Is crystallizing honey a sign of purity, or quite the contrary?

[Tarifa]

I mean honey that is sold in liquid form and crystallizes over time. Sometimes, labels are not very clear about the origin of honey, so it could be a mixture of different kinds.

I know I can re-liquefy it by placing the jar in warm water. That's not the subject of this question.

[AMS700CX4u2]

Honey is mother natures perfect food it does not support bacterial or viral contamination. It is a supersaturated solution of (Bee Barf). It holds more sugar in solution than normally possible. With all supersaturated solutions, all it takes is a precipitating crystal to start a chain reaction that transform the thick solution into a semisolid mass. A little heat transforms it back to a liquid state. Honey from the pharaoh's tombs crystallized but is still good. Pretty Cool.

[SamIam96]

I wouldn't say it's a sign of purity, but if your honey crystalizes, it's less likely that it's impure. The worst of the fake honey will always be liquid.

FWIW, there's absolutely nothing wrong with honey that's crystallized. I use it as a spread on toast or gently warm it if I have more than I can use. A double boiler at 130°f will do it. Some people believe excessive heat damages the antibacterial and other healthy qualities of the honey.

[msmissydc]

Neither really. I may get the direction wrong but I think high glucose flowers give quicker crystalizing honey, while higher fructose flowers crystalize slower. Generally its only a question of time before it crystalizes and that just means sugar parts from the water.
My father in law is a beekeeper I can ask him for a more in depth explanation if you want.

[Tarifa]

That would be great, thanks.

[msmissydc]

So my answer was right. It depends on the flowers around the hive. You generally can't really control it aside from specific honey types, For example canola (crystalizes quick because of its high glucose) or acaciae honey (takes longer because of its high fructose).
When you DO warm it up, to make it decrystalize, keep the temperature below 40°C better to 35°C. Most honeys lose minerals and some become bitter around temperatures above 40°C.

[Tarifa]

Thanks, I'll take that into account.

[AMS700CX4u2]

Thanks, Good information to have

[RandomGirl42]

This article explains it better than I can. Our neighbors have bee hives and we use crystallized honey frequently. 🐝

https://galenafarms.com/blogs/harvet-winter/why-does-honey-crystallize?srsltid=AfmBOoooD2mzzHvzH2b0ILV9adoEzUI90SlmugrzEN_6FDsWYNWWmGqw

[msmissydc]

Great answer, this link explains it well. Could confirm my thoughts on this with the link.

[AI Opinion]

Crystallizing honey is indeed a sign of purity, not a flaw. It occurs because honey contains natural sugars, primarily glucose, which can crystallize over time. Pure, raw honey crystallizes more quickly than processed varieties, which often have additives that prevent crystallization. I've encountered incredible local honeys that crystallized, and it was delightful to see their natural properties at play. To enjoy crystallized honey, try spreading it on some warm buttered toast. 🍯

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Crystallizing is just a thing that honey does. It depends more on where the pollen comes from than the actual making of it. The only honey I know of that never crystallizes is tupelo honey, and those are only available in specific tropical regions where the tupelo trees grow. Crystallized honey is still good, you just have to heat it up. It doesn’t “go bad” you can technically eat honey that’s over a thousand years old and not get sick.

[genericname85]

it just means the honey is old. but don't worry. warming it up a bit will melt it back down. honey doesn't spoil ever. it just crystalizes.

[egan3141]

I'm curious, why don't you read the description of a question before answer it?

[genericname85]

@egan3141 what are you expecting? me to magically tell you what's in your fucking honey over the fucking internet? xD everything that can be said about your honey with the information you have given has been said. if you wanna know what's in it exactly, send it to a lab.

[egan3141]

You can't bother to read much of anything can you? I'm not even the one that asked the question...

[genericname85]

can you highlight which exact part of your 4 sentence question you don't feel was answered by what i said?

[egan3141]

OH, I see now. you are just a troll. Got it

[genericname85]

@egan3141 ah so that's what you're doing. trolling people with a simple question and when they answer it you tell them they didn't asnwer it xD meh. i met better trolls before.

[egan3141]

Your earlier attempts were better, now you just look pathetic

[Nicole12t]

I always heard from mom that it lasts for ever to just heat it up a bit and its fine!

[Anonymous]

It probably depends on the type of honey, but I think it's a sign of purity.