Needing to make lollipops without corn syrup or cream of tartar
I'm wanting to make sore throat lollipops with pineapple, ginger cinnamon, lemon, & honey. I cooked down all ingredients except honey, then blended & strained. Its a juice type consistency. I'd like to use honey instead of corn syrup, but I don't know what the ratio of that juice mixture should be per how much honey. Is sugar needed? I'm wanting them to be as healthy as possible.
Do I stir the whole time? I've read conflicting info. Any help would be appreciated!
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Not sure why you don't want the cream of tartar...it's an acid, not a chemical. It's a by product of grape fermentation. It will keep the sugar from crystalizing (or at least assist in it) during cooking. Corn syrup does the same. Helps to keep crystalizing from occuring.
**my personal opinion follows, so I'm not writing this for conflict or debate**
Corn syrup, in my opinion, isn't bad. It's syrup from corn (basically). It's glucose, not fructose. So if you eat corn, you are getting it naturally anyhow. And in moderation, nearly anything isn't that bad. It's the "HIGH FRUCTOSE" corn syrup that's the bad stuff. Two TOTALLY different things. That said, I don't see why you couldn't use extra honey instead of the syrup, if you are totally opposed to the corn syrup, for some reason. But I'd highly recommend using either the syrup or the tartar to help your cooking sugar from crystalizing. I have read that while honey will probably work as a sub, it likely will cause a texture issue, which is why (because of the properties of corn syrup and how it cooks at high temps) corn syrup is a much better option for candy.
You can't make hard candy without sugar. Sugar is what makes it "hard". And you never want to stir boiling sugar. You can re-crystalize the sugar that you just melted. As well, you need to "wash" sugar crystals down the sides of the pot with water (I use a spray bottle). If you just mix them in, again, you have introduced crystals into your syrup, and you will have a big problem. Washing them in mixes it all together, not disrupting your already "liquid" syrup. All of this can be aided significantly by using the tartar and/or the corn syrup.
If you are making the "candy" lollipops for sore throats, they aren't going to be consumed like normal candy, but as soothing treats so I'd suggest following the recipe to make sure your ingredients are put to good use and turn out the way you hope they will :)
I am not a doctor or nutritionist or guru of any type, but I am a pastry chef with lots of experience so I'm speaking from my personal experience and knowledge. Please make your own informed decisions regarding any ingredients you are concerned about.
Good luck!