What To Do if Honey Has Sugared: Causes and Remedies

In its normal state, honey has a thick structure, but when melted, it becomes more liquid and loses any crystalline particles. Its useful properties do not change, but it is important to know why it changes its consistency and how to fix it.

Honey sugared – good or bad, why it happens

In fact, there is nothing horrible about the fact that honey is sugared. The bee product consists of 70% glucose and fructose. Over time, if honey is natural and fresh, and unrefined, it begins to crystallize. How high the content of these compounds depends on how quickly the process begins. Also, if honey is stored for a long time in cold rooms, small crystals will begin to appear faster.

The weather in which the honey was harvested also affects the crystallization process – honey harvested in a hot season will thicken faster than that harvested in cool and damp weather.

Some unscrupulous beekeepers add water to the honey, to make it appear larger in quantity. So it will be more, it will be more liquid, but it will definitely lose its useful properties. This can have a positive effect on the beekeeper’s profits, but a negative effect on the honey’s qualities and shelf life.

If honey is sugared, how to melt it – tips

In order to quickly and safely change the texture of honey and make it more liquid, you can use a proven method:

  • put the honey in a saucepan;
  • put it in a larger saucepan so that it hangs without reaching the bottom;
  • pour water into a large saucepan;
  • heat to 40-45°C;
  • keep it in the water for 7-10 minutes, stirring the honey constantly;
  • Pour it into a suitable container.

It is important that you should not heat the water more than to the specified temperature, otherwise the honey will lose its useful properties. As an alternative, you can not do a water bath, and immediately put a jar of honey in hot water, without heating the liquid, but stirring the honey – after 15 minutes it will be liquid.

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Written by Emma Miller

I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and own a private nutrition practice, where I provide one-on-one nutritional counseling to patients. I specialize in chronic disease prevention/ management, vegan/ vegetarian nutrition, pre-natal/ postpartum nutrition, wellness coaching, medical nutrition therapy, and weight management.

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