Coffees, Teas & Aromatics
Wildflower Honey in gelato
Wildflower (multifloral) honey is a natural invert-type sweetener made mostly of fructose and glucose (~82% sugars, ~17% water). In gelato it acts as a high-PAC sugar and aromatic, boosting softness and scoopability while adding floral flavor.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 82.9% |
| Water | 17.1% |
| Sugars | 81.5% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0.3% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 108 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 157 |
Typical use: 3-8% of the total mix, usually replacing 10-25% of the sucrose.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Honey is used as a partial sucrose replacement and flavor note. Because its fructose and glucose are monosaccharides, it raises the anti-freezing power (PAC ~157 vs sucrose 100) far more than an equal weight of sugar, so a little softens the gelato and lowers the serving temperature. Its sweetening power is also higher (POD ~108) thanks to fructose, so reduce total added sugar when you add it or the mix turns cloying. Keep additions modest: too much honey overwhelms with floral aroma and can make the gelato gummy or too soft to hold shape. Use it in honey, ricotta, nut and spice flavors, or wherever a warm aromatic sweetness is wanted.
Origin & background
Honey is one of humanity's oldest sweeteners: cave paintings at the Cuevas de la Araña in Valencia, Spain (c. 8,000 BCE) depict honey harvesting. Wildflower honey is 'multifloral', gathered by bees from mixed blossoms rather than a single crop, so its flavor and exact fructose-to-glucose ratio shift with region and season. Its average composition was standardized by J.W. White's USDA surveys of U.S. honeys.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 'Honey' (FDC ID 169640): https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169640/nutrients — water 17.1 g, total sugars ~82 g, fructose ~40.9 g, glucose ~35.7 g, sucrose ~0.9 g, maltose ~1.4 g, protein 0.3 g, fat 0 g per 100 g.
- National Honey Board / J.W. White, USDA 'Honey Composition and Properties' (Agriculture Handbook 335): https://honey.com/newsroom/presskit/honey-nutrition and https://sites.evergreen.edu/terroir-spring/wp-content/uploads/sites/186/2016/03/Honey-Composition-and-Properties.pdf — average blossom honey: 17.1% water, 38.2% fructose, 31.0% glucose, 7.2% maltose, 1.5% sucrose, 4.2% higher sugars.
- USDA Technical Bulletin 1261 (White et al.) sugar ranges: fructose 27.3-44.3 g, glucose 22.0-40.8 g per 100 g — via FoodStruct honey profile: https://foodstruct.com/food/honey