# Liquefying honey



## Honeyboy (Feb 23, 2004)

My question is how can I keep my honey from crystallizing? I would like my honey to stay in a liquid form for a longer period of time.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You can spoil the flavor by heating it and keep it from crystalizing for logner or you can keep the flavor and accept that it crystalizes. If it's canola, I'm guessing it will crystalize no matter what you do.

OR you can make creamed honey, sell it for more money and it will already BE crystalized.


----------



## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Agreed heating honey may spoil the flavor. Honey will liquify at around 95-100 degrees, temperatures that occur naturally in the hive. I've tasted a considerable amount of honey heated to 110-120 degrees and cooled that tasted great. To make creamed honey you need to heat it 1st. to remove crystalization then seed with fine crystals to get a desirable product. We have found that in order to remove the "native crystals" we have to heat it to 140 degrees F and cool it before adding the starter. We sell a about 40 lbs of this "heated" honey to very discerning customers every week who exclaim about the flavor. It does not taste like honey to me. Big chunky crystalized honey is not creamed honey and not very pleasant to eat and prone to ferment. Many call that "Raw Honey" which is also a myth. The only Raw honey is still in the comb, everything else is processed. I agree that canola will likely crystalize unless you store it at that 95-100 degree temperature. I'm not sure though if over a long period of time (month of more) that temperature might even degrade the flavor.


----------



## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

How hot for how long without damaging the honey? Anyone care to share... like 120 for 10 hours, or 150 for two hours is OK? I'm thinking of something similar to pasteurization tables... 

ABC-XYZ and others say to Dyce, the honey is heated to 120 and then to 150 and then quickly cooled; is that just until liquification is complete or for a set time? I'm going to try Dycing some honey today...


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When I do creamed honey I don't heat it. I don't like the loss of flavor. If you get the temps right it will usually cream nicely and lose less flavor if you don't heat it.

IMO ANY heating hurts the flavor some. More heat and more time hurt it more.


----------



## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

Let it cristalize, then liquefy it just before using or distributing. Ninety to a hundred degrees for the time it takes to liquefy will not affect the taste enough to ever notice.


----------



## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

iddee,
what's the best process you have found for this? Water in a pot on a stovetop? I just placed some in the hatchback of my car, in the sun a few days ago, worked fine but wondered if it would get too hot? It was 90 degrees outside.


----------



## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

If I'm in a hurry, I place the jar in a pan of water and turn the burner on and off as it gets too hot to put my hand in the water. If I'm not in a hurry, I set it in the oven after baking and the oven is off. It may take more then one treatment, but the heat is there anyway.


----------

