Conference turris::cooks

    Donna,

>    Does anyone have a good recipe for honey-mustard salad dressing?
I found several honey dressing recipes, but none containing mustard.

You might try a request to the following organizations.

	American Honey Institute
	333 North Michigan Avenue
	Chicago, Illinois 60601
    
	National Honey Board	
	9595 Nelson Road
	Box C
	Longmont, Colorado 80501

David

    Maybe I should write to one of the previous addresses.

    I'm wondering how to keep my honey from 'crystalizing' and
    what to do about it when it does.

    I like to buy honey in large 5lb or so jars and after a while,
    it starts to form crystals.  I figured this was due to
    evaporation and have tried adding water to the honey.  It improves
    it, but often some crystals remain.  Should I just add more water?
    Warming it up helps, but they return.

    Thanks
    bob

    DON'T add water!
    
    Add heat.  It's not a big problem.  Just uncover and zap or put the
    bottle in a pan of hot water.  The only drawback is that once crystals
    form, they act like seeds.  If you leave ONE in the jar after melting
    them, they will reform even faster.  However, if you manage to melt
    them all, they will still reform, just slower.  
    
    My solution is to buy honey in smaller quantities.

RE: .2

As .3 says, DON'T add water.  If you do so, the honey will spoil.  Natural 
honey contains very, very little water.

Crystallization is a natural process in honey.  In fact, honey that doesn't 
crystallize has been overprocessed.  To cause it to re-liquify, simply heat it 
a little.

--PSW

    "overprocessed"?
    
    curious,
    ed

I think "overprocessed" means pasteurized and filtered.  I like my honey with
obvious little pollen floaties in it, so it looks very slightly cloudy, and 
unpasteurized.  The pollen floaties probably act as seeds for crystalization, 
too.

    Thanks for the input...however it sounds like the only solution is
    to buy honey in smaller jars.  Perhaps to buy quantity and repack
    it myself in small jars.

    It seems that the more often a container is 'open', the quicker
    it crystalizes...that SOMETHING is evaporating from the honey and
    making it crystalize.  Perhaps water, perhaps some other volatile.
    I have found that adding a little water AND heating it up works best
    for preventing re-crystalization.  After just heating, it seems
    to recrystalize REAL fast.
    bob

I just put my honey jar in the microwave, minus the cover, and zap it until the
crystals are gone.  At this point the honey is really thin too, and easy to 
measure!

Laura

RE: .7

No, nothing is evaporating from the honey when it is left open.  Dust motes are 
falling into the honey and acting as seeds for crystallization.

--PSW

> In fact, honey that doesn't crystallize has been overprocessed.

	Hmm, is that good or bad?  I've got a 5 pound tub of
	honey I bought over a year ago and it hasn't crystallized
	at all (its also still just the right pouring consistency
	for measuring too).

	The label says:

		SueBee Pure Honey
		US Grade A  -  White
		Packed by: Sioux Honey Ass'n, ... Sioux City, Iowa

	What does the "White" mean?  The color still looks a
	golden honey color to me.  I'm guessing the "Grade A" has
	just as little meaning as it does for meat :-) (?)

  Most commercial honey is heat treated to retard crystals. I don't believe it's
  good or bad. Remenber they are trying to extend shelf life.

  As far as color goes, Honey will reflect the nectar the bees are gathering
  example, Honey from Locus Trees, Orange Blossoms etc are usually light in
  color, while late summer early fall blossoms such as Buckwheat will produce
  a very dark honey. Here in New England Honey production tends to go from light
  to dark as the different blossoms emerge. Color does not determine grade it
  is a variety of things such as clariety, water content etc. 

                                                     Bud

    
    To receive free info on honey uses (Recipes) and coupons on honey, also a
    quarterly News Letter (The Beeline  ;*)) with many recipes, call:
    
    	1-800-220-2110
    
    	Golden Blossom Honey 
    	73 East Stae Street 
    	Doylestown, Pennsylvania  18091