Have you ever noticed your honey become cloudy or creamy in texture?
Don’t worry, it may still be safe to eat! In fact, crystalized and cloudy honey is a sign that it is pure and raw honey - harvested straight from the beehive. This honey is just strained to remove honeycomb and beeswax - nothing else.
So how does it crystalize?
Raw and pure honey is a supersaturated sugar solution, which is what causes it to crystallise. It is mainly comprised of fructose and glucose (two kinds of natural sugars) and water. When left in a cool, dark place, some of the sugar separates out. As tiny sugar crystals form, it becomes thicker and eventually clouds.
Crystallisation results in a coarse and sugary or smooth and creamy texture. It depends on the sugar to water ratio in the honey, and the size of the crystals formed. This is natural. However to prevent this, you may choose to keep your honey in a warm place near a window or a stove, instead of locked away in a cupboard.
How do I know if it’s impure honey?
Filtered and adulterated honey will be smooth, crystal free and clear.
This is because it goes through a process of rapid heating and cooling. This process prevents crystallisation, but also kills most of the enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids and removes the pollen - all the beneficial and flavourful components of it. Worse still - adulterated honey may have additives like molasses, sugar syrup, invert sugar or corn syrup, and is typically of a thinner consistency.
Lastly, pure honey doesn’t go bad: archaeologists have found jars of it in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 5,500 years old and still edible. The only way your honey may go bad is if it gets contaminated or has too much moisture, resulting in fermentation. You can identify bad honey by visible mould or a sour smell and taste.
What Do I Do With Crystallised Honey?
You can use crystallised honey in the same way you use clear honey, spooned into hot drinks or measured out into desserts.
If you want to regain its clear, smooth consistency, you may place it in a warm water bath for 15 minutes, or until the honey liquefies again as the crystals dissolve.
Conscious Food products are certified by NOCA. We exercise stringent quality checks for our range of flavourful, pure, and unadulterated honey - which is available to order now!
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