# honey crystalization sight



## rand (Nov 14, 2009)

Hi,
Please take a look on the pictures i attached.
I have a lot of jars that has these white amorphic
spots that customers dosn't like. These spots apears 
in three different honey types after crystalization 
of course.

The honey is 100% pure and i wonder if these
spots are air bubles and how can i prevent them
from the begining and if there is something
to do so the honey will be homogeneous ??

Thank you,
Randi, Israel


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Air or maybe small wax particulates, were the jars upright this whole time? Looks like they were on their side maybe??


----------



## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

Maybe a little moisture 
I would try and mix one jar 
very well then let it set 
Too see if the spot or spotting returns
If not 
I'd do that to the rest
JMHO


----------



## PineCreekBees (Jun 21, 2011)

I would wrap with a heating pad and leave on low overnight to re-liquefy and see if air, wax or moisture come to surface and then use plastic wrap set on top to lift out the offending material. This way you could test one jar. I have used the pad to liquefy a jar or two sometimes and after I wrap pad around the jar I wrap the pad with a blanket or some reflective material.
Just a thought.


----------



## Cantrellc123 (Jan 15, 2013)

I heat with a microwave, one quart 50% power for 5 minutes. About 20 minutes after the microwave it will be completely liquefied. Different microwaves will vary.


----------



## jmack (May 27, 2010)

Never microwave your honey.


----------



## Cantrellc123 (Jan 15, 2013)

jmack said:


> Never microwave your honey.


Well give me a good reason. I'm willing to learn or I wouldn't be at this site.

I've not had to do it very often but over the course of 20 years it hasn't created any problems that I'm aware of or changed the taste. Being as I was the person consuming it, I think that's a good observation.


----------



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

These are the sugar crystals inside the jar. I have seen them inside my honey jars also. They don't look like the regular liquid honey that we're used to. So customers not want to buy because they don't look the same to what they are used to. Somehow the cooler part in a jar when exposed to outside temp is making sugar crystals faster than the inside jar. So I am thinking one part is cooling faster than the other part. Not so sure of the chemistry behind it just my observation and experience so far. I'm thinking to test freeze one side of the jar with liquid nitrogen to see if the same result or not. 
I have tried the heat pad way to liquify the honey. It works as described above! Put these jars inside a box and lined the box with a thick cloth or towel and put the heat pad over the box covering the jars. On high setting the honey will liquify within one hour or so depending on how big the jar is. My small jars will liquify in half hour. And then I don't see anymore sugar crystals. They're all honey now just blended in. Be sure not to shake the jar otherwise you will have many small bubbles mixed in with the honey. Then they will look cloudy. Even I don't want to buy at that sight because they don't look the same as what I am used to the regular honey color. Don't worry your honey is still good to use. Trying to convince your customers is another story.

Another way is to put in hot water to liquify the honey if you don't want to use the microwave. Microwave at 30 secs interval with one minute wait time. From what I have read you can do so. I think anything that passes thru heat will lose its nutritional value somewhat. But thru the microwave not sure who has done the study on honey yet. Maybe not so good for long term storage afterward?


----------



## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

If customers don't want to buy the jars that look like that, raise the price of those jars only, and charge extra: )


----------



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

deknow said:


> If customers don't want to buy the jars that look like that, raise the price of those jars only, and charge extra: )


Then the customer will buy them all


----------



## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

.....then you figure out how to make the jars look like that on purpose. 

Deknow


----------



## jmack (May 27, 2010)

Microwaves will change the viscosity allowing more oxygen in limiting the natural anti microbial properties of honey. That is what my scientist friend Jerry explained to me. 

Microwaves basically make honey sterile and ruin the benefits of honey. Making honey nothing more sugary water.


----------



## rand (Nov 14, 2009)

I am always suprise from the quality of this forum - thanks a lot for all the answers.

I think beepro is right and it is relative large grains of sugar. i will make the heat test,
see what is happening and write again.

Chau,
Randi, Israel


----------



## Cantrellc123 (Jan 15, 2013)

jmack said:


> Microwaves will change the viscosity allowing more oxygen in limiting the natural anti microbial properties of honey. That is what my scientist friend Jerry explained to me.
> 
> Microwaves basically make honey sterile and ruin the benefits of honey. Making honey nothing more sugary water.


I'd really like to see some factual documentation on this. Until then I'll put my boots on before I log on.
Heat is heat, I'm pretty certain it would be a bad idea to drop a jar of honey into boiling water and leave it there 15-20 min or so just as it would be a bad idea to put a jar into a microwave and set it at the max setting 5-10 min.
On the other hand slow heating shows no ill effects to honey whether it be by a microwave or other heat source. I've been there done that.
If I see factual data proving me wrong I'll admit I'm wrong, until then B.S. on the microwave.

If you listen to enough bee keepers there is a train of thought that ANY heat applied to honey is detrimental to the health benefits of honey. I'll not argue against that at all but then again heated honey is heated honey. If you apply it to quickly or to hot its a bad idea.


----------



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Rand,

This honey is clearly bad and therefore you need to send it to me so that I can eat it ....oops I mean properly dispose of it


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I think the point with the microwave is, you're killing off the enzymes (potentially).


