# Making creamed/whipped honey have a softer consistency?



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

Hey Hey everyone! First post here!

I have some honey from Fall that is Wildflower honey. I made a first attempt at making creamed honey. 

Did the procedure as follows: 

Heated the honey to fill off yeasts to around 140F for 15-20 minutes. 
Cooled to 70F and added starter creamed honey with a ratio 1:9
Mixed honey until starter was evenly distributed. 
Let air bubbles rise for a day and skimmed the top
Filled Jars after 1 day of sitting at 57F in a 5 gallon bucket
Let jars sit at 57F for around a week.
Honey was perfect texture but very "hard"

My question is how can I make my Wildflower honey have a softer consistency (the texture of the honey is smooth)?

Is this a case of my Wildflower honey not having very high moisture content? Is there a work around for this? 

Ideally I'd love to get to a consistency that is like the major brands like Gorders creamed honey or Sue Bee Spun Honey. 

Does anyone have an tips, tricks, or advice for a newbie?

Thanks

R


----------



## Rube63 (Jun 28, 2010)

It sounds like its just cold. Let it sit on the table and get room temp and it should get softer.


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

how fine the starter is has a lot to do with the end product.


----------



## GaSteve (Apr 28, 2004)

Welcome to beesource. If it's still hard at room temperature, you could warm it to soften it up. If the moisture level of the honey is too low, sometimes it will set up hard. Also giving it a stir once a day for the first several days at 57F can help with the texture.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>Honey was perfect texture but very "hard">>

if you have gotten it to the texture your pleased with then you have achieved your goal. The trick with creamed honey is that it will soften with a bit of time, as the honey goes from warm to cold temps, the honey will naturally expand and contract all the while breaking those crystals apart. This will make your honey smooth. So put it in a warm place, and see if it softens with time. 
Once that honey fully granulates, it will never regranulate.


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

google dyce lab. this cornell site has a page about making creamed honey. this is where the procedure was invented so go right to the source.


----------



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

beeware10 said:


> how fine the starter is has a lot to do with the end product.


I just used some Sue Bee Spun Honey


----------



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

Rube63 said:


> It sounds like its just cold. Let it sit on the table and get room temp and it should get softer.


I have had all my jars sitting in my warm house. Its strange, it seems the longer they have sat out the harder the honey is.


----------



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

GaSteve said:


> Welcome to beesource. If it's still hard at room temperature, you could warm it to soften it up. If the moisture level of the honey is too low, sometimes it will set up hard. Also giving it a stir once a day for the first several days at 57F can help with the texture.


Thanks  

It is pretty hard at room temp. I think that I'll do on the next batch is keep stirring it and see if that gets it softer. It just blows my mind how soft the creamed honey is from the big companies.


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

I have also used the sue bee. there is a lot of good info at the site I suggested. I guess I dont have any more ideas. good luck


----------



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

Ian said:


> >>Honey was perfect texture but very "hard">>
> 
> if you have gotten it to the texture your pleased with then you have achieved your goal. The trick with creamed honey is that it will soften with a bit of time, as the honey goes from warm to cold temps, the honey will naturally expand and contract all the while breaking those crystals apart. This will make your honey smooth. So put it in a warm place, and see if it softens with time.
> Once that honey fully granulates, it will never regranulate.


Thanks Ian! 

I never really thought of that. I wonder if I speed up that process and do it a bunch it will make it softer in a short amount of time. 

But like I said, the texture is nice and smooth, exactly what I wanted. I'll experiment with stirring and making temperature differences for the jars. 

Thanks


----------



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

beeware10 said:


> I have also used the sue bee. there is a lot of good info at the site I suggested. I guess I dont have any more ideas. good luck


Yeah, I read the dyce method and tried to do this as close as I could. I think this will just take some experimentation to get it right.


----------



## Hogback Honey (Oct 29, 2013)

Hey, if you want to get rid of it, I'll take it!  I like hard creamed honey, scoops out of the container nice. Cant stand sue bee creamed honey, too soft.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

right after it sets up it will be its hardest.


----------



## agrocrag (Jan 22, 2014)

Hogback Honey said:


> Hey, if you want to get rid of it, I'll take it!  I like hard creamed honey, scoops out of the container nice. Cant stand sue bee creamed honey, too soft.


LOL have, I do like it and my friends like it too. I just want to find a a good medium between hard and Sue Bee Soft. 

If i have some left over, I'll send you a couple


----------

