How quickly sugared natural honey. The process of sugaring the most common varieties of honey. Should a natural product turn into crystals?

It is no secret that honey is a universal product. By nature, he is endowed with qualities useful for beauty. This sweet stretching product can be stored for a very long time, and it is not necessary to put it in the refrigerator. Nature has already endowed him with all that is needed for conservation. The only minus of honey delicacy, is sugar. This is the result of the crystallization of glucose, which by virtue of its gravity sinks to the bottom of a jar of honey, so do not be surprised when you see this state.

With any natural honey this trouble sooner or later, but it still happens. This does not detract from its benefits at all, but proves that candied honey is 100% natural.

The surest and safest way for honey is to deliver jar with candied product in a warm room, preferably in a bath or sauna. Combine both pleasant and useful. Take a good steam yourself, but because of the honey there will be no "steaming". He himself will gradually accept his original elastic consistency and will not lose useful properties. If the bath is an inaccessible option for you, then arrange the honey bath ... water bath. There are two of the most popular and affordable options to melt candied honey.

Option 1: You will need two smaller and bigger pots and a jar of honey. In a larger saucepan, boil water, make a smaller fire, put a small saucepan in it so that it does not reach the bottom and does not fall, but kept on the handles. Place a container of honey in a small saucepan. The process of kindling honey began, do not increase the fire under the pots, the main thing is that the water remains hot, it should not boil more, so as not to harm the honey. After a quarter of an hour, the honey will melt and will again be soft and tasty.

Option 2: a jar of honey is placed directly in a pan with hot water, the main thing is to ensure free circulation of water from all sides, including the bottom. You can use any metal stand from the bottom. For example, an inverted metal sieve or grate for dishes. See that the level of hot (non-boiling) water is a couple of centimeters below the level of honey.

Honey in both cases, mix, as needed.

To turn the candied at home, get ready to take the stove for almost a day. Make sure that the temperature of honey does not exceed 50 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, you risk losing many useful elements and active substances contained in honey, and simple sugars will turn into caramel.

The process of melting candied honey takes a fairly long period of time, but if you really take up this business, be sure to bring it to the end.

Should I melt candied honey

If you use honey “vprikusku” with tea, it is not necessary to spend your precious time to make candied honey liquid. Just arm yourself with a spoon stronger and boldly add sweet gold to your drink.

But for baking or for making homemade beauty recipes, of course, you will have to do the procedure of melting, but here you can do without fanaticism: do not take the whole amount of bee honey, just select the amount needed for one or two receptions.

So you will save time and not waste your time.

The speed of honey sugar does not depend only on its variety. This process is influenced by both natural factors and unnatural causes, when unscrupulous sellers artificially change physical properties honey Fortunately, the latter is easy to check on your own.

Buyers are concerned about the question whether honey should be sugared. Some people believe that the crystallization process is a clear sign of a quality product. But is it really? And what factors influence this process?

Bee product after a couple of months begins to thicken. After it appear white grains or flakes, the color of honey brightens, and the consistency becomes thicker. These are the first signs of the saccharification process.

Bee gold contains a lot of fructose and glucose. Crystallization depends on carbohydrates and their ratio. When glucose prevails in honey (30-35%), it begins to quickly sugar up. The reason for this is the natural transformation of glucose into sweet crystals, which are under their weight at the bottom.

In some varieties more fructose. It allows the product to remain in a liquid state for a long period. Fructose envelops the honey components and prevents the appearance of crystals.

If you see that honey is candied, and you have a logical question, what does it mean, do not worry. The transformation of the clear liquid into white and solid does not indicate the poor quality of honey. Candied delicacy fully preserves beneficial features. It is eaten on an empty stomach, added to desserts, pastries and drinks. If desired, you can melt, but correctly - without exceeding the permissible temperature (40-50 ° C) in order to avoid the loss of useful properties.

Reasons for sugar

For different varieties of honey, crystallization occurs after a different time interval and passes in different ways. The process depends on several factors:

honey flowers;
weather conditions;
maturity;
the presence of impurities;
moisture content;
storage.

Some varieties (sunflower, buckwheat) are quickly candied (after 20-30 days). But some types of bee gold remain liquid for 1-2 years (acacia, may).

Natural causes

The natural product remains for a long period of liquid, if it is dominated by fructose (40% or more). A treat recommended by a diabetic. It helps to normalize blood sugar levels, restores metabolism and supports the pancreas.

