What's The Best Way To Decrystallize Your Honey?

We've all been there. You read honey on your recipe list and pull a jar out of the pantry only to find it crystallized and grainy. This can be super frustrating since it can be impossible to work with or measure out honey that's no longer in liquid form. But, before you reach for the trash can, remember your honey has not gone bad. In fact, honey has an indefinite shelf life. Crystallization is completely natural and just means that the glucose and water have separated in the honey. And, there's more good news: It's easy to get your honey back to its liquid state.

If your honey is in a glass jar, place the jar into a large heatproof bowl. For bottled honey, first scoop it into a glass jar or container. Pour warm water (around 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal) into the bowl, making sure that it goes above the line of honey but not over the lip of the jar. You don't want the honey and hot water mixing. Stir the honey occasionally and add hot or cold water as needed to keep it warm but not too hot. Your honey will usually take around one hour to liquify but could take longer depending on how much is in the jar.

Heating the honey low and slow is important to help keep its nutrients and quality intact. Overheating honey can destroy potential enzymes found in raw honey, which are beneficial for our digestive health. Processed honey is already stripped of these nutrients through filtration and pasteurization, but it can still lose some of its flavors and aromas if overheated. So, while it might seem more practical to just heat your honey in the microwave, it's best to steer clear of this method. Microwaves distribute heat unevenly and you risk burning or boiling your honey.

You also shouldn't use boiling water to decrystallize honey. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit which is way too hot for honey, as most of its nutrients will be destroyed above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Your honey's quality also significantly drops when heated above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You also don't want to decrystallize the same batch of honey more than once as this will lead to a reduction in flavor and quality. So, whether you're making the perfect honey mustard salad dressing or experimenting with homemade spiced honey, heat only as much as you need at one time.