This time of the year, beekeepers are harvesting the annual honey crop. Honey that was collected by bees during the spring and early summer when flowers were in bloom with plenty of nectar and pollen was available.
For folks who appreciate the local varieties and quality of honey, it is the best time to start refilling your
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I bet, however, that you may have some honey on the shelf that has granulated or crystallized. And I know that several folks who mistakenly believe that it may have “gone bad”.
Let me assure you, it has not gone bad at all, but is merely a natural process that occurs to honey.
Honey can crystallize or granulate as it gets older, or if it is refrigerated or frozen. This is a natural process and does not harm the honey in any way.
Our local honey is often considered “raw” or minimally filtered. This minimal filtration treatment at lower temperatures has been passed through a mesh material to remove particulate material (pieces of wax, propolis) without removing pollen, minerals or enzymes, and aromatic acids. The aromatic acids of honey are important contributors to its flavor. Their presence can be used to describe floral sources of honey.
Filtered honey is honey of any type that has been filtered to the extent that all or most of the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, or other materials normally found in suspension, have been
removed. The process typically heats honey to 150–170 °F to more easily pass through the filter. Filtered honey is very clear and will not crystallize as quickly, and is preferred by large chain grocery stores.
To return crystallized honey to liquid form, one simply needs to gently heat the honey to just over 100 degrees F for a while. One method to warm it properly is to place the open container of honey in a pan of hot (not boiling) water until crystals disappear. Another method that I accidentally stumbled upon was placing the jars in a warm car, or to be more precise, in the cab of my truck for a couple of days.
Pure honey keeps best in air-tight containers in a dry place at room temperature (70°F to 80°F). An air-tight cover is necessary because honey loses aroma and flavor and absorbs moisture and odors when exposed to air.
Honey can be stored in the pantry or any other cabinet and will not spoil for a couple of reasons. First, honey has a low pH that hinders microbes from growing. According to the National Honey Board, the average pH of honey is 3.9. To put this in perspective some other acidic values include lemon juice at 2.0, tomatoes at 4.5, milk at 6.6, and pure water is neutral at a pH of 7.0.
Additionally, honey is low enough in water that no microorganisms can grow. But if moisture gets into it, it can dilute it and set up the right conditions for the growth of yeasts and molds. Honey that foams and smells like alcohol is spoiled and should be discarded.
Also, don’t overheat the honey during the melting process. Shoot for a melting temperature that does not exceed 104-105 degrees. Depending on how large the jar is this can take hours but the pay-off is worth it. If you can keep the honey between 96 and 104 degrees, you will protect the taste that local honey is known for.
So in summary, know you can change your honey’s original flavor by overheating it. When dissolving the crystals in your honey, keep the temperature below 104-105 degrees. Never microwave honey and store your honey between 70 and 80 degrees to extend the time the honey stays in liquid form.
So where can you find local honey? Go to the Farmers Market, search online, or simply ask around. We have a number of beekeepers in the area.
