Crystalized honey - Why does honey crystalize? What's wrong with it? Is still good? These are some of the questions we get with regards to honey.
Honey crystalizes at low temperatures and it's a natural process. How fast it crystalizes depends on a couple of different factors - the ratio of the sugars in the honey (glucose and fructose). The ratio of the sugars is dependent on what plants the bees harvested their nectar from and the honey made from some plants crystalizes faster than others. Clover is one that causes honey to crystalize faster. In addition, the presence of pollen in the honey speeds up the crystalization process.
Crystalization DOES NOT mean the honey is bad! Infact, it's quite the opposite! Honey that has additives (such as high fructose corn syrup - yuck!) or has been pasteurized doesn't crystalize. Makes you think about all that honey sitting on store shelves that never crystalizes, right? Here's a couple great links to learning more about crystalized honey Bee Raw and Nature's Nate.
So don't go throwing your crystalized honey out! If you'd like for it to be liquid again - gently heat it but whatever you do don't microwave it! The microwave will make it liquid but it will kill all of the beneficial stuff in the honey. Don't be tempted to reheat it over and over - each time will lessen the quality of the honey. Just heat what you will use or use it in it's crystalized form - it's all good!
