Is honey supposed to crystallize?
Honey is a super-saturated solution of primarily two sugars: glucose and fructose. Just like with your powdered lemonade, it is a natural process for some of the sugars in a super-saturated solution to eventually come out of solution. All raw honey will crystallize due to glucose.
Crystallized honey is safe to eat. But, just like the liquid form of honey, avoid feeding children under one year old with honey. Honey may have traces of Clostridium botulism spores that could cause botulism poisoning in infants. Freezing and heating honey won't destroy the spores.
The best way to keep honey from crystallizing is to store it at room temperature, notes Weintraub. The most ideal storage place is in a dark cupboard away from direct sunlight. Avoid storing it in the refrigerator, as cooler temperatures will make honey crystallize faster.
If a honey does not crystallize for a long time, with the except of certain types of honey that naturally crystallize slower or not at all (such as Acacia or Tupelo), it is often a clear indication that the honey has been adulterated, diluted, or pasteurized. The crystallization process is natural and spontaneous.
In general, honey doesn't spoil. However, it can go bad if it's contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or "off," then it's time to toss it.
Why Does Raw Honey Crystallize ? Honey is a super-saturated solution of primarily two sugars: glucose and fructose. Just like with your powdered lemonade, it is a natural process for some of the sugars in a super-saturated solution to eventually come out of solution. All raw honey will crystallize due to glucose.
One of the reasons most grocery store honeys will not crystallize is because they have been pasteurized, which requires high heat. The most ideal temperature to induce crystallization is 57F–the further you get away from that number on either side, the slower a honey will crystallize.
Many people believe that once their honey has crystallized, it is spoiled and is no longer safe to eat. This is false, as natural honey is one of the only foods that never expires (if sealed properly). Crystallized honey is completely edible- in fact, you can use it in the same ways you use liquid honey!
Do not refrigerate honey. Keeping your honey in the refrigerator preserves it but the cool temperatures will cause your honey to form a semi-solid mass, so this method of storage is not recommended.
Thankfully, honey can be returned to its liquid state with little effort. Heat some water in a pot, and put your honey container in the pot of hot water until the honey turns liquid. This gentle transfer of heat to the honey helps bring it back to liquid form without overheating the honey.
Is it OK to microwave crystallized honey?
You can also decrystallize honey in the microwave directly. This works best with honey in glass containers, as the microwave will warp and melt a thin plastic bottle. Transfer the honey to a microwave safe container if it is not already in one.
However, honey crystallization is a natural occurrence. So, while the process is delayed in pasteurized honey, it will still happen eventually. When your honey (pasteurized or unpasteurized) starts to crystallize, place the bottle in a hot water bath between 130F to 140F for a few minutes and stir.
Honey crystallizes because it contains more sugar than water, and so there isn't enough water for the sugar to stay dissolved. But honeys vary in their moisture content. Some contain as low as 13% water, some as high as 29%. So this impacts if, and how quickly, it crystallizes.
Honey does not go bad. In fact, it's recognized as the only food that doesn't spoil. It will, however, crystallize (becoming thick and cloudy) over time. If this happens, just remove the lid from the jar, place it in a pan of water, and warm it over low heat until the honey returns to its original consistency.
Most bacteria and other microbes cannot grow or reproduce in honey i.e. they are dormant and this is due to antibacterial activity of honey. Various bacteria have been inoculated into aseptically collected honey held at 20°C. The result showed loss of bacterial viability within 8–24 days 27.
What is the white layer of foam on top of my liquid honey? This foam is nothing more than air bubbles. Honey contains many air molecules that will rise to the surface over time. Give it a good stir and the honey will be nice and smooth again.
With time, all true pure honey will crystallize or granulate, but honey will never spoil. Honey was found in the Egyptian tombs, & it was still good. Do not refrigerate honey, because refrigeration will hasten crystallization.
What is crystallized honey? Crystallization does not mean your honey has gone bad. In fact, it's honey's natural process of preserving itself, often occurring after three to six months of storage.
Don't liquefy honey over and over again.
Decrystallize only what you need at one time. The flavor and aroma of the honey will fade with repeated cycles of heating and cooling (and liquefying and crystallizing).
There's no need to store honey in the fridge - it will stay fresh if you keep it tightly sealed. Keeping honey in the refrigerator can cause it to crystalize.
How long does honey last once opened?
You don't have to toss that honey! Even if honey had been sitting on your shelf for 2,000 years, that honey would still be as good as the day you opened it. In a nutshell, well-stored honey never expires or spoils, even if it's been previously opened.
Honey can be stored pretty much anywhere, at any temperature. It's one of the few products in the world that never goes bad, due to its unique chemical composition.
For best quality, store honey for up to 12 months. After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. Honey can become cloudy, crystallized or solidified but this is not a safety concern. The honey can be microwaved or heated in a pan of hot water to clarify or melt it.
