How to Measure Sticky Honey Without Losing Half in the Cup

You poured 1 cup of honey into the measuring cup. You tipped it over your bowl. A thick coat of honey stayed inside the cup. Your recipe is now short 10 percent honey, and that is the part of the sweetness it counted on.

Why honey clings

Honey is mostly sugar dissolved in a small amount of water. Its surface tension pulls hard against any dry surface it touches. Plastic, glass, metal: they all hold onto honey. Add a film of oil between the cup and the honey, and the surface tension breaks. The honey lets go.

The three working methods

1. Spray-or-oil method (volume)

Lightly spray the inside of the measuring cup with cooking spray. Or rub a few drops of vegetable oil around the inside with a paper towel. Pour the honey. Tip into the bowl. Almost all of it comes out.

2. The scale method (best)

Place your mixing bowl on a kitchen scale. Hit tare. Pour honey from the jar directly into the bowl until you see the right number of grams. No measuring cup at all. No honey left behind.

3. The other-liquid trick

If the recipe also calls for oil or butter, measure the oil or butter first. The cup is already coated. Pour the honey in next; it slides out cleanly without extra prep.

Crystallized honey

Honey crystallizes when it sits at cool temperatures. It is still good. To re-liquefy, set the jar in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water for 10 minutes. Do not microwave at high power; honey can scorch.

Quick weights

• 1 tablespoon honey = 21 grams
• 1/4 cup honey = 84 grams
• 1/2 cup honey = 168 grams
• 1 cup honey = 336 grams
• 2 cups honey = 672 grams (about 1.5 pounds)