Set your jar of honey in a pot of boiling water, lid off and up to crystallization point. Soon the honey will return to its original consistency. How to stop this I have not been completely successful but, I graduate the jar down to the amount of honey and this seems to help.
By Jane Young from Richmond, B.C. Canada
I have a jar of honey that is starting to turn to sugar. How can I prevent this from happening again and is there anyway I can correct this?
Thank you,
Mary from Erial, NJ
Ann (Guest Post)
Keep it in the cabinet. Not in the refrigerator.
gator10tx (Guest Post)
What's done here is zapping the whole jar in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds, or until the honey becomes liquid again. If there are still crystals in the jar, you could stir them into the melted honey; re-zap the jar if the crystals don't 'melt' right away. Like Grandma Marge wrote, remember to remove the jar lid before microwaving. If not, you could have a huge, sticky clean-up later.
Do not re-place the jar lid until the honey has cooled down. As the air inside a closed bottle cools, in a plastic "bear" shaped jar, it can become misshapen. Once all the honey becomes liquid again, it will remain crystal-free for several months.
got2bcristi (Guest Post)
I've used raw honey for years and good honey will naturally turn to sugar. When it turns to sugar the best way to liquefy it is to use the hot water method. Heating on the stove or in the microwave may kill its health giving properties. You should be aware that the cooler it is kept the faster it turns, so not keeping it in the refrigerator is really good advice (the bees just leave it in the comb and it stays good for years, even after it turns very dark).
Louise (Guest Post)
I think everyone has had this happen to their honey, but I have a small trick to keeping mine liquid. When it turns to sugar, place the opened jar in hot water until the crystals are dissolved, then add a very small amount of Karo syrup and it won't crystallize for a long time. It won't change the taste of it hardly any if you don't put too much. Leave it in the cool cabinet. Good luck.
Mary
Post by Maryeileen
It's called crystallization and I recently read that Tupelo honey will not crystallize. Although I do believe that it is quite expensive.
Putting the jar in hot water will do it, as will putting a glass jar (with the lid removed) in the microwave. However, I would not suggest putting one of those plastic honey bears in a microwave as the plastic is "not" microwave-safe.
Years ago when I kept a few hives of bees I learned a lot about them from a wise old man who kept them. I have no scientific basis on which to base the following claim, but it seems to be true. According to "Mr. Buck", honey crystallizes because moisture gets in it. This can be from a wet spoon, or water vapor being sucked back into the "honey bear", or whatever. I believe this is true.
The various tips to return it to liquid work just fine, but if steam gets into the jar it will sugar up again in due time.
I have read that honey was found in the tombs of Egyptian mummies and was still unspoiled and okay to eat. I don't know if it had crystallized, but I expect those tombs were pretty dry. Anyway, suffice it to say the stuff has a really *long* shelf life. (07/02/2007)
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