Because pasteurization exposes the honey to high temperatures, it may destroy or remove honey's natural properties. This means that raw honey may offer more powerful health benefits, in terms of healing wounds and fighting infections, than regular honey. Many studies have found that raw honey has health benefits.
Place your jar (lid removed) in a pot of hot water on the stove, allowing the honey to heat up and liquefy. Without boiling the water, slowly heat the honey, stirring it occasionally. Remove jar when crystals have dissolved.
Pure honey is taken from the hive and gently filtered to remove all nasties (dirt, pollen, dead bugs), before being packaged. Raw honey however is taken directly from the hive without any filtration and placed into its packaging.
“As per FSSAI Standards, the consistency of honey can be fluid, viscous or partly to entirely crystallized.” According to a study, An Innovative Method of Preventing Honey Crystallisation, “crystallisation of honey is a guarantee that it is pure and natural”.
The natural sugars and enzymes in honeycomb or raw honey lend it its natural sweetness. Unfortunately, pasteurization destroys most of them, which is why regular honey is less sweet than fresh honeycomb or raw honey.
From a calorie and sugar content perspective, the differences between sugar and honey are minimal, however, overall, honey contains slightly more health benefits than table sugar from its potential antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Honey never expires. The healthy sweetener—which contains antibacterial proteins and enzymes as well as plenty of antioxidants—is good forever. Seriously. Kept sealed in an airtight container, the National Honey Board says honey remains edible indefinitely—even if it crystalizes or darkens over time.
What is the oldest honey ever eaten?
Honey that's over 3,000 years old was discovered in King Tut's tomb in 1922. It was still edible! For nearly a century, the 3,000-year-old honey from King Tut's tomb was considered the earliest example of honey ever discovered. Archaeologists excavating the tomb of the pharaoh King Tut in 1922 came upon jars of honey.
Fermented honey, sometimes termed baker's honey, has a sharp taste due to the acetic acid formed, a slightly bready smell and a soft mouthfeel. While fermenting bubbles can be seen in the honey and the fermented honey can retain a frothy appearance.
Honey can contain the bacteria that causes infant botulism, so do not feed honey to children younger than 12 months. Honey is safe for people 1 year of age and older. Learn more about infant botulism from the Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program.
By consuming raw unfiltered honey, you are consuming propolis, which is actually small pieces of the beehive. Often, you can see this propolis in your honey jar in the form of small black specks.
In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent.
When honey is getting bad, it develops a cloudy yellow color instead of a clear golden one — the texture then becomes thicker until it's grainy. Once it's finally considered “bad,” the color becomes white, and the texture gets hard. This whole process is because of the crystallization of honey for a long time.
As more and more glucose crystallizes, honey changes from an unstable saturated solution to a stable saturated form, causing the honey to become thick and grainy.
Can Honey Go Bad? When it's stored properly, honey never goes bad, Grad said in an interview with Allrecipes. "Honey will darken and/or crystallize, but it is still safe to eat," she said. Metal or plastic containers can oxidize the honey, and heat can change its flavor.
It Can Crystallize and Degrade Over Time
It doesn't mean it has gone bad but the process does cause some changes (1). Crystallized honey becomes whiter and lighter in color. It also becomes much more opaque instead of clear, and may appear grainy (1). It is safe to eat.
How to Decrystallize Honey in a Bowl. Set the honey container, uncapped, in a small heatproof bowl. Fill it with warm (not boiling) water to reach halfway up the container. Let sit for about 45 minutes, replacing with fresh warm water as needed.
Is crystalized honey less healthy?
For some reason, there is a perception that honey that crystallizes has "gone bad" or that it is a sign of contamination. No! It's actually a sign of high quality honey. Don't throw your crystallized honey out, unless you like to waste delicious food.
Keep container in an area that will stay at average room temperature. Because honey is best stored at room temperature (somewhere between 64 to 75 F), keeping your container of honey on a shelf or in your pantry is recommended.
Honey never expires. The healthy sweetener—which contains antibacterial proteins and enzymes as well as plenty of antioxidants—is good forever. Seriously. Kept sealed in an airtight container, the National Honey Board says honey remains edible indefinitely—even if it crystalizes or darkens over time.
Normal Changes. Even though honey doesn't have an expiration date, it can still undergo natural changes. The National Honey Board says that over time honey may “darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize,” depending on changes in temperature.
Don't microwave raw honey to decrystallize it. Microwave ovens cook food unevenly (that is why you have to turn your microwave dinner halfway through the cycle). You can't control the temperature at all and are likely to scorch or boil at least some of your raw honey in a microwave.
You may have even seen little white flecks floating in it. Before you do anything impulsive, don't throw it out! Your honey is not bad; it's just changing. It's crystallized honey, and it's totally natural.
