One of the most recent trends in BBQ and cooking lately is Hot Honey. What is Hot Honey exactly? Well, to keep things simple, it is just honey that has been infused with peppers making it spicy and sweet! Whether you use it in a marinade, drizzle it over fruit, or take your fried chicken to the next level, Hot Honey is the latest and greatest condiment you need in your pantry! There are plenty of various options available at your local market, but they are somewhat expensive for something you can make yourself at home. If you like the idea of a spicy honey and enjoy doing things yourself at home for a fraction of the price, the following sous vide method for making Hot Honey is for you....Let's Get Cooking!
Begin by slicing a fresh jalapeno and adding it, seeds and all, to a 4 ounce mason jar. Each jar should contain at least 1 fresh jalapeno so make as much or little as you wish. Honey is inherently sweet so don't worry too much about this recipe coming out too spicy. 1 jalapeno adds just a slight kick, so if you like it real hot, go wild and add more peppers. Feel free to experiment with other peppers as well, such as scotch bonnets or habaneros.
Once you have added your sliced peppers to your jars, simply fill each one with honey. As you can see below, I used natural raw honey so mine was somewhat still crystalized, which is fine. Using pasteurized honey will prevent crystallization, but either one works great for this recipe!
Once full, place a clean lid on the jars and screw on the rings finger tight. Place the jars into your sous vide setup and set the temperature to 95 degrees Fahrenheit for raw honey or 122 degrees for pasteurized honey. Once everything is up to temperature, set the timer for 2 hours for the honey to process and infuse with heat from the peppers.
After 2 hours, carefully remove the jars and allow to slightly cool. When the jars are cool enough to handle, remove the lids and strain the peppers and seeds from the honey. While honey may last indefinitely, the peppers and seeds will eventually go bad so be sure to remove everything from the honey to prevent any future spoilage.
That is all it takes to make your own Hot Honey at home in a matter of a couple hours. Not only do you save a ton of money, but you can experiment and make your own as hot or mild as you prefer. You may want a milder version to drizzle over fruit or goat cheese to add a little boost of flavor or you may want it as hot as the pits of Hell for a spicy chicken recipe. No matter how you end up making it, be sure to give this one a try and let me know your ratio and types of pepper you used for your batch of Hot Honey! It's a fun, new condiment that can really change a meal for the better....Just Keep Cooking!
HOT HONEY
Comments