Keep the remaining inch of honey that has crystallized in the jar. Instead, do this.
In 1922, as King Tut's tomb was being excavated, investigators discovered (and purportedly tasted) a jar of honey that had made it through the previous several millennia unharmed.
Even though it's often said that honey lasts forever because of the King Tut story, we've seen a lot of half-eaten jars over the years crystallize and solidify to the point of becoming unusable and have always questioned how this could be the case. To gather some helpful tips on how to preserve this natural sweetener at its free-flowing, floral best, we contacted Bruce Shriver, the beekeeper at Gowanus Apiary, Amy Newsome, a gardener, beekeeper, and author of Honey, as well as the people behind Brooklyn's Mike's Hot Honey.
Does honey expire?
Since honey contains so little water (approximately 18%) and is effectively a highly concentrated sugar solution, it is particularly resistant to fermentation and spoiling. Additionally, honey contains a lot of organic acids from the nectar it is comprised of, which give it a pH range of 3.4 to 6.1 on average. Microbes find it extremely challenging to survive in that jar or squeeze bottle due to its acidic nature.
Honey may be kept indefinitely if it is kept in an airtight container, like a jar with a lid, according to Shriver. When the honey is exposed to air and humidity, issues develop. If honey is left exposed, it will take in moisture from the air, which could lead to fermentation.
Why does honey occasionally become solid and crystallize?
The natural sugars (mostly glucose and fructose—from the gathered flower nectar) are dissolved in a very small amount of water when bees manufacture honey, according to Newsome. As a result, the honey remains liquid but is quite erratic in consistency. Over time, the sugars begin to crystallize.
Shriver concurs, saying that all honey eventually crystallizes. "Honey that has been commercially processed crystallizes less quickly than raw honey. This is so because all of the particles—most of which were pollen grains—were filtered using high heat and pressure. In addition to destroying many naturally occurring yeasts, enzymes, flavonoids, polyphenols, and microbial components, this method also removes the pollen.
When bees choose which blossoms to land on, they also influence how honey solidifies to some extent.
Each flower species' nectar contains a varied ratio of glucose to fructose, and glucose crystallizes more easily than fructose, according to Newsome. Because of this, naturally runny honeys are available, such as acacia, which has a higher fructose ratio.
What steps can you take to stop it or fix it?
According to Newsome, she recently saw an Instagram post that made her want to cry and suggested that you can avoid crystal formation by adding corn syrup to your honey. In a chapter titled "Crystallization is not the enemy," she advises embracing the grainier, thicker texture and using it to spread on toast or crumpets.
"I know it can be a pain," she admits of the sweet but picky syrup, "but really we should learn to love it and work with it, as a quirk of the natural world, and marvel that the bees have managed to make something so mercurial and delicious."
When we contacted Mike's Hot Honey with a few inquiries, they responded by sending us an instructional leaflet (probably since they receive this question frequently). For long-term preservation, the booklet advises keeping honey below 50° Fahrenheit because this lower temperature avoids crystallization. They also advise letting the honey warm back up to room temperature before applying since this will lessen how freely it flows. They advise keeping honey between 70° and 80° Fahrenheit if you use it frequently because this temperature range will prevent crystallization.
You can always reheat your crystallized honey if you don't have access to the luxury of chilly, tomb-like storage conditions. Simply place the jar or squeeze bottle in a bowl of warm water (avoid water over 95° Fahrenheit, as Shriver advises, since this can cause certain flavonoids to breakdown) until it begins to flow once more.
