquid back into the pot...not sure why this photo is blurry...sorry...
...added one cup of beet sugar...
...and a teaspoon of lemon juice...
...and just let it cook gently for about 45 minutes...
...I tested the syrup-y-ness every so often...
...in the end this is what it looked like in the pot...
...so I poured it into a jar...
...it had reduced by almost half...
...and popped on a lid...it certainly looks just like honey...
...a decorated lid...of course...
...and then we tried it out for brekkie this morning...and it's finally (FINALLY) raining for the first time in a month...so the lighting is not what it should be...
...the colour and consistency are perfect...
...it smells just like honey...
...and most importantly...it tastes just like I remember honey tasting...it's amazing...
Homemade Vegan Honey
Ingredients:
1 organic apple (because you're leaving the skin on for the pectin)...
1 tsp chamomile tea
2 cups water
1 cup vegan sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Method:
Cut up the apple and add it and the chamomile to a saucepan with 2 cups of water...bring to a boil and cook until the apple starts to fall apart...then blend...strain through a cloth...measure 2 cups of liquid and put that into a clean saucepan...add 1 cup vegan sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice...bring to a light boil and let it cook until reduced by about half...check the consistency by putting a few drops onto a clean cool plate and when it reaches a syrup-y honey-like consistency...pour it into a clean jar...
~Have a lovely day!
Looks great!
ReplyDeletethis looks lovely!
ReplyDeletei have made dandelion jelly in the past - but this is great - you can make it anytime - not just when dandelions are in full-bloom.
i'll try that for Miranda!
ReplyDeletelove, k
You are so clever. And thank you so much for the link up, I never saw the link when it was originally posted and admire you for having a go at making it from scratch.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shaheen,
DeleteI've made it many times since then...I like it a lot and always have a jar in the fridge...
~Affectioknit-ly,
Teresa