The speed of sugaring is influenced by the weather conditions under which the bees collect nectar. Nectar collected in rainy weather will contain more moisture. Additional moisture inhibits the process of sugaring. The processed product of beekeeping under hot conditions (collected during the summer months) is candied more quickly. In the sunflower variety, there is practically no moisture, since it blooms at the height of summer, and glucose prevails. After three weeks, it turns into a white mixture, and after a couple of months - into a solid delicacy.

Storage temperature affects crystallization. Quickly, glucose turns into crystals at a temperature in the range from +10 to + 15 ° C. If honey is stored at a lower or higher temperature, it will sugary longer.

Beekeepers who are inexperienced or willing to make quicker profits can collect unripe honey. Sweetness contains more moisture, which affects the crystallization process. Unripe honey is not so rich in nutrients, and spoils in a short time, which is not the case with a quality product.

But at the same time, unscrupulous beekeepers can add water or impurities to the product in order to preserve its presentation. Sometimes honey is melted, but it loses its beneficial properties. Distinguish real honey from a fake will help the aroma and taste. It is advisable to buy a treat from proven beekeepers. Natural delicacy, diluted in water, does not react with vinegar or iodine.

What varieties do not suck long?

If you are interested in what honey is not sugared, you must know that it does not depend on the quality of the product. Some varieties remain liquid for a long period.

Acacia

Nectar from acacias up to 3 years can remain liquid. When pumping, the variety has a very liquid consistency, with time it may thicken a little, but it can remain transparent and light for a long time.

The demand for acacia honey is high. It remains liquid for a long time, has a pleasant smell and taste. It contains about 40% fructose and 30-35% glucose, so prolonged crystallization is a normal process. It helps strengthen the immune system, get rid of women's diseases and normalize the work of the digestive tract.

May

The first pumped honey does not crystallize for a long time. Bee pollen is collected from the first flowers and fruit trees:

apple trees;
cherries;
pears;
apricot;
drain

May variety contains a lot of fructose. In the spring it often rains, so the product contains more moisture. This contributes to long sugars. May honey for 1-2 years remains liquid. It has a positive effect on the nervous system, helps to get rid of headaches and insomnia.

But be careful when buying may honey. Its easiest to fake. A similar product can be obtained if you feed the bees with sugar syrup after wintering. In order not to buy a fake, it is advisable to purchase May honey in late summer or autumn. This grade will become more viscous.

Lime

A light product of beekeeping with a characteristic pleasant odor from six months to a year can remain in a liquid state. Over time, the crystallization process will appear the appearance of white flakes. Candied lime honey becomes like cream or paste. Small grains and lumps make it look like semolina.

Do not be surprised why honey does not thicken if you get a lime variety. He six-year-year retains a liquid consistency and color transparency. Bee gold increases the body's defenses and is often used to treat angina, cough and other respiratory diseases.

Chestnut

Honey from chestnuts has a dark color and bitterness in taste. It is used to treat the genitourinary system, and is also useful for the heart and blood vessels. Until half a year, and sometimes longer, it remains in liquid form, although initially it has a sufficiently high viscosity.

Knowing why honey is not sugared, you can choose quality product. With prolonged storage (from 6 months), signs of crystallization appear in the liquid delicacy:

sediment at the bottom;
thickening;
the appearance of light blotches and so on.

A clear, transparent product at the end of winter or at the beginning of summer is suspicious. From the purchase of such a product is better to refuse.

There is no definitive answer to the question “Should honey be sugared or not?”, Since everything depends on the variety, collection time, compliance with storage conditions and other factors.

We hope we did not miss anything. Perhaps experienced beekeepers have something to add about this?

Liquid honey in the winter is not at all an indicator of its freshness. This texture has a falsified product or specially warmed up to give it a more attractive presentation. Experienced beekeepers immediately recognize the fake by its appearance and explain why honey is candied and how it affects its properties.

Causes of crystallization

In order to honey as not as thick as possible, it is filtered before packing

All supersaturated solutions, which include a tasty product of beekeeping, are incapable of being kept in a homogeneous state for a long time. Excess substance according to the laws of physics tends to precipitate. As a result, the water balance is restored, and the solution becomes saturated.

If we talk about honey, then glucose turns out to be superfluous, as the least soluble substance. And it was she who caused the appearance of white flaky crystals.

From the ratio of glucose and fructose depends on the time during which the crystallization of honey. The more content the first and less the second, the faster it will happen. If fructose prevails, then a tasty and healthy product will stay liquid for a long time and will not overgrown.

The following factors can affect the rate of crystallization:

storage temperature;
preliminary processing before packing;
air humidity;
degree of maturity.

