Natural Honey Crystallization: When To Throw It Out?
Honey is a brilliant treat that we can appreciate because of honey bees' hard work and great efforts. Gathering plant nectar from many blooms, honey bees convert the water nectar into a suitable type of food. One of the most striking characteristics of honey is the ability to last for a very long time without spoiling. But does it genuinely last forever? Does honey turn bad - ever? If you have ever left a jar of honey stocked in the pantry unused for several months, you should be familiar with crystallization.
We all have heard several stories about honey not being spoiled for thousands of years. But, then what is this honey crystallization? Honey crystallization is a natural cycle and doesn't show that your honey has gone rotten or spoiled. Indeed, it can be used forever. Natural honey probably went through a few severe crystallization, the antiseptic qualities and moisture content of honey prevent bacterial development, so it's still good to eat.
What is the Reason behind Natural Honey Crystallization?
The natural sweetness of honey is due to the glucose & fructose content in it. As the honey ages, glucose separates from the water and forms tiny crystals that change the honey's texture. The higher the amount of glucose in honey, the quicker it will crystallize. Some flowers have nectar with high glucose content, so the resulting honey crystallizes quickly. Sage, robinia, longan, and other flowers have lower glucose levels, thus producing honey having a slower crystallization rate.
As natural raw honey goes through minimal processing, pollen particles and other natural debris are present in it, thus increasing the rate of crystallization.
What to Do With a Crystallized Honey?
Different people prefer different textures of honey. For example, many people may love the crystallized texture easily spreadable on the morning toast and can be dissolved in hot tea. But, if this grainy texture of the honey doesn't please you, raw honey can be returned to its original state by doing a little work.
· Take a deep pot and warm up a shallow amount of water in it.
· Place the honey jar in it and keep it until the honey turns back to its original consistency.
The process of turning crystallized honey back to its normal state is just so easy! Make sure not to heat directly on high flame. This will cause the pasteurization of honey, thereby removing a lot of its health benefits. Keeping the temperature under 37°C while heating the honey is suggested to prevent this from happening.
Crystallization of honey is a natural process within stored honey, which can happen even inside the beehives. So next time you see your favorite honey in crystallized form, don't ever think about throwing it. Instead, bring it back to its normal consistency and enjoy it with your favorite foods and drinks. Also, if you are searching for the best natural honey to buy, look no further than Geohoney!
We bring you an unmatchable collection of both monofloral & polyfloral honey varieties at the best prices so that you can order them & get indulged in the rich & pure taste of honey anytime & anywhere.
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