----------



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

The heat pad really has a constant heat setting over time, you can go low, med or high. Your honey not going to burn and turn to liquid instead. I like this idea. Sugar crystals will always be there when it is cold. Also, you can put a label to cover the jar if you don't want to mess with heating them up. It is a bit of work for the label but good for advertising I would say.


----------



## TWall (May 19, 2010)

Cantrellc123 said:


> Heat is heat,


I think when you bring microwaves into the equation that might not be entirely true. The energy from the microwaves is converted to heat at the molecular level.

I have no idea if microwave heating of honey is bad or not. I would guess that there is the potential to easily over-heat the honey which is not good.

Any time honey is heated the viscocity changes.

I think Dean has the right idea, mark the price up!

Tom


----------



## tommysnare (Jan 30, 2013)

hahaha yeah never microwave ur honey.


----------



## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

I have said this before but I think it is funny how folks that purchase honey from health food stores are suspicious of honey that is not crystallized but from a grocery store don't want it if it is. I agree, raise the price! 8)


----------



## jmack (May 27, 2010)

Ignorance is bliss


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

All you need is the right label like this quality stuff in the Asian Food Mart....










Little hard to read, but the last words are "Can trust edible"!!!! seems legit


----------



## Dan. NY (Apr 15, 2011)

You can also piece together .." Honey flavored Syrup" from this.. Not honey in my opinion..


----------



## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

That's what my Goldenrod honey looks like after about a month. To re-liquify it you want long slow heat. If you park your car in the sun during the summer that should do it or you can put the jar in a hot water bath.


----------



## bison (Apr 27, 2011)

Same thing happens to mine after a while. One really easy way to re-liquify is to simply put the jars next to a window that gets a lot of sun and let solar power do the job! Only takes a couple warm days to do it, I rotate the jars a time or two.


----------



## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

Cantrellc123 said:


> I'd really like to see some factual documentation on this. Until then I'll put my boots on before I log on.
> Heat is heat, I'm pretty certain it would be a bad idea to drop a jar of honey into boiling water and leave it there 15-20 min or so just as it would be a bad idea to put a jar into a microwave and set it at the max setting 5-10 min.
> On the other hand slow heating shows no ill effects to honey whether it be by a microwave or other heat source. I've been there done that.
> If I see factual data proving me wrong I'll admit I'm wrong, until then B.S. on the microwave.
> ...


Money to research known problems is tough enough to come by. I suspect only ear marked government spending will entertain creating documentation for microwave honey.

Intuitively I can agree heat is detrimental to raw honey. Since my operation (as noted by my agriculture census forms) is small scale and costs more to operate than I can buy honey at the whole food stores and because I feel local raw honey provides more benefit than any other type, I don't see the sense in heating by any means. The most I'll do is gently heat the jars in warm water over time to make it more attractive as gifts.

Beyond that, I suspect we'll be rousting the Hatfields and McCoys.


----------



## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Hey, if you want to nuke your honey by all means do so, I on the other hand agree with Throrope, no heat...to the point that if it crystallizes thats how I sell it. 8)


----------



## Cantrellc123 (Jan 15, 2013)

throrope said:


> Money to research known problems is tough enough to come by. I suspect only ear marked government spending will entertain creating documentation for microwave honey.
> 
> Intuitively I can agree heat is detrimental to raw honey. Since my operation (as noted by my agriculture census forms) is small scale and costs more to operate than I can buy honey at the whole food stores and because I feel local raw honey provides more benefit than any other type, I don't see the sense in heating by any means. The most I'll do is gently heat the jars in warm water over time to make it more attractive as gifts.
> 
> Beyond that, I suspect we'll be rousting the Hatfields and McCoys.


I think you've hit the nail on the head; as far as I know there is NO actual documentation supporting the theory that microwaving honey slowly is detrimental to the honey. Only opinions
Common sense would dictate that EXCESSIVE heating would indeed cause issues with honey quality whether it be by microwave or other heat source. I have to assume the people that disagree with the use of a microwave to heat honey haven't thought or realized that you can slow heat with a microwave. 
If you have the opportunity this summer, go and set up for sales at your local Farmers Market and have granulated honey AND non granulated (heated) honey for sale. In my experiences there wil be at least 50% of your potential customers that absolutely will not buy granulated honey no matter the health benefits. If your customer base is strong on the health benefits of honey you should consider selling your cappings to people battling allergies. Once you've built up a clientele that has realized the benefits of chewing cappings you can price it as high as your conscience will allow.


----------



## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

" In my experiences there wil be at least 50% of your potential customers that absolutely will not buy granulated honey no matter the health benefits. "

I have just got back from the farmers market. In my case ( today) about 20% went for the crystalised honey - most prefer the liquid stuff.
I was born in Switzerland. In my country of birth liquid honey was hardly known. The same applies to most of Europe and NZ.The reason is simple - the relatively low temperatures in these countries results in crystalising honey much quicker then in my sub-tropicsl home of choice.


----------



## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

Here's an interesting thread on microwaving honey...

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-214912.html


----------



## Cantrellc123 (Jan 15, 2013)

That's some good information guys.

The following statement covers this subject and all of life: EVERYTHING in moderation


----------

