can I freeze lemon honey?

denise105, Dec 6, 1:34am
TIA :)

kaddiew, Dec 6, 1:51am
Yes, I freeze it often, and it's perfectly fine. (Mine is the butterless recipe though). Doesn't freeze solid, so could even be used straight from the freezer.

buzzy110, Dec 6, 2:34am
Not sure why you would want to freeze it unless you have an open jar and won't be eating it for ages. I make mine the traditional way with eggs, butter, sugar and lemons then put into jars when hot, screw on the lids tightly and they create an airtight seal automatically as they cool. All that is then required is to store them in your fridge till you need them.

Mine will last that way for up to a year but that is because it is all eaten in that time. Once opened it will last two months before it gets too runny but it never goes off or gets mouldy.

buzzy110, Dec 6, 2:37am
However, if you are putting your lemon honey onto a cake or into something that you then want to freeze then I guess it will. Personally, I would wait till I was ready to eat it before putting it onto/into my dish so that the texture and consistency are perfect.

nauru, Dec 6, 6:02am
Hi, would you please post your recipe, thanks

bo0tsey, Dec 6, 6:08am
buuzzy110 - can I have your recipe please! ?

kaddiew, Dec 6, 10:05am
nauru - it was in the other lemon honey thread you were in but here tis again :)

Lemon Honey - NO BUTTER
Delicious, keeps up to 2 weeks in fridge, can be frozen. Makes one small jar. Recipe can be doubled; just cook longer with below method.
2 eggs plus 1 yolk, 1/2 cup sugar, zest & juice of 2 lemons
Lightly whisk eggs, add the rest. Microwave on High in 30 sec bursts (stirring in between) for approx 2-3 minutes.

buzzy110, Dec 6, 8:52pm
I bo0tsey. I would happily post the recipe if you want it but I warn you, this is an old fashioned recipe and therefore it actually involves cooking, with multiple steps and quite a while standing and stirring as opposed to just throwing into the microwave and nuking for a few minutes. If you want it to be in sealed jars for longer lasting you also have to 'cook' those too.

Reading the recipe threads, I notice that most people are rarely keen to involve themselves in that level of cooking, preferring convenience and ease to 'slow, cooking'.

Let me know if you are still interested and I will post a recipe with detailed steps to ensure a good quality product results from your efforts. I warn you, it takes a good hour or more, from go to whoa, plus lots of washing up and in today's environment, that is rather a large investment of time and energy.

I might suggest you follow the easier recipe that has been posted here instead. It is perfect for today's cooks.

davidt4, Dec 6, 9:31pm
I have learned from Stephanie Alexander's writing that it is a myth that lemon curd requires long slow cooking. The proportion of acid and sugar means that it can be cooked over medium heat with constant stirring and takes about five minutes to thicken. I was very dubious about this, having been brought up to make it in an Agee preserving jar in a water bath, but it is true. Here is the recipe that I use all the time:

60g unsalted butter
130g caster sugar
finely grated zest of two lemons (or one lemon and one tangelo)
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
100 ml lemon juice

In a small heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter over very low heat. Meanwhile beat the eggs and sugar together until well combined but not foamy, add lemon juice and mix. Pour into pan and stir well, raise heat to medium and stir constantly until the foam dissipates and it thickens. This will take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to stir for a minute, pour into containers. Cover when cold and keep in the fridge.

kaddiew, Dec 6, 10:05pm
buzzy110 The traditional way of cooking lemon honey is familiar to MANY of us on this board, incuding myself.

buzzy110, Dec 7, 3:59am
Yes kaddiew, so it is. I wasn't having a dig at anyone. I was just observing that most of the threads I see where people are asking for recipes usually have the words 'quick' and 'easy' attached. This got me thinking that perhaps the traditional ways of cooking are starting to fall out of favour.

It also got me thinking, that it isn't fair to just give people a recipe anymore, especially when it isn't quick or easy. From what I have discovered, even when I am speaking to people personally, that most people have learnt to cook using their nuking machine and pre-packaged foods and just haven't got skills in the old ways. So when I give a recipe I also feel obliged to go into boring detail about exactly how to cook that recipe as well.

One more thing, I have found that, especially on these boards, that very few people will bother to come back and say thank you to anyone for all their effort so I have begun to wonder whether I would just be wasting my time.

davidt4, Dec 7, 4:18am
I know where you're coming from buzzy110 and that's one of the reasons that I'm answering fewer and fewer questions these days. But the most magnificent example of ingratitude that I've seen was a couple of years ago when in response to a detailed recipe for something quite specific (I think it was pesto, can't remember) I got a response along the lines of "I don't want anything with weird shit in it". And yet there is a sweet minority of learners who are really grateful that someone takes the time to help.

nauru, Dec 7, 4:33am
Thanks for that, I will give it a try.

buzzy110, Dec 7, 9:00am
Nice to know that someone else feels the same as me. I often don't answer questions unless I know a really quick trick using pre-packaged food that doesn't need any explanation. I feel like a hypocrite giving useful tips to people on how to slowly poison themselves so I am eternally grateful that people never drop back and give a quick thanks.

morgana-rose, Aug 18, 5:04pm
Hi buzzy110, I am very interested in your recipe as i love the slow old way of cooking, being brought up by my parents the old way i never buy packet sauces or jar premix stuff as i love making it from scratch and yet my friends ask what gravy mix is that i tell them its the good old home made fashion way, My daughter is 18yrs old and i have taught her the old ways of cooking and her flatmates love it when its her nite to cook, so to all who make things from scratch good on you and well done to take the time to make it, not to mention my friends think its weird that i humm and sing while i cook, i think it just add more love and flavour lol