Question 1

What are honey's POD and PAC in gelato?

Accepted Answer

Honey has a sweetening power (POD) around 91 and an anti-freeze power (PAC) around 142, relative to sucrose at 100. Both are computed from its own sugar profile: roughly 38 g of fructose, 31 g of glucose, 7 g of maltose and 1 g of sucrose per 100 g. So it is very slightly less sweet than table sugar by weight, but it depresses the freezing point about half as much again, which keeps gelato softer and more scoopable.

Question 2

Does honey add water to a gelato mix?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Honey is about 18% water and only ~82% solids, so roughly one-fifth of any honey you add counts as free water. You must include this moisture in the water balance, otherwise the mix will read drier than it actually is.

Question 3

Can honey fully replace sucrose in gelato?

Accepted Answer

No. Its high anti-freeze power and strong flavor make a full swap impractical, producing an over-soft, aromatically dominated gelato. Use it for partial replacement, usually a fraction of the sugar blend, and rebalance total sugars and water accordingly.

Question 4

Why is honey's PAC so much higher than sucrose?

Accepted Answer

Honey is mostly fructose and glucose, whose small molecules depress the freezing point far more per gram than sucrose. Those two rate 190 on a dry basis, but honey is not only fructose and glucose: about 18% of it is water and another 8 to 9 g per 100 g are maltose and larger sugars, which rate near 100 and below. Adding the sugars up one by one gives about 142 per 100 g of honey. Multiplying 190 by the 82% solids instead gives 156, which is the shortcut this library used to apply and overstates honey by about 10%.

Question 5

Is honey the same as inverted sugar?

Accepted Answer

Compositionally it is close but not identical: both are near-equal fructose and glucose blends, though honey also carries maltose and larger sugars that a pure invert syrup does not, which is why its PAC per 100 g lands near 142 rather than at the full invert figure. The other practical difference is flavor. Honey contributes a pronounced floral aroma, whereas inverted sugar is essentially neutral in taste.

Parameter	Value	What it means
Total Solids	82%	Everything that isn't water: the backbone of body and scoopability.
Water	18%	Free water that will freeze; drives ice-crystal size.
Sugars	81%	Total sugars, the source of sweetness and freezing-point depression.
Fat	0%	Carries flavor and gives a rounder, warmer mouthfeel.
MSNF	0%	Milk solids-non-fat: proteins and lactose that stabilize structure.
Protein	0.3%	Binds water and helps whip in air.
POD (sweetening power)	91	Relative sweetness vs sucrose = 100.
PAC (anti-freezing power)	142	Freezing-point depression vs sucrose = 100; controls how soft it scoops.

Honey

Balancing parameters

Balance honey in a real recipe

How to use it in gelato

Origin & background

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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