When your jar of honey crystallizes, it means you have picked the real organic honey. It is a common misconception that crystallized honey is spoiled. But it is a natural process; crystallization in honey happens because of its natural characteristics. Honey consists of two types of natural sugar, fructose and glucose, which tie together and start to shape little crystals. Some honey crystallizes faster than others, depending on the blending difference. Normally, organic honey or pure honey jar crystallize in several months. Crystallization relies upon different factors. The ratio of fructose and glucose (F/G) and glucose and water (G/W) is the fundamental reason. The low G/W ratio and high F/G indicate slow crystallization. Crystallization occurs when the level of glucose increases and cannot dissolve in water.
Another reason for crystallization is temperature; it also plays a major part in forming crystals. The ideal temperature to store organic honey is above 4°C or below 25°C. Above 4°C is to decrease the sugar molecules mobility and below 25°C is to make sure that saturation of glucose decreases and the crystals in honey liquify. Additionally, numerous other factors cause honey to crystalize. The processing and packaging of pure honey or organic honey also play an important role in the crystallization of honey. However, it is a totally natural process, and it is as edible as normal honey. But if you want to liquify your crystalized honey, the real question is how to decrystallize honey.
How to decrystallize honey
Crystalize honey is the same as normal honey, but its texture is slightly different from liquid honey. If you do not like the taste of crystallized honey, you can simply heat it to soften the honey. Melting honey will remove the crystals. But you have to be careful because overheating can cause the loss of all the properties and benefits of your organic honey. In order to preserve all the properties and qualities of organic honey, melt it at constant low heat until it decrystallize. Following are the few steps which will help you understand how to decrystallize honey by keeping all the nutrients and properties of organic honey.
- Step 1 - Keep the jar of your organic honey in a bigger glass bowl. In case if honey is in a plastic bottle, take it out and put it in some sealable glass jar.
- Step 2 - Heat the water up to 30°C to 40°C; you will need this water to decrystallize your organic honey.
- Step 3 - The water that you heated pours into the bowl where you placed your honey jar. Ensure that warm water is below the lid of the honey jar and above the honey level.
- Step 4 - Keep the honey jar in the warm water until it decrystallize, and also keep stirring once in a while. Crystals in organic honey will start slowly melting, and honey will get liquified.
- Step 5 - Keep monitoring the temperature of water through a thermometer. Make sure that the water temperature remains in the range of 30°C to 40°C by adding hot or cool water.
Typically, the decrystallization process takes up to one hour for one jar of honey, but it also depends on the amount of organic honey you are decrystallizing. More amount will take more time, and less honey will decrystallize quickly.
Decrystallization: Do not list
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Do not microwave. Do not keep your honey jar in the microwave for the decrystallization process. Microwaves tend to cook food unevenly; you can not control the temperature of microwaves. Heating your organic honey in the microwave can result in the burning of your organic honey.
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Do not boil organic honey. Keeping your organic honey in boiling water can destroy all the benefits, qualities and properties of your organic honey.
- Do not heat organic honey in the plastic bottle. Heating honey in plastic is very risky and harmful. It can melt plastic and add it with your honey which is not suitable for eating.
- Do not overdo the decrystallization process. Heating organic honey over and over again can fade out all the nutrients and aroma of your honey. The constant heating and cooling process makes the honey lose all its properties, and it will be left with only sweet syrup.
Decrystallization:
- Keep your honey in a cool place in a tightly sealed jar and away from sunlight.
- Keep the organic honey in the glass jar, do not keep it in a plastic jar.
- Aware your friends and family that crystallized honey is not spoiled and contains the same benefits and qualities with different colors and tastes.
How to prevent crystallization
You can slow or prevent crystalization by taking a few certain steps. Make sure that your organic honey jar is tightly sealed because air permits moisture and fast the process of crystallization. And keep the honey jar away from sunlight; direct sunlight can cause harmful effects in honey. Always use the clean spoon to take out honey from the jar; it will keep the particles from getting into the jar. Also, do not store the organic honey in the plastic jar; change it with your own glass jar if your favourite honey comes in a plastic jar. Plastic is a porous substance, and the crystallization process occurs quickly in plastic. On the other hand, the glass jar is hard and prevent moisture in honey and slow the crystalization process.
Also, do not store organic honey in a metal jar or container. Because honey is acidic in nature, keeping it in a metal jar can start the oxidation process, which will cause rust in the jar and destroy the honey. Also, keep your organic honey or pure honey jar at room temperature; it will also help slow the crystallization