# Warming Crystalized Honey



## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

All my honey from last season has crystalized. Some honey is in 8 oz plastic bears, some in quart canning jars, and some in 5 gallon buckets. This is the first year my bees have produced enough honey for me to have to warm it to remove the crystals. I am warming the honey to 105 degrees using a thermostat and a light bulb in a cooler. My problem is that for the honey in the plastic bears and quart jars that are packaged and ready to sell, most of the honey is liquid and clear and there is what looks like sediment on the bottom. I filter my honey using a 600 micron filter. Is this pollen that made it through the filter that lands on the bottom when the honey is warm and thin? Any suggestions on what to do with this? Has anyone else encountered this?


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## Ruthz (Sep 13, 2011)

I have sometimes seen the start of crystallization happen when a few crystals form in the honey and fall to the bottom. Two weeks later, the entire honey bear is crystallized. I put the bear, unlabeled, into a pan of warm water, refreshing it as needed until the crystals are gone. Be careful not to heat it too much, or the plastic of the bear will melt.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

This isn't the start of crystallization, this would be me warming the honey after it has crystallized but something in the bottom of the containers is remaining more solid. I can mix it up with a utensil, but it still ends up on the bottom as a sediment. Will pollen liquefy just like honey? Is it possible this is pollen?


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Give it more time at temp or a bit higher, I like 108. If it won't clear, carefully pour out liquid and wash out crystalized and rebottle. Total pain, but we do what we have to. Leaving the crystals in the bottom will result in rapid re crystallization.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

I can up the temperature to 108 and see what happens. I'm not sure if it's crystallized honey or pollen or something else? Will the pollen liquefy just like the honey?


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## Mighty Bee (Mar 3, 2018)

Sounds like crystallized honey to me.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Send a close up. Sediment usually rises to the top.


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## johnny2 (Feb 6, 2017)

I get something that settles to the bottom of my 5 gallon bucket I use for filling jars if it is in there for a month or so before I get to the bottom. I do not strain or filter only skim the top. What it looks like to me is dirt, I have looked at it under a microscope an dont believe it is pollen, my best guess on how it gets there is it gets collected with the pollen and the bees walk it off in the hive.


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## TNValleyBeeK (Oct 3, 2012)

105 is not hot enough. It's not pollen or sediment, it would rise not sink.


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

We cleared up a bucket by putting it in our hot tub for a week. Our water is 104F.


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