The most favorable temperature at which glucose crystallizes is 15 ° C. With its value below 4 ° C and above 27 ° C, this process stops until more favorable conditions occur.

If honey is quickly candied, this may indicate a high content of pollen and other solid impurities. Crystallization is possible in the presence of centers around which glucose concentrates. The product purified during processing remains liquid for a long time.

How does crystallization affect the properties and shelf life?

So, we found out how and why honey is sugared. And how does this process affect its properties?

Honey does not lose its healing qualities after crystallization. It is still as useful as freshly pumped. However, do not keep it for a long time. The fresher the product, the more benefits it will bring.

The degree of crystallization is also in no way affected by the shelf life of the healthy and tasty product. On the contrary, the harder it is, the less likely it is to ferment and deteriorate. Candied honey is less susceptible to pollution and exposure to light and air.

In natural honey, crystals are formed evenly throughout the entire thickness of the product, gradually filling the entire jar.

Interesting fact! Solid stone honey can be broken off, and there are pieces. When storing it, it is simply wrapped in something and stored in a dark, cool place.

Does honey necessarily have to thicken?

The question of whether the honey should crystallize can be answered with one word - necessarily! Regardless of the type, storage conditions and all other factors, real natural honey will sooner or later change its structure and fry. This can happen a week after collection, or a couple of years later. Remain liquid after 3 years of storage can only artificial product, thereby signaling its unnatural nature.

Excellent natural honey: candied or not, the cause and mechanisms of the phenomenon of crystallization

Liquid and beautiful honey, which can be found on store shelves or on the market in winter, does not mean that it is fresh. This common misconception often misleads many consumers. Most often, honey has a similar liquid consistency, not natural, falsified, and maybe even of artificial origin. Manufacturers often resort to a variety of tricks to make their product more attractive in appearance, and asking for a cup of fragrant tea. As a real specialist, I can immediately distinguish a fake, and I also want to tell everyone whether natural honey should be candied, and this will happen inevitably.

Let's turn to the school curriculum, and more specifically to physics and chemistry, and finally apply it in practice, in real life. So, all supersaturated solutions, which is a useful bee product, can not remain in a single state for a long time. According to physical laws, everything that is excessive, and strives to precipitate. As a result of this process, the substance is normalized, that is, in fact, the water balance is restored, and the solution acquires the properties of saturated. Thus, the question, whether real honey is sugared or not, has only one answer - of course, it crystallizes on a mandatory basis.

Natural bee honey is candied - what does it mean?

If we are talking about honey, then as a precipitating substance, here comes the queen-glucose, which has the biggest problems with solubility. It was she who forms the white-yellow flakes, which we see in jars of honey that have stood for some time. Moreover, it is on the percentage in which honey contains glucose and fructose, and it depends on how quickly this amazing beekeeping product is sugared. The more glucose in honey and less fructose, the faster will be the process of saccharification.

It is clear that if there is more than the second component in the composition, then the process will definitely go faster. So in some cases, why honey is not sugared long enough? Everything is simple, there is little glucose in it, and it can long remain liquid and beautiful in appearance. Among other things, the fact whether a real honey should be candied and how quickly it will occur, is also influenced by a number of factors, indicators that should be taken into account.

Processing in production, before the honey is packed in a special container.
Storage conditions of this beekeeping product.
The degree of maturity of the honey itself.
Humidity in the room where honey is stored.

Interestingly, the most favorable temperature, which experts believe is optimal for crystallization, is fifteen degrees Celsius. And then there is a completely logical question, why honey is not candied during the year in some cases, also has a question. For example, if honey is stored at a temperature that does not reach four degrees Celsius, then the crystallization process will definitely pause until suitable conditions appear, that is, it will increase its storage temperature. I often apply this knowledge to keep the product fresh and attractive to look longer. At temperatures above twenty-seven degrees, sugaring also stops, as they say, until better times.

Deal with the details: is real honey sugared

Thus, it is safe to say that the simplest question of whether honey should be sugared has a very specific answer. I have already given this answer before, but I want to repeat it so that everything becomes extremely clear. Of course, sooner or later, real honey will sugared up and there is nothing bad in it at all, just glucose cannot be part of a supersaturated solution for a long time and precipitates. Moreover, if honey is candied, and quite quickly, we can say that there are a lot of such useful substances as pollen, and not only.

The fact is that crystallization itself will be possible only if there are solid particles in the substance around which the crystals, in our case, glucose, are growing. And you need to know what honey does not crystallize, even if it was natural, and not fake. For example, a product that has undergone a cleaning process with special filters of an industrial design can remain for a very long time. However, the usefulness of this honey can be easily questioned, since purification often involves heating it at rather high temperatures, and the nutrients simply break down, leaving us with only a sweet taste.

