Honey - Sweeteners: Nutritional Aspects, Applications, and Production Technology - page 128

table 5.4 Sensory evaluation of Certain Solutions for honey Sweetness Intensity

Concentrated
honey Solution (%)

Clover (%) Orange Blossom (%) Wildlower (%)

25 98.3 99.6 95.5

50 129.5 124.5 120.5

75 137.1 137.3 132.0

100 130.0 134 130.0

Source: Neumann, P.E., and Chambers, E., Cereal Foods World 38 (6) 418, 1993.

table 5.5 honey Substitution Based on Carbohydrate equivalences

Solids
(%)

Water
(%)

Sweetener Sweetener replacement (kg honey/kg liquid)

Honey 82 18 —

Sucrose 100 0.0 Add 1.2 kg/0.2 kg

HFCS a 70 30 Add 0.85 kg/0.14 kg

CS b 80 20 Add 0.98 kg/0.03 kg

Molasses 72 28 Add 0.88 kg/0.03 kg

Source: NHB. Carbohydrates and the Sweetness of Honey. http://www.honey.com/images/downloads/carb.pdf .
a High-fructose corn syrup.
b Corn syrup.

Carbohydrate composition plays a key role in the crystallization functionality of honey, and
therefore,itcanbeusedtopredicthoney'stendencytocrystallizeand/ortoavoidit.Honeymay
bevariedinsweetness,lavor,andaroma,resultingfromitsloraltype(monoloralandpolyloral)
andthemanufacturer'sblend.Researchershaveshownthesweetnessintensityofhoneyincreases
withconcentrationasshowninTable5.4.Forexample,theadditionof25%honeytoa10%sucrose
solutionincreasedthesweetnessintensityby16%,anditdoublestheintensitybytheadditionof
25%honeytoa5%sucrosesolution.Manufacturersofbakeryproductsoftensubstitutemorethan
10%-15%oftotalsugarwithanequalamountofhoney.Acommonpracticeonasweetness/mois-
turebasisistoreplace1.8lbsofwaterwith10lbsofhoneyintheoriginalformula(ShinandUstunol
2005).Asubstitutionbasedoncarbohydrateequivalencesusinghoneyasasubstituteisshownin
Table 5.5. On the other hand, a 68% honey solution freezes at 21.5°F (−12°C), and a 15% honey
solutionfreezesat29.5°F(−1.4°C),whichhasanimpactonproductapplication,forexample,inice
cream,wherethefreezingpointisveryimportant(Bachmann1995).
Inadditiontosweetness,honeycarbohydratesoffermanyotherproperties,suchasitsability
to(1)holdmoistureand/orextendshelflifebecauseofitshighreducingsugarcontent,(2)enhance
lavorsbecauseofitssugarcombination,and(3)promotehealthyaspectstoconsumersbecauseof
itsnutrientvariety.

5.9.2 honey acidity

Anumberoforganicacids(0.6%)andaminoacids(0.05%)werefoundinhoneywithanaverage
pHof4.0(3.5-6.0range)andatypicalacidityof29mEq/kg.Themajororganicacidsofhoneyare
gluconic(mostpronounced),acetic,butyric,citric,formic,lactic,malic,succinic,andpyroglutamic
acids.Anumberof18freeaminoacidswerealsofoundpresentinhoneybutinsmallamounts,with
prolinebeingthemostabundant.