Honey crystallisation: why honey goes hard and how to make it liquid again

You open the jar and the honey that was liquid and clear a month ago is now thick, cloudy, perhaps completely solid. Many customers’ first reaction is: it has gone off. It has not. Crystallisation is the most normal thing that can happen to honey, and it is often a good sign too.

Why honey crystallises

Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, in a small amount of water. Glucose is not stable in such a solution: over time it separates out into crystals. The more glucose there is in the honey relative to fructose, the faster it crystallises.

Alongside the sugar ratio, the speed is set by:

• Temperature. Honey crystallises fastest at around 10 to 15 degrees. In a cold pantry it goes hard sooner than in a warm kitchen.
• Tiny particles. Grains of pollen, crumbs of wax and tiny air bubbles are the nuclei around which crystals grow. Raw, unfiltered honey has plenty of them, so it crystallises faster.
• Moisture. Drier honey crystallises faster than honey with more moisture in it.

Which types crystallise faster

Our customers see this best when they compare jars in the same kitchen:

• Wildflower and meadow honey usually crystallise within a few weeks to a few months. Meadow honey sometimes turns creamy, almost spreadable.
• Linden honey crystallises at a medium pace, often into small, fine crystals.
• Acacia honey stays liquid for months, sometimes years, because of its high fructose content.
• Chestnut honey also stays liquid for a long time, even though it is darker.

Crystallisation can therefore also be a small sign of authenticity: a wildflower honey that is still perfectly clear after a year has probably been heated and filtered.

How to return honey to a liquid state

If hard honey is inconvenient for you, bring it back gently:

1. Place the closed jar in a bowl of warm water, around 40 degrees. The water must not be hot.
2. Leave it for 20 to 40 minutes, replacing the water with warm water if needed.
3. Once the honey has softened, stir it and return it to room temperature.

What not to do: do not put honey in the microwave and do not heat it on the hob. High temperatures destroy the aroma and the delicate components of raw honey. We write about this in our article on honey in hot tea too.

Note: honey that has been softened will crystallise again over time. That is normal.

Crystallised honey as an advantage

Many people actually love crystallised honey. Creamy meadow honey spreads on bread without dripping, and finely crystallised linden honey melts nicely in the mouth. Instead of softening it, try it as it is.

How to slow crystallisation down

You cannot prevent it with raw honey, but you can slow it down: keep honey at room temperature, between 18 and 25 degrees, in a well-closed jar, away from the sun. The fridge is the worst place for honey. More on this in how to store honey.

Conclusion

Honey that has gone hard is not bad honey. With raw honey, crystallisation is expected, depends on the type and the temperature, and is easily undone with warm water. If you want a honey that stays liquid for a long time, choose acacia; if you like a creamy texture, meadow and wildflower honey are for you.