As any honey lover would know, the most disappointing thing to experience is reaching for a jar of honey, only to find it hardened. Here we’ll show you how to soften honey that has crystallized. You can drizzle soft honey on anything from fruits to ice cream. Hardened honey has its place, too, since you can spread it on things such as toast.
Storing honey in a warm environment is the best method to prevent it from crystallizing and becoming hard.
Methods To Soften Honey
There are a few methods that we’ll discuss here to soften honey, though which one you choose will largely depend on how fast you want your honey softened. Also, whichever method you choose to soften the honey, the temperature should be well managed. Heating the honey too hot will damage the natural properties of honey. Too high of a temperature can also result in darkened honey with a change in its taste.
1) Soften Honey With a Bowl of Warm Water
One of the most common methods to soften honey is to put it in a bowl of warm water until the honey has softened. Be careful not to use boiling water since you do not want to boil the honey accidentally. The disadvantage of this method is that it might take a few hours.
This method is straightforward and does not require any tools. One drawback is that the water cools quickly, and you will need to change the water frequently to keep it constantly warm.
2) Soften Honey Using A Sous Vide
A variation of the warm water method, utilizing a Sous Vide can be used to help maintain the water temperature at about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in spite of the help from the Sous Vide, this conventional method still takes up to several hours and would not be suitable for emergency situations. The Sous Vide takes some time to heat up, but when it does it keeps the water at a consistent temperature.
3) Measure The Honey And Soften The Honey In a Smaller Bowl
An alternative method would be to measure the required amount of honey into a glass bowl and place it in a warm water bowl. Like the previous method, the simple act of transferring the honey helps to speed up the process since a much shorter time would be required for the smaller amount of honey.
Furthermore, this method is suitable for plastic containers as well since they would not be heated up.
4) Alternative Methods
While this is not a method to soften honey, you can invert the bottle or jar and wait for the honey to slowly flow out.
Softening Honey FAQs:
Is It Safe To Eat Hardened and Crystallized Honey?
For those that are a little lazy in softening their honey, crystallized honey is actually safe to consume. In fact, some even prefer crystallized honey due to its rich texture, making it suitable for a spread.
Crystallized honey can actually be purchased directly from the grocery store under creamed honey. You can even make your very own creamed honey by speeding up the crystallizing process and putting your bottle of honey in the refrigerator.
Can you Soften Honey Using a Microwave?
A common question when it comes to softening honey is using the microwave. Though you can use the microwave to soften the honey, it’s not a preferred method. You can accidentally heat the honey too hot. Also, we do not recommend using a microwave to soften honey in plastic bottles. The microwave can be used to soften honey in glass jars after the removal of the metal lid.
Why Does Honey Crystallize and harden?
While honey crystallization is dependent on the type of honey and other different factors, they normally occur the fastest between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Honey has natural sugars such as fructose and glucose and it’s a natural process for the sugars to separate from the water. Because of this honey will naturally crystallize over time. No worries because you now know how to soften honey!
Summary of How to Soften Honey
It’s comforting to know honey does not have an expiration date, so don’t worry. Honey loses its softness due to a natural crystallization process. This natural crystallization process happens due to the raw sugar and pollens it contains. You can soften honey easily by warming it up. The tricky part, however, would be choosing the appropriate method to warm the honey.
One good news about honey that crystalizes, it proves the purity and authenticity of the honey!