Honey Crystallizing Part 1

Properly processed honey almost never goes bad. However, honey can change to a different consistency, a process called 'crystalization'. The point at which honey will crystallize depends on what nectar the bees were collecting when they were making a particular honey, and the age of the honey. Tupelo honey may never crystallize, while honey made from cotton blossoms will crystallize very quickly.

Crystallized honey is very thick and granular, but it is not spoiled. Archaeologists have found it in Egyptian tombs...still perfectly edible! Most people do not care to eat crystallized honey, though. Thankfully, it is easy to reverse the process, and turn the crystals back into the nice, thick syrup it was when the honey bees packed it into the comb. Simply place the jar of honey in hot...but nowhere near boiling...water. The crystals revert back to their liquid form. How long it takes depends in how large of a container you have, how severe the crystallization, and how hot the water is. The reconstituted honey should stay in syrup form for quite a while...when the honey cools the crystals will not immediately reform. However, make sure all the crystals are gone before removing the honey from the heat. Any crystals that are left become 'seeds' of a sort, and recrystallization will happen rapidly. Which is what my next post will be about!