Is Crystallized Honey Safe to Eat? (2024)

FAQs

Is Crystallized Honey Safe to Eat? ›

If you notice that your once smoothly flowing honey has become thicker, enjoy it for what it is! Crystallized honey is safe to eat raw or cook with.

It might look spoiled because of the chunky texture and cloudy color, but don't toss it out! According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, crystallized honey is safe to eat. It's actually normal for honey to crystallize—all honey crystallizes eventually, according to the experts at the National Honey Board.

If the honey is too hard and crystallized to squeeze or spoon out, run the bottle under hot water from your sink to soften it. Most plastic deforms and melts at temperatures above 140° F (60° C).

How to fix crystallized honey. Gently warm your honey to melt the crystals. Avoid direct heat (like a saucepan), instead placing your honey jar in a warm water bath. Remove the honey, stir it, and replace until you get the desired consistency back.

Thankfully, honey can be returned to its liquid state with little effort. Heat some water in a pot, and put your honey container in the pot of hot water until the honey turns liquid. This gentle transfer of heat to the honey helps bring it back to liquid form without overheating the honey.

Keep honey in a sealed glass jar, instead of plastic.

Plastic lets in more moisture, which leads to crystallization. If you're bottling your own honey, put it into a glass jar and seal it tightly. If you bought honey in a plastic container, consider moving the honey into a glass jar.

Finally, the presence of gluconic acid gives honey a slightly acidic pH level—another barrier to microbial growth. In general, honey doesn't spoil. However, it can go bad if it's contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or "off," then it's time to toss it.

Your microwave can smooth honey in a flash. Simply uncap the container and microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Stir, and heat another 30 seconds if needed. Use this method if: You want the quickest and simplest method, or if your honey is especially solidified.

Add enough hot (not boiling) water to the container to just reach the top of the honey in the bottle. Once the water has been added, remove the lid and let the jar sit until the honey warms to a drizzly liquid, about 15 minutes. You can do this anytime you want to use your honey.

Even if using a low power setting and heating in short bursts, it is too uncontrolled to ensure you're not killing the living bits of your honey. Adding Water Directly To The Honey: adding enough water to honey will eventually dissolve the sugar crystals, but you will no longer have honey.

Is honey ruined when it crystallizes? ›

Many people believe that once their honey has crystallized, it is spoiled and is no longer safe to eat. This is false, as natural honey is one of the only foods that never expires (if sealed properly). Crystallized honey is completely edible- in fact, you can use it in the same ways you use liquid honey!

Ideally, honey should be stored at room temperature, so keep it away from stoves and other kitchen appliances that generate heat. You should also refrain from putting it in the fridge, as this can cause it to thicken and change its texture.

Try to decrystallize the amount of honey you need—and no more. Heating and cooling honey multiple times can cause it to lose its unique flavor.

Crystallized honey is safe to eat. But, just like the liquid form of honey, avoid feeding children under one year old with honey. Honey may have traces of Clostridium botulism spores that could cause botulism poisoning in infants. Freezing and heating honey won't destroy the spores.

Here are several ways to spot fakes: Crystallization – real honey crystallizes over a period of time once kept in a cool dark place. Adulterated honey will always retain the same consistency. Water test – drop a teaspoon of honey in water.

Crystallization occurs because of the natural qualities inside. The natural sugars in honey (glucose and fructose) will bind together and begin to form little crystals, which can start making your honey harder. With differing blends, some honey will begin to crystallize faster than others.

It looks cloudy, crusty, and flaky — it must have gone bad, right? Actually, it hasn't! It's just crystallizing, a natural process that almost every honey, especially pure honey, goes through. It happens when the honey's glucose separates from the water and stabilizes, turning into crystals.

Though your honey may darken and crystalize over time, it's still safe to eat! Whether in a glass or plastic bottle, honey can return to its original liquid glory. To soften honey back into its regular liquid consistency, all you need is a heat-proof container and some hot water.

It's perfectly safe to eat and doesn't mean that your honey has gone bad. In fact, it's just the opposite! It means that your honey is natural and oh so good. You can take advantage of the hard, crystallized honey and love its complex texture.

Here are several ways to spot fakes: Crystallization – real honey crystallizes over a period of time once kept in a cool dark place. Adulterated honey will always retain the same consistency. Water test – drop a teaspoon of honey in water.