Why Does Honey Crystallize? Find Out the Causes and Solutions.

Ah, crystallized honey — the nemesis of beekeepers worldwide! From sting-filled days to frigid winters to mites and overheating in the summer, beekeeping is a challenge. But with certain honey varietals, it’s a race against time before it crystalizes right before your eyes! But hold on, this isn’t all bad news, as you can decrystallize honey with the right techniques.

It is recommended that a glass jar be used for the decrystallization process. Transfer the honey into a glass jar and use low and indirect heat to melt the crystallized honey into liquid honey while retaining its raw quality and flavor.

Though not as eye-catching as the syrupy state, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with honey solidifying. Crystallized honey is still fully edible and safe to consume. If you want to know how to keep honey from crystalizing or how to fix crystallized honey, I’ve got a crystallized honey fix or two to help you melt it down when you need to. So, let’s dig in!

Does Raw Honey Go Bad?

Did you know that liquid honey solidifying signifies nature’s hand in creating it? Also known as granulated or candied honey, the texture and size of the crystal can vary between being cream-like or sand-like based on the nectar source, but it’s still raw, unpasteurized, and packed with pollen.

My first big raw honey purchase from another beekeeper was 25 gallons of goldenrod honey. Connecting with other beekeepers was challenging, given honey’s limited supply. After bottling hundreds of jars, I was astonished to see that the honey began to crystallize before my eyes in a matter of minutes. Watching it transform right before me was akin to observing bamboo grow. Within no time, all the jars had solidified.

Summer Honey, from our Chesterhaven Beach Farm, is one of our few varietals that does not crystallize readily! The other varietals from our farm, Spring and Autumn, are also not typical crystallizers. 

So, you may be wondering: does honey go bad? Well, the truth is that honey crystallizes over time, which might make you think it’s no longer good for consumption. But that’s not the case!

Crystallization signifies that the honey is raw, unpasteurized, and full of bits of wax and pollen. Isn’t that amazing? And the best part is that it’s all-natural. So now you know that the next time your raw honey crystallizes, you can enjoy it without worrying about its quality.

Crystallized honey is less attractive than raw honey in its liquid syrup state. It’s not as sexy, but there’s nothing wrong with it.

What Causes Crystallization?

Natural, raw honey from the hive іѕ a honey solution gathered from honeycomb made up of monosaccharides, glucose and fructose, and water - meaning that raw honeycomb is completely edible. The water level should always be below 20% and ideally 18%. We use a tool called a refractometer to measure moisture in honey while in the field.

A low concentration of water in the honey solution means that honey is super-saturated with sugars: there are more sugar molecules than the water should be able to dissolve. Because the solution is super-saturated, a natural chemical reaction occurs over time, in which the sugars separate and return to their original crystalline (sugar) state.

The amount of glucose, sucrose or fructose prevalent in the nectar of the flowers that the bees pollinate helps to determine how fast raw honey crystallizes. Honey higher in glucose and sucrose, ie Sunflower Honey and Sweet Clover Honey crystallizes very fast. Honey high in fructose will crystallize much slower because the solution is more stable. Examples of slower-crystallizing varietals include Sourwood Honey and Tupelo Honey. Also, honey made by bees ingesting sugar syrup or high-fructose corn syrup feed can impact the crystallization process, often leading to faster crystallization than natural nectar-based honey.

How to Melt Crystallized Honey

If you put some varietals in the refrigerator, they will crystallize overnight, regardless of how much fructose or glucose it contains. For this reason, don’t refrigerate honey. When storing honey, keep it in the dark, away from extreme temperatures — your pantry is the best place. If you store it in the fridge, you may have crystallized honey within 24 hours. Again. It’s not bad, honey doesn’t go bad. You must follow the steps below to reconstitute your honey once it has been refrigerated.

Heating honey should be done carefully to avoid overheating, which can lead to a loss of nutrients and benefits and even result in the caramelization of the sugars, altering the quality of the honey.

To de-crystallize honey, use a warm water bath or a double boiler with warm water, keeping the temperature between 95°F and 110°F, to gently return crystallized honey to its liquid form.

Particulates like beeswax bits and pollen naturally occurring in raw and unfiltered honey work like a magnet to the crystallization process. The more particulates, the more opportunities for crystallization.

If you prefer granulated honey but don’t have the patience to let your new jar solidify, you can add a spoonful of crystallized honey to the liquid honey to speed up the process (think: sourdough starter). Using pure honey ensures that even crystallized honey is safe to use and packed with nature's benefits.

