Is it normal for honey to crystallize

During that journey, the liquid nectar mixes with enzymes inside the crop, transforming its chemical composition. With the help of ventilation and airflow, H20 is evaporated from the inside of the hive, and that watery nectar thickens to become raw honey. Adequate heating and ventilation are critical in every aspect of this process.

According to honey manufacturer and beekeeper expert Paul Allison , proper ventilation is the key to honey making:. Raw honey is a mixture of natural sugars, other carbohydrates, water, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. It just changes shape. Honey does settle, harden, and become cloudy over time. The honey turns from that slightly transparent golden liquid to an opaque, more firm consistency. Nutritionally, there is nothing wrong with crystallized honey.

However, after honey crystallizes, it becomes highly viscous, making it difficult to remove from its container and challenging to work with. Most consumers will avoid purchasing a crystallized jar of honey if possible, which is why honey manufacturers go the extra mile to make sure their liquid honey is soft and usable. Because that means the honey is real and full of healthy antioxidants and beneficial enzymes.

The crystallization process is natural and has little to no effect on the honey other than new textures, densities, and coloring. So, naturally, crystals begin to form over time. Some honey crystals are fine and smooth, while others are large and gritty. Lease Honey. Blog Contact Cart Cart. Blog Contact Cart. Why Does Honey Crystallize? Source: Chemistry of Bees Project. Sign Up for The Newsletter! Honey is a highly concentrated sugar solution.

This means that the water in honey contains more sugar than it should naturally hold. The overabundance of sugar makes honey unstable. Thus, it is natural for honey to crystallize since it is an over-saturated sugar solution.

The two principal sugars in honey are fructose fruit sugar and glucose grape sugar. The content of fructose and glucose in honey varies from one type of honey to the other.

The balance of these two major sugars causes the crystallization of honey, and the relative percentage of each determines whether it crystallizes rapidly or slowly. What crystallizes is the glucose, due to its lower solubility. Fructose is more soluble in water than glucose and will remain fluid. When glucose crystallizes, it separates from water and takes the form of tiny crystals.

As the crystallization progresses and more glucose crystallizes, those crystals spread throughout the honey. You can sprinkle it on top of your porridge, or blend it with runny honey to create something known as 'creamed honey' which is excellent for spreading on toast. In fact, honey retains all of its flavour and quality in its crystallised form, so in most cases for cooking you can just continue to use it as you normally would.

However we also understand the desire to have it returned back to that lovely smooth golden honey that you had when you first bought it. We've read suggestions before that involved microwaves, boiling water and even putting the jar in a dishwasher! However all of these methods can expose the raw honey to extreme temperatures and we don't want to risk exposing our honey to those risk!

Not only can it destroy the unique enzymes and natural nutrients in raw honey, it can also hurt the overall flavour. To de-crystalise your honey, all you need is the warm water from your kitchen tap and a small bowl:.

If you need a break from stirring it's fine to let it sit for a while in the warm water while your wrist recovers too! You may need to replace the water in the bath if it cools down too much but eventually your honey will return to its clear runny state. Depending on how far the crystallisation process has gone, it could take up to 30 minutes to completely dissolve all the crystals.

It may not be the fastest way to return your honey to its original and beautiful liquid consistency but it's the safest, both for all vitamins and nutrients in the honey and yourself. Providing your tap water isn't too hot, it's even something you can get the kids involved in!

I have purchased this honey for a year now, my favourite is lemon and ginger. I love it as a drink on a daily basis it tastes Fabulous. Have a fab Bee happy day! How much are the seeds?