Why does honey crystallize?
Did you know that crystallization is a characteristic of good honey? All good honey will crystallize over time. This natural process is also called ‘saccharification’. One honey does that a little faster than the other. Crystallization means the final stage of development in the honey.
How quickly the honey crystallizes is influenced by the amount of glucose and fructose. Honey with a high glucose content will crystallize faster, such as sunflower honey. Honey with a high fructose content, such as acacia honey, will not crystallize as quickly. If you don’t like the crystals in your honey, read on to find out how to dissolve the hard honey. In this article also more about factors that influence crystallization ??
Is cream honey also sugared?
There are a number of honey types in our range of cream honey . Think of rapeseed honey , clover honey and sunflower honey . Deliciously soft honeys that are easy to spread. But how is that possible? We stir this honey into a cream ourselves. Rapeseed honey, clover honey and sunflower honey are honeys with a high glucose content. In no time they have crystallized very hard. Not convenient. We mix a little bit of crystallized honey with a large amount of this honey in a liquid state. By stirring a few times over a number of days, an easily spreadable honey cream is created. Cream honey often has a soft taste, great for children! In addition to the aforementioned types, we also stir a portion ofDutch flower honey into a cream.
Liquefy sugared honey
Crystallized honey can easily be liquefied again by putting it in lukewarm water (the water should not be too hot). You can also put the pot on the heating for a few days, this way is of course less controllable. Be careful not to overheat the honey, from about 45 degrees Celsius will the honey lose many of its healthy enzymes?
Moisture content and temperature of honey
Does the moisture content in honey affect crystallization? Honey has a moisture content of 15 to a maximum of 18 percent. If the moisture content is above 18 percent, it is not pure or ripe honey. From about 17 percent, the honey will also crystallize earlier. But the aforementioned ratio between glucose and fructose is the most important for the crystallization of honey. Low temperatures inhibit the maturation process and thus crystallization. Frozen honey will not crystallize. This is the way to keep honey liquid. Honey that has been stored at a temperature of about 14 degrees will become crystallized within a few weeks to months.
Honey and time
Time affects the ripening and thus crystallization of honey. The longer the honey stands, the further the honey ripens. This means that the glucose is broken down and the fructose content in the honey increases. At a higher temperature this will go faster and the crystallization will decrease. Crystals attach to small particles in the honey. When the honey is filtered at the factory under high pressure, will the number of particles decrease and will the honey crystallize less quickly?
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