Our Raspberry Honey is high in glucose, meaning it crystallizes much faster than other varietals

Ways to Use Crystallized Honey

Use it in your beauty routine.

Have a blemish? Dab a little crystallized honey on it and help it along in the healing process.

Dry elbows, knees, or heels? Apply some of this sandy honey. It’s made from plant material; it’s full of antimicrobial qualities. It also contains amino acids and micronutrients, all from plants. It helps your skin in ways that you might not imagine.

Apply all over your face and rest in a nice warm tub for a few minutes. Rinse off with a washcloth. Honey is a humectant that pulls in water to help balance dry, irritated skin. At our Honey House, we use it as a mixer in our dry masks. What a treat! Our team and our customers love it. It’s a terrific exfoliant, moisturizer, and nature’s cleanser.

• Cook with it. It’s wonderful to use in a bread recipe or even this Buttermilk Pie from our friends at Beautiful Mess. We also used it in this cherry cobbler recipe just recently. Avoid using honey diluted with corn syrup or. other syrup in your recipes, as it can affect the taste and quality.

• Make a dip with it. This Honey Mustard Sauce is terrific

• Make a simple syrup with honey to use in cocktails. We love using our Blueberry Honey in cocktail and drink recipes.

• Use it in sauces and pesto, where a little texture will improve the recipe.

• Put it in your tea or coffee, and with just a quick stir, it will melt back to its original form. Our Coffee Honey tends to crystallize quicker than others, making it perfect for this method with hot coffee!

• Use it in breakfast ceareal as you heat your oatmeal

• Spread it over hot toast or bake your muffins with it.

• Eat it right off the spoon with chunky peanut butter.

If it’s difficult to remove from the jar, place it in a pan of hot water and allow it to liquify slowly. Boiling the jar may break it or, worse, destroy all the raw goodness in the product.

Embrace your crystallized honey. It’s the result of a process that happens in nature.

How to revive honey to it's liquid state

Now, if you need a crystallized honey fix, the good news is that it’s very simple:

1. Boil enough water in a small pan to cover half of your honey jar.

2. Remove the pot from the heat.

3. Remove the lid on the jar.

4. Place the open jar into the boiled (hot) water, allow it to sit, and slowly reconstitute.

5. Gently stir, taking special care not to get water into the jar

Baking with honey is delicious AND nutritious! 

When Life Gives You Lemons

My gut reaction was to use the crystallized goldenrod honey on my heels, elbows, and knees — and to give myself a facial. My skin never looked better, even though it was some sticky mess. From that point forward, when our honey crystallized, we changed the label and sold it at our Original Body Scrub.

Can I Liquefy Crystallized Honey?

While beekeepers and honey aficionados worldwide wonder how to prevent honey from crystallizing, the truth is that it’s impossible to completely prevent it.

That said, you can take some measures to slow down the process. Remember to store it in a cool and dry place, as lower temperatures delay crystallization. Additionally, storing it in tightly sealed containers can help prolong its liquid state. If your honey does crystallize, you can melt crystallized honey by gently heating it in a double boiler or using a microwave. Be sure to avoid overheating to preserve the natural flavors and only heat the amount needed to avoid repeated temperature changes.

Is Crystallized Honey Less Nutritious?

No! It’s not less nutritious than when it’s in its liquid form. The nutritional content remains the same whether you have a jar of honey that has crystallized or is still liquid. It contains carbohydrates, enzymes, trace vitamins and minerals, and antioxidant compounds. However, the crystallized form may have a slightly different texture and be harder to spread or pour.

Can I Use Granulated Honey in Cooking and Baking?

Absolutely! Crystallized honey is still perfectly suitable for cooking and baking. Some people prefer using it when baking with honey, especially in baking cookies or bread, as it provides a thicker consistency and can enhance the texture of baked goods. You can easily incorporate granulated honey into your recipes by gently heating it or allowing it to dissolve during cooking. This is one of the easiest ways to reconstitute crystallized honey.

Remember, the next time you ask yourself, "Does honey go bad?" it doesn't. Ask yourself instead, "Can crystallized honey be reconstituted? The answer is yes, but only if you feel it must be done.

As Eva Crane aptly mentions in her book, A Book of Honey:

"Honey does not go 'bad' as many foods do; it remains wholesome after decades."