15/08/2020
Why Does Honey Crystallise?
It is a common occurrence in household pantries. It’s probably winter, and the jar of honey that once contained molten golden honey has suddenly changed and become whiteish and semi-solid. This crystallisation is normal, but is usually met by distaste, as the honey-owner feels that their jar of delicious syrupy joy has suddenly spoiled.
However, this process is natural, as real raw honey does crystallise. In fact, it reflects your honey is natural and good quality. In nature, honey often crystallises, or sets, in the comb. It is a spontaneous and completely natural process that sees unheated honey become more solid, change colour and form crystals. The process is not always uniform, and sometimes the crystals will form on the top section of the honey jar, while the bottom part remains liquid. Some crystals are large and gritty, while some others are fine.
So, how does this occur? Honey is a supersaturated solution of three sugars: glucose and fructose and a small amount of sucrose. This natural phenomenon occurs when glucose—one of three main sugars in honey—spontaneously precipitates out of the honey solution. The glucose loses water (becoming glucose monohydrate) and takes the form of a crystal (a solid body with an orderly structure). The crystals make a lattice formation which immobilises other components of honey in a suspended structure, creating the semi-solid crystal state. The faster honey crystallises, the finer the texture will be, and as it forms crystals, the colour of the honey lightens.
Despite this looking strange, there is actually no effect on the honey itself; it will still taste the same and has not deteriorated in quality in any way. Actually, this process works in the opposite way, preserving the flavour and quality of the product. As the taste becomes richer in this form, and the substance’s higher viscosity means it is easier to spread, crystallised honey is sometimes preferred by consumers, and asked for in certain recipes. It is the perfect consistency to spread on toast or sandwiches!
However, if you want to reverse your honey back to its original liquid form, the honey jar can be placed in a pot of warm water and heated to a low heat until liquid again. Alternatively, the jar can just be left in a bowl of hot water for a long period of time, not on the stove element. A quick blast in the microwave for a couple 15 second intervals can also help reverse the crystal forms. Despite this returning your honey to the way it was originally, honey will re-crystallise if not used quickly. Do not despair or throw your honey away as this is when honey is (debatably) at its best and most flavoursome.
