Debunking myth on crystallised honey

People think crystallised honey is honey which had ‘gone off’ or it is a cause of contamination. Some even might be under the assumption that the honey is fake or of poor quality. Well, we’d like to burst their bubble and tell them that this is not true.

Raw honey eventually set to crystallisation and that is a normal and spontaneous natural phenomenon that occurs to almost all pure honey.

Fact: Raw honey is the only food that will not rot and may still be edible for over 3000 years.

Why crystallisation occurs?

Containing more than 70% sugars and less than 20% water, honey is naturally an unstable super-saturated sugar solution. Hence, over time, almost all honey crystallises.

During crystallisation, glucose sugar which is naturally pure white separates from water and becomes crystals, while fructose remains as a liquid. That is why crystallised honey thickens, becomes more viscous and sets a lighter colour than when liquid.

Underlying factors that promote crystallisation:

• Crystallisation occurs faster in lower temperature.
• Low fructose to glucose ratio honey crystallise faster than honey with high fructose to glucose ratio.
• Unfiltered raw honey contains particles such wax bits, pollen grains and propolis which act as nuclei for accelerating the growth of glucose crystals.

Why supermarkets honey takes longer to crystallise?

Very few consuming public are able to appreciate honey in its crystallised state. Therefore, many honey suppliers resort to having their honey undergo some processes for it to remain in liquid form on the market shelves for a much longer time. The two main procedures are:

• Pasteurisation: the sugar crystals in the honey are dissolved by heating.
• Ultrafiltration: any suspended particles and air bubbles that encourage crystallisation are removed by ultrafiltration.

This process eliminates if not all, most of the essential properties of the honey which takes away its quality, purity and benefits.

Summary: It takes longer for adulterated/processed honey to crystallise than pure raw honey.

Some people even prefer it in the crystallised state because it melts in the mouth more slowly and isn’t as overwhelmingly sweet. In fact, there are health benefits to eating crystallised honey. Keeping a piece of crystallised honey under your tongue allows more of the nutrients to be taken up by the sublingual glands. You can cook with crystallised honey just as well. It works in tea; in stir-fry; and as an easily spread glaze on fish, meat and chicken. It doesn’t drip off the bread and it is less messy to spread and eat.

However, storing it in warmer places in the house/kitchen may postpone the crystallisations process.

Decrystallising honey

1. Simply place the jar of honey in a glass bowl.
2. Quarter fill a pan or a pot with boiling water then place the bowl into it. The steam should heat the bowl, which heats the jar without overheating it (you do not want the benefits of the honey to be eliminated by the heat).
3. Keep the water boiling by turning up the heat on the stove.

The honey should be in liquid form again in 15 minutes or so (depending on the size).

To download leaflet regarding honey crystallisation, please click here.