Let’s Talk Crystalised Honey

Anyone that uses honey regularly will probably have seen honey that has crystalised. But why does it do that and what does that mean for us honey lovers out there? It’s so important to know that this is a completely natural process, and does not mean that your honey has gone off, is old, or is no longer delicious! Most raw honey will naturally crystallize if it sits in your cupboard for any length of time, or if the weather has started to cool, or if you store it in the fridge. Crystalised honey can appear grainy or gritty and it may start to turn solid. Crystallised honey is just as good, fresh and delicious as runny honey. The crystals tend to multiply quickly once the honey has started this process, but it is reversible. Check out next weeks blog where we talk about how to (temporarily) reverse this process The crystals in your honey are the natural sugars becoming 'undissolved' in the honey. Honey is what scientists call a supersaturated solution; it's essentially sugars and water and there's simply not enough water in honey to keep all of its sugars dissolved permanently. Honey contains two main types of natural sugars, fructose and glucose. While fructose tends to remain dissolved, glucose has a much lower solubility and so can crystalize much more easily. Tiny crystals form in the honey when the glucose separates from the water. The crystallization will even be different in different kinds of honey depending on the nectar and pollen it was made from. Some form tiny, very fine crystals evenly dispersed through the honey. Others have larger gritty crystals. It totally depends on the water content of the honey compared the glucose, the more glucose, the quicker it will crystallise. Raw honey is more likely to crystalise than store bought honey. Raw honey also contains small particles of pollen, beeswax and other nutrients. But those tiny bits and pieces are perfect for the glucose to crystallise on as it becomes undissolved in the honey solution. Those little particles are the reason that raw honey is more likely encourage the formation of crystals over a pasteurised and fully processed product. Where you store honey can make a big difference in how quickly it will crystallise. Low temperatures will encourage quicker crystallisation, so don't put our honey it in the fridge! There's really no need to keep honey refrigerated, stored properly in a sealed container honey has a shelf life that is well beyond anything else in your cupboard. Hot temperatures can cause honey to degrade though, so warmer is definitely not better. For these reasons, to slow down or avoid crystallisation it's always best to store honey at room temperature in a cupboard away from direct sunlight. Not only is it best for the honey but it's also the best way to keep it in its smooth liquid state. There's absolutely nothing wrong with crystallized honey. You can sprinkle it on top of your oats, or spread it on your 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. The method method we recommend is the warm bath method. Check back in next week where we will talk you through this method of returning honey to its runny state (information source: www.justbeehoney.com.uk)