Sugary Honey

[JMediger]

Hello All,
DH found some amazing honey last time he was in Oregon and bought us 2 jars, one labeled "Carrot Honey" and the other "Meadowfoam". He left them at his parents for about 3 months and now that we are back, I have found the Carrot Honey to be completely solid (sugared) and the Meadowfoam to be half.

I know that I can thin them out for use by simply putting the jar in warm water but after they cool, they will sugar again. I also know the more times you do this, the grainier the honey gets.

So here's my question ... does anyone have a T&T method for thinning honey and keeping it that way?


Thank you!

 

[GotGarlic]

Unfortunately, that is just how honey is kept at lower temperatures than what it is in the hive. Here's a pretty thorough explanation of why honey crystallizes and what to do about it. In a nutshell, keep it in glass, not plastic, jars and only heat the amount you want to use at one time. hth.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Hive temp is 90-95°F...a bit too warm for we humans!

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Do not think you can microwave it even though it can be done. That really turns its balance around. Unless you are likely to use it right away. I like just heat however much you will use for whatever shorter period of time and gently heat in a glass cup or jar in some warmer water. It stores fine in its crystalized state.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I believe that honey is a super-saturated liquid. That being the case, the solids are easily formed from the liquid. I'm not sure about honey not staying liquified after heating in warm water. For I have placed a glas jar of crystallized honey in hot water, and liquified it. Aterwards, the honey remained liquid for months.

I think the key is similar to keeping simple syrup completely dissolved. Any crystals left in the liquid, that is, not completely dissolved into the liquid, will give the dissolved sugars a "seed" to grow on. When i heated the honey, I got it hot, but not boiling, and stirred it carefully, making sure there was absolutely no honey crystals left over. I poured the liquified honey into a clean jar, and topped with a clean lid. It kept literally for a month with no crystallization.

Hope this helps.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[GotGarlic]

The link I posted says that unfiltered honey will have pollen and other particles in it on which crystals will form. I think just heating the amount you need at one time will solve the problem.

 

[JMediger]

Thank you for your thoughts! Chief, I was hoping I could do like you suggested but with it being unfiltered, GG is right. I can't get all the pollen and minut bee parts out so I think it will just happen again. I'll just heat the amount I need and go from there. It is stored in glass so I'm good there ...

Thank you all!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Thank you for your thoughts! Chief, I was hoping I could do like you suggested but with it being unfiltered, GG is right. I can't get all the pollen and minut bee parts out so I think it will just happen again. I'll just heat the amount I need and go from there. It is stored in glass so I'm good there ...

Thank you all!

I guess I spoke too soon. My honey (local from a bee-keeping friend) has started crystalizing. fortunately (or rather, unfortunately) that jar is almost empty. Good thing next Tuesday is pay-day. I need more honey.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[GLC]

Most true local honey will crystalize long before commercial honey. Commercial honey is both pasturized and heavily filtered. It may, in fact, be microfiltered to make it difficult to determine its national origin by analyzing pollen, the suspects being China and some others who heavily apply fungicides. Honey that remains liquid for an abnormally long time is suspect, both of being of questionable origin and for being adulterated with things other than honey.

One treatment possible is to make it into creamed honey. There are many instructional sites you can find about making creamed honey. You just need purchased cream honey as starter. Because creaming is crystalizing with very fine crystals, your crystalization worries are over.

(The international honey business is about as crooked as the olive oil business.)

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The local honey here is sold from warmers to keep it liquid. I buy it a half pint at a time unless I need more for a recipe. It comes from the apiary already partially crystallized. Good stuff.