Why Has My Honey Gone Crystallised? And Is It Still Good?

Opened a jar of honey to find that the clear, runny honey you remember has turned cloudy, thick or grainy?

Don’t throw it away. In most cases, absolutely nothing has gone wrong. Your honey has simply crystallised, something that honey naturally does over time.

Why does honey crystallise?

Honey is made up mainly of natural sugars, particularly glucose and fructose, together with water and smaller amounts of other naturally occurring substances.

Glucose is less soluble in water than fructose. Over time, some of that glucose can separate from the liquid part of the honey and begin forming tiny crystals.

As more crystals develop, the texture of the honey changes. It may become cloudy, creamy, grainy or eventually quite firm.

That process is known as crystallisation. It does not, by itself, mean that the honey has spoiled, been contaminated or had sugar added to it.

From Tristan’s Notebook

One of the questions I hear regularly is whether crystallised honey has “gone off”. Usually, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Different honeys simply behave differently in the jar.

Why does some honey crystallise faster than others?

There is no single timetable for crystallisation.

One jar may begin to set fairly quickly while another can remain runny for months. Several things influence how quickly it happens.

The flowers the bees visited

Different nectar sources produce honey with different proportions of glucose and fructose.

Honey with relatively more glucose will generally crystallise more readily.

Rapeseed honey, for example, is well known for setting very quickly. Acacia honey tends to remain liquid for considerably longer because of its different sugar balance.

Temperature

Storage temperature also makes a difference.

Honey tends to crystallise particularly readily at cool but not refrigerator-cold temperatures, roughly around 10–15°C.

Keeping honey at ordinary room temperature in a cupboard is usually perfectly adequate.

Naturally occurring particles

Tiny particles within honey, including pollen and minute traces of beeswax, can provide points around which glucose crystals begin to form. This is one reason two apparently similar jars can sometimes behave differently.

Is crystallised honey safe to eat?

Yes. Crystallised honey is perfectly edible and can be used in exactly the same ways as runny honey.

Some people actually prefer it. Once set, honey is easier to spread on toast, less likely to run off a spoon and can develop a wonderfully smooth or creamy texture.

Crystallisation affects the texture of honey. It does not automatically mean there is anything wrong with its quality. What it does not do, however, is prove that a honey is raw, pure, local or unprocessed. Crystallisation can happen to many different honeys, so it should not be used as a test of authenticity.

Can I make crystallised honey runny again?

Certainly. If you prefer liquid honey, the simplest method is gentle warming. Place the closed jar in a bowl or pan of warm water and allow the honey to warm gradually. Stir it occasionally if the container allows you to do so safely.

Avoid boiling water or strong direct heat. Excessive heat can change the flavour and aroma of honey and unnecessarily alter some of its naturally occurring components. You may need to replace the warm water as it cools, particularly if the honey has become very firm. Microwaving is less ideal because it can heat the honey unevenly and create very hot areas before the rest of the jar has warmed.

And remember, returning crystallised honey to a liquid state does not mean it will stay liquid permanently. It may simply crystallise again later.

From Tristan’s Notebook

There is no need to keep repeatedly heating honey just because it has set. Try it crystallised first. Many people discover they actually prefer it that way.

How should honey be stored?

Honey is remarkably stable when stored properly.

For everyday use:

• Keep the lid firmly closed.

• Store the jar at normal room temperature.

• Keep it somewhere dry.

• Avoid unnecessarily exposing it to extremes of heat.

• Always use a clean, dry spoon.

Keeping the lid closed is particularly important because honey can absorb moisture from the surrounding air.

Honey with an unusually high moisture content can ferment. Signs might include bubbling, foaming or an obviously fermented smell. That is very different from ordinary crystallisation.

Three common crystallisation myths

“Crystallised honey has gone bad”

No. Crystallisation is normally a natural physical change in the honey.

“Real honey always crystallises”

Not necessarily. Many genuine honeys crystallise, but the speed varies enormously according to their composition and storage conditions.

“If honey crystallises, sugar must have been added”

No.

The glucose already naturally present in honey is perfectly capable of forming crystals on its own.

Different honey, different character

One of the fascinating things about honey is that it is not a completely uniform product.

The plants available to the bees, the season, weather and location can all influence the finished honey. Colour, aroma, flavour and texture can vary, sometimes noticeably, even between different harvests.

Its behaviour in the jar can vary too. That variation is part of what makes learning about honey so interesting.

From Tristan’s Notebook

People often expect every jar of honey to look and behave exactly the same. Bees don't work to a factory specification. What is flowering around them changes, and the honey they produce reflects that.

So, should I throw crystallised honey away?

Definitely not simply because it has crystallised. Spread it on toast, spoon it over porridge, use it in cooking or gently warm it if you prefer it runny. The important thing is to recognise crystallisation for what it is: a normal change that can happen naturally as honey sits in the jar.

At Norfolk Bees, we think understanding what is actually happening inside that jar makes honey considerably more interesting.

We’re currently putting together a new Norfolk Bees Guide to Honey, covering how honey is made, how different honeys behave, storage, tasting, cooking with honey and plenty more practical information.

More from Tristan’s notebook soon.