Crystallized Honey: How, Why, and What to Do
Honey crystals in a spoonful of our Kiawe Honey
Why Does Honey Crystalize?
Honey is made of two ingredients: sugar and water. The sugar is dissolved in the water, but there's not enough water to keep the sugar dissolved forever. There is a good chance that the two ingredients will eventually separate, resulting in the formation of crystals. Less Processing = More Crystals
Crystalized honey is normal with raw, unprocessed honeys and it's perfectly safe to consume. Crystallization is honey's natural process of preserving itself, often occurring after just a few months of storage. Raw honey crystallizes faster because it contains trace amounts of pollen or beeswax, which have been filtered out from processed honey. One of the reasons that commercial "Supermarket Honey" is pasteurized is to greatly prolong or eliminate crystallization and thereby extend shelf life - i.e., destroy beneficial enzymes and keep the honey liquid. Consumers often think that crystallized honey has gone bad because they're not used to seeing it in that state. Crystallized honey is good honey!
How to Decrystalize Honey Without Losing Nutrients
Did you open your honey jar and find it's solid or semi-solid? Worry not - its very simple to liquify it by adding a little heat. Follow the simple steps below to avoid overheating the raw honey and risk losing nutrients and flavor. Think slow, low, indirect and constant heat.
Honey is in a Glass Jar
If your honey is in a glass jar, warm the honey slowly by placing the jar in a larger glass or ceramic container. Then place the container in near boiling water that has been removed from heat. The honey crystals will dissolve between 95-104°F. You want to heat the honey hot enough to melt the crystals but not so hot that you destroy the beneficial enzymes. Give the honey a good stir and watch it return to its original consistency.
Honey is in a Plastic Bottle or Pouch
If your honey came in a plastic bottle or pouch, squeeze or spoon out the crystallized honey into a sealable glass jar and follow the steps above. (As a side note, it is much better to store honey in glass rather than plastic because plastic can leach chemicals into the honey. Plastic containers can also absorb moisture from the honey, affecting its consistency and potentially causing fermentation over time. Kailua Honey uses only glass jars to preserve quality; plus, glass is kinder to planet Earth and we're all about that!)
Some Raw Honeys Crystallize Faster than Others
Different types of honey crystallize at different rates. Raw honey often crystallize three to six months after harvesting. As mentioned earlier, honey with a lower fructose to glucose ratio crystallizes faster.
We carry four varieties of raw Hawaiian honey: Wildflower, Macadamia blossom, 'Ohia Lehua and Kiawe.
Our 'Ohia Lehua honey crystallizes faster than other raw honeys because it has higher glucose content compared to fructose. The glucose in the honey separates from the water and forms crystals.
Our Kiawe honey is a rare and unique type of honey produced from the nectar of the Kiawe tree, native to Hawaii. It is known for its creamy white color, creamy texture, and distinct flavor that often has hints of caramel and vanilla.
Our infused honeys will also crystallize after some time because the base ingredient is raw, local honey. These honeys can also be returned to a liquid state by following the steps mentioned above.