You open your favorite jar of local honey and, surprise! Instead of being liquid and golden, you find a solid, grainy block of something different? We often hear that the honey has “turned into a loaf”, that it has “turned into sugar” or that it has become “hard honey”.
Rest assured, your honey isn't spoiled. On the contrary, it's a sign of life! At Ferme Les Petites Écores, we often receive questions about this. Here's everything you need to know about crystallized honey and our tips for decrystallizing it without losing its properties.
Crystallization is a natural and inevitable phenomenon for all unpasteurized honey. Honey is a liquid with a low water content that is supersaturated with glucose and fructose, primarily, with a small amount of sucrose. This is why it crystallizes at varying rates. So what accelerates its crystallization?
The sugar ratio: Glucose tends to want to return to its solid form. The higher the glucose content of a honey (like clover or dandelion honey), the faster it will crystallize. Conversely, a honey rich in fructose will remain liquid longer (often our autumn honey!).
The temperature: Honey hates moderate cold. Crystals form most quickly between 10°C and 15°C. That's why you should never put honey in the refrigerator!
The presence of microparticles: In artisanal honey, traces of pollen or wax invisible to the naked eye can be found. These tiny elements serve as "anchor points" for the crystals to multiply.
The container format The smaller the container, the closer the walls are, thus facilitating the clumping of crystals. And once crystallization begins, a simple movement in the honey is enough to accelerate the process…
If you buy honey at the grocery store that remains liquid for three years without ever changing texture, be wary. It has clearly been heated for a very long time and has lost its beneficial properties! Furthermore, this perpetually liquid honey is sometimes ultra-filtered to remove anything that could cause it to solidify (such as beeswax and pollen, which we discussed earlier). This process unfortunately destroys the enzymes and the product's natural benefits.
A crystallized honey This is therefore proof that you have in your hands an authentic, unpasteurized and nutrient-rich product.
If you prefer your honey liquid for your recipes or lunch, it's very easy to make it liquid again. The goal is to heat the crystals so they melt without cooking the honey (very important!).
This is the technique we recommend on the farm:
Place your jar of honey in a bowl or saucepan.
Add hot water, but not boiling (maximum 45°C) up to the height of the honey
Let it rest and stir gently with a spoon from time to time.
Make sure the honey is truly 100% decrystallized. If any crystals remain, it will quickly crystallize again.
This technique is very useful, but care must be taken not to cook the honey:
Preheat the oven to 170°F.
Place your glass jar of honey with the lid on in the oven for approximately*:
Make sure the honey is truly 100% decrystallized. If any crystals remain, it will quickly crystallize again.
NO! That's a no! Seriously, microwaving your honey, yes, it's the fastest method, but you're "killing" your honey by pasteurizing it. Please don't do that.
At the farm, we like our honey when it's slightly crystallized. It's perfect for cooking without dripping everywhere! So we keep jars of crystallized and liquid honey at home, depending on our needs. That said, of course, if we only have crystallized honey left in our pantry, we'll use a double boiler or the oven to liquefy it again.
Whether you prefer liquid or solid honey, the important thing is to have it on hand! By buying your local honey, you are investing locally in human-scale and environmentally friendly agriculture.
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