What Do You Do With Crystallized Honey?

Why does my honey have sugar in it? Why has my honey turned solid?

So you received your honey jar, expecting a smooth, golden flow, only to encounter a solid, lumpy surprise. Relax, honey lover, that's not spoilage, it's a sign of something wonderful – crystallisation. 

These are some of the questions that we are commonly asked by customers trying natural honey for the first time. 

You can't blame them. Think back to the last time you visited the honey aisle in a supermarket. Did the 'honey' appear as a clear, thick, runny liquid, with not a single crystal in sight?

We call it 'honey' because most supermarkets typically don't sell real honey; instead, they offer a processed sugary syrup that may resemble honey in appearance and taste, but lacks the authenticity and nutritional benefits of true honey. 

Why does real honey crystallise?

Real honey, defined as honey that hasn't undergone overheating or filtration, consists primarily of natural sugars. Fructose and glucose are the two primary natural sugars found in honey, with the ratio of fructose to glucose varying from batch to batch due to the natural variability of honey. This variation influences the crystallization process of honey.

In honey, glucose tends to crystallize because it's less soluble than fructose, whereas fructose remains fluid due to its higher solubility. As a result, honeys with higher fructose content typically crystallize more slowly compared to those with lower fructose content.

Therefore, some honeys maintain their liquid consistency, while others crystallize quickly, and still, others start off as liquid but crystallize over time.

But of course, it’s completely normal to prefer honey in its runny form. Most of us do anyway. Who wouldn’t want the sticky goodness that comes from drizzling honey over pancakes, for example? If you wish to get your honey back to its runny form, decrystallisation is the way to achieve this. And the good news is: it’s a surprisingly simple process!

Turning Crystallised Honey to Its Runny State

Follow these simple steps to decrystallise your honey.

Step 1:

Place the jar of raw honey into a container of hot water for a few minutes until the honey warms up and the crystals dissolve. Periodically add more warm water to maintain a constant temperature.

 Step 2:

Once the honey has become runny, turn the jar upside down and observe. If air bubbles rise quickly and honey flows freely to the top, you've achieved runny perfection! If not, leave it in the warm water for a little longer.

Be rest assured that heating raw honey below 40°C will not affect its beneficial living nutrient properties.

Conclusion

Remember, crystallised honey isn’t a flaw, it’s an opportunity to experience honey in its purest form. So next time you see a jar of raw honey that has begun to crystallise or separate into solid and liquid layers, treat it as a gift and take it as proof that it is, in fact, real, unprocessed honey. Enjoy!

Don't throw out your crystallized honey. Eat it. It's delicious and perfectly safe.