Why has my honey crystallized?

Why does honey crystallize?

Well, Firstly, a quick science lesson. Honey is made of two main ingredients: sugar and water. The sugar is dissolved into the water, but there's more sugar than the water can hold when the honey is at its optimal humidity level of 18% and this is called a supersaturated solution. So to put it plainly, there's not enough water to keep the sugar dissolved permanently, hence the two ingredients will eventually separate. This results in the formation of crystals in the honey and raw honey crystallizes faster because it also contains trace amounts of pollen or beeswax which would have been filtered out from processed honey

Where honey is stored honey can make a big difference in how quickly it will crystallize. Low temperatures will encourage quicker crystallization, so do not store honey in the fridge, in fact, there's really no reason to keep honey refrigerated, stored properly in a sealed container honey has a shelf life that is well beyond anything else in your pantry. Hot temperatures can cause honey to degrade too, so warmer is not better, so for these reasons, to slow down crystallization 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 longer.

My honey has crystallized, what can I do?

To de-crystalize your honey, all you need is the hot water ( below 50c) from your kitchen tap and a small pan. Let the water run so it gets nice and hot, place your jar of honey in the pan and add water until it's about three-quarters up the side of the jar. Using a spoon work the honey gently and continuously, making sure not to splash water over the sides of the jar, this will start the crystallizing process start to reverse. Let it sit in the warm water for a while and it will continue to soften, the water in the pan may need replacing if it cools down too much but eventually your honey will return to its liquid state. It may not be the fastest way to return your honey to its original consistency but it's the best way to liquify the honey while preserving all-natural vitamins, enzymes and nutrients in there.

If you are softening a pail of honey this process will take longer due to the volume of honey being softened