Hot honey
Honey gently infused with dried chilli and balanced with a small splash of vinegar for a controlled sweet-hot pizza finish.
Prep5 min
Cook8 min
Servings5
Christoph Mayer's house hot honey, with University of Maine guidance consulted for safe hot-pepper handling
Ingredients
Written for a 1 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
Hot honey
- 100 g mild runny honey rounded
- 1.5 g dried chilli flakes, choose the amount for their strength rounded
- 5 ml apple-cider vinegar, optional, for balance (optional) rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Put the honey and 1.5 g chilli flakes in a small pot. Warm over the lowest heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not boil; hot honey can cause serious burns and boiling makes its flavour flat.
- Remove from the heat and infuse for 10 minutes. Taste from a cooled spoon. Add more chilli only if needed, then stir in the optional vinegar for brightness.
- Strain for a gentler, steadier heat or leave the flakes in for an infusion that becomes hotter. Cool before transferring to a clean jar.
- Drizzle exactly 20 g over each 30 cm pizza only after it leaves the oven.
Notes
- Wear gloves when handling very hot dried chillies, avoid touching eyes or face, and wash hands, tools, and the work surface with soap and water. Keep your face away from chilli vapour while the honey warms.
- Honey holds heat and sticks to skin. Use a deep enough pot, stir slowly, keep children away from the stove, and let tasting samples cool fully.
- Because this is a small home infusion and optional vinegar adds water, refrigerate it in a sealed jar and use within 1 month. It may crystallize; loosen the closed jar in warm water. Discard if it ferments, foams, or smells unusual.
Sources consulted
- Christoph Mayer’s house notes are the primary source for the dried-chilli infusion and optional vinegar balance.
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Let’s Preserve: Peppers was consulted for glove and hand-washing guidance when handling hot peppers.
Good with
Sources consulted
The infusion and vinegar balance are Christoph's house formulation; the outside source informs chilli handling only.
From Christoph Mayer