Many people enjoy consuming honey in both their morning toast and evening milk. However, most honeys sold in stores contain impurities such as sugar syrup, syrups, and preservatives, which can negatively affect health.
Furthermore, those who adhere to a strictly vegan or plant-based lifestyle do not consume honey produced by bees. If you are looking for a completely pure, chemically free, and accessible alternative, you can make vegan honey that mimics the real thing using just three ingredients found in your kitchen, without involving bees. Its color, aroma, and taste will be very similar to bee honey.
Ingredients
The following components are needed for preparation: 1 cup of apple juice (fresh or boxed), 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Optionally, you can use a chamomile tea bag or 2 cloves to give it an aroma similar to honey.
Step-by-step guide
First, place the apple juice and sugar in a clean saucepan or skillet. Then, turn on the heat to medium and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
After the sugar is fully dissolved, add one tablespoon of lemon juice. The lemon juice acts to prevent the sugar from crystallizing and helps keep the honey thick and glossy for many years.
Next, reduce the heat to minimum and cook the mixture for 10–12 minutes. If you want to achieve an aroma as close as possible to real honey, add the chamomile tea bag or 2 cloves during cooking, and then remove them.
When the mixture turns light golden-brown and achieves a syrup consistency, viscous like a thread, turn off the heat. It is important to remember that the honey will become even thicker after cooling.
The finished vegan honey needs to cool down slightly, and then be poured into a clean glass jar. It can be stored for months even without refrigeration.