# Can I store bottled honey in unheated shed?



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Sure it is okay. It won't have much of an effect on whether it cyrstallizes or not, or how soon.


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

If the shed is unheated it will crystalize quicker than if it is stored where the temp is. above 70 deg. All honey will crystilize over time,some quicker than others, it depends on what nectar it was made from. Jack


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

If the temp drops between 50 and 70 degrees your honey will start to crystallize, the cooler the faster. Yes, temp does effect crystallization.


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

I thought it chrystilzed fastest between 50 and 70, and very slowly if colder or hotter? It would be frozen in short time.... Now I'm confused?


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

It depends on the temp of your shed. If it maintains a freezing temp you will be OK. If it straddles the Dyce temperature of 57F then you will get crystals. The nectar source and the introduction of any seed crystals or dust can accelerate the problem. The higher the glucose concentration the more favorable for crystal formation. I would place one jar out in the shed and see what happens. If worst comes to worst, you can place your honey in a plastic bag and set in a water bath to dissolve.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

All but a few honeys crystalize. Some faster than others, others slower than others. If you want to promote crystalization, then maintaining your honey at 55 degrees, or as HVH stated 57 degrees, will allow it to crystalize faster. Anything above or below the 55 or 57 degree temp will slow the process.

I answered his question. "Is it okay." Which, of course, it is.

alpha made a statement which makes me believe that alpha believes that the colder the temperature the faster the crystalization. This is not true at all. Sorry alpha, it ain't. It'll be less viscous, but that is different.


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

sqkcrk said:


> All but a few honeys crystalize. Some faster than others, others slower than others. If you want to promote crystalization, then maintaining your honey at 55 degrees, or as HVH stated 57 degrees, will allow it to crystalize faster. Anything above or below the 55 or 57 degree temp will slow the process.
> 
> I answered his question. "Is it okay." Which, of course, it is.
> 
> alpha made a statement which makes me believe that alpha believes that the colder the temperature the faster the crystalization. This is not true at all. Sorry alpha, it ain't. It'll be less viscous, but that is different.


Yawn....whatever you want to believe but if you put it outside at 52 degrees and a second jar in a shed at 69 degrees the one at 52 will crystallize quicker.


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

I thinbk you guys are missing the point that my shed will be under 40 degrees for the next several months. 

69 in an unheated shed in Maine? I WISH!


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

Your question was, if i store my bottled honey in an unheated shed will it crystilize. The answer is yes. Jack


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I store my buckets of honey in an unheated shed for as much as nine months. They do crystalize, eventually.

I have over 300 such containers in my building right now. Most of them will remain liquid during the next nine or so months while I use them. I am certainly not going to heat the space that they are in thinking that doing so will keep them from crystalizing. It isn't worth the expense. Just reliquify those that need it.

alpha, it isn't a matter of belief, it's a matter of fact. Believe what you wish to believe, it matters very little one way or the other anyway.

brac, you have nothing to fear by storing your honey in an unheated shed in Maine. It might crystalize before you use it. Just warm it up and use it when you need to.

How much are we talking about anyway?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

alpha6 said:


> Yawn....whatever you want to believe but if you put it outside at 52 degrees and a second jar in a shed at 69 degrees the one at 52 will crystallize quicker.


You'll have to show me.

Do you believe that honey stored at temps equal to outside temps during the winter will crystalize faster than honey stored at a constant 55 degree temp for the same period of time?


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

My hope is that it will slow the chrystilzation by being in the cold.

It's just less than 100 pounds.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What are you going to do w/ it? Eat it? Sell it? Less than two buckets? I really wouldn't worry about it crystalizing. It will eventually. But, unless it was fall honey and you didn't heat it and strain it, it will take some time to set up. But, if you crushed and strained, then I would predict that it will crystalize somewhat sooner. Especially if it is fall honey. It may already be crystalized if it has much aster honey in it.


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## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

brac, do you have a hot box? if not they are easy to make. I made one that will hold two 5 gal. buckets, and if they are crystilize it will liquefy it back in two days at 110 deg. using two 100 watt. light bulbs Jack


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Frozen honey does not crystallize. When thawed it will be as liquid as when put into the freezer, so freeze it asap after extraction. Once thawed the crystallization process continues. 
Sheri


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Now why didn't I say that. I think his unheated space will be a freezer pretty soon. It was cold enuf to frost the windshields here and I'm south of our OPer.


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## ralittlefield (Apr 25, 2011)

Sooo... Is the consensus that frozen honey will not crystallize?


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

And here I thought honey granulated.


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

I found honey that was stored unheated for years. The honey was actually extracted in 1980.

Some was crystallized but alot of it was still free flowing, as free as thick honey flows.

It was almost black.


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