# creamed honey setting solid



## JoshW (Feb 5, 2013)

I have had several customers call or contact me about my creamed honey setting solid enough that it is like a frozen butter bar, not spreadable like they would like it.... I know that 30 seconds in the microwave will fix that, but they do not.

I continuously post on my social media about how to soften honey with low heat and that it should stay spreadable after a single warming. But not everyone has social media.

my technique is to introduce about 250g of preferred seed honey into 20kg and mix it in to the liquid honey. Then bottle immediately.

manitoba honey has very low moisture some of mine is lower than 14%. Do people add moisture?

I could wait for it to fully cream and set hard then put in an area around 100°f for a while. 

What would you do? I don't want customers to be turned away by what manitoba honey naturally does.


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

From what I've read I think it's your 14% that's adding to the firmness. My recollection is 18-19%. But I'm like you, I just tell them 15-30 sec. in the microwave to get whatever consistency they want. I also sell it before it sets up and inform them it may take a week or so to firm up. But, most of the time they're ready for a refill before it's set up!!

(Just found my original source and they mentioned 18.6% with ideal 17-18%. )


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

The ideal "creaming" honey has a moisture content in the mid 17's and will naturally crystallize without coarse granules. Yes, honey in the mid 14's will get quite hard when it sets up. Getting moisture back into honey without pockets of fermentation can be tricky. Blending in some higher moisture honey is the best option. Yes, a brief warming in a microwave followed by stirring will make it spreadable again. It's a good idea to include on the label "warm to soften, cool to harden".


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## GaSteve (Apr 28, 2004)

I read an article once on how an Australian company produces creamed honey. They warm all their jars of creamed honey at the end of the line. Apparently once you warm it to soften it up once, it will stay soft. I think they called it "conditioning".


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

GaSteve said:


> they called it "conditioning".


I like that, "conditioning"


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## Charlie King (Apr 27, 2014)

Most of my flows involve crystallising honey so creaming is something I'm having to get used to.. thanks for the info on moisture content, I harvested some English Ivy a few weeks ago and creamed it as above, it worked out great. When I crushed and strained it I noticed some of it (<25%) was a bit watery, it was all uncapped as ivy should be when harvested. 

I am wondering if harvesting it a little unripe (higher moisture) might be the lucky secret to my success and something worth repeating ? I want to avoid any pasteurisation to keep the honey soft.


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## Colino (May 28, 2013)

Below is a link to the Honey B Guys with an idea I thought was brilliant. It is along the lines of what you might want to do and with equipment we already have.
Colino
http://youtu.be/Pd1bMhtDYqE


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