Also, the question of why honey is not sugared for a long time, it can be assumed that it was stored in a rather damp room, and maybe even altogether, was diluted with water. Therefore, if the honey you purchased at the store for a very long time is not sugared, it is a reason to worry about its quality. Most likely, this product is falsified or simply has an artificial origin. Natural honey is, in fact, extremely easy to distinguish from its not genuine counterpart. Just take a slice, and melt, kneading with your fingertips. A poor-quality product will simply curl up into lumps, and the natural one will evenly be distributed over the skin and be absorbed into it, leaving only a sweet sticky trail.

Direct impact: why honey does not crystallize

Thus, in the mechanisms that cause honey to crystallize, or for a long time to remain in liquid form, we have already figured out, more or less thoroughly. It remains only to understand how all these complex processes that occur in a substance can affect its unique qualities and properties. This question is extremely important, because it reflects the very essence of the question.

First of all, you need to know that honey sweetening has absolutely no effect on those substances that are useful for you and our organisms, which are contained there. All trace elements, vitamins, and other substances do not lose their own structure, that is, remain in its original form. However, do not store honey for an excessively long time, since the freshest product will be most useful in any case.

Please note that if the honey is really natural, then the crystallization begins and ends throughout the thickness of the honey in the jar evenly. By this indicator, you can also judge the quality of the product you purchased. The shelf life of honey, in fact, is not limited by anything, and quickly candied honey will be fresh and useful for much longer. The harder the honey, the longer it can be stored, and there is even the so-called stone honey, which can simply be broken off into slices and is, like roasted. Such honey is wrapped in a special cloth or food foil and stored in a dark and cool place.

Good or bad: what honey is not sugared and why

As I already said, natural honey that you purchased in a store or on the market must be sugared, and this is simply an irrefutable fact. However, summing up, I would like to once again clarify that one type of product will suck up, a week after purchase, on the other it will be beautiful and liquid for a year or two. However, it is worth remembering that if the purchased bee gift remained liquid, even after a three-year storage period, and without losing the original color and flavor, then this is a reason to think that it is in fact artificial.

There is also another scenario: you bought honey, and it crystallized within three to five days, and so intensely that in a week it became extremely thick. This is quite normal, and there may be several reasons for this “behavior”. Those who carefully read my article, he himself can already say the answer to all questions.

Inadequate storage conditions, suitable humidity, and in addition, temperature conditions, lead to rapid crystallization.
The presence in the product of a large amount of pollen, as well as other solid elements.
Variety of honey you purchased, in which glucose prevails before fructose.
When stirring fresh and old honey, which has already been successfully candied, the whole process goes much faster, as the old product starts and speeds it up.

Do not be upset if the purchased honey is candied and thickened, because all its useful properties are stored for a very long time. Of course, just eating it is not very convenient, but you can make a lot of healthy dishes and drinks. For example, detailed information can be found in my article and enjoy the wonderful taste and unique aroma.

Tips from the wise: how to make honey liquid if it is candied

It is clear that liquid honey is much more pleasant to eat, and adding it to any medicine, tea, and so on, is much easier when its consistency remains sufficiently liquid. However, it happens that honey is sugared to such an extent that it is simply impossible to take it out of the jar, bend the spoons, and it is terrible to break the glass container so that its fragments do not fall into the product. But before looking for recipes, how to make thickened honey more liquid, it is worth figuring out which varieties of this gift from little striped workers thicken faster, and which will remain amber-clean and beautiful for a long time to look like.

So, the most rapid crystallization occurs in rapeseed and buckwheat, sunflower, as well as in lime honey. This product completes the sugar after two or three weeks after pumping, and little will depend on the storage conditions.
If you need honey, which will preserve its consistency as long as possible, then it will be optimal to purchase acacia honey, which can maintain its own structure and flow for up to twenty-four months. That is why he gained such popularity in the nation. Honey and clover, heather and honeydew honey is also slowly sugared. They can enjoy the whole winter for its transparency and beautiful color.

But now we purchased the product and suddenly discovered that honey was candied, what to do to bring it back to a liquid state and can it be done at all, in principle, be done? The answer is fully affirmative - candied honey is perfectly recoverable, and if everything is done correctly, then it will not lose its unique beneficial qualities at all.

A simple solution: how to melt the candied honey

In fact, there are several proposals on this issue, I’ll tell you only about those that my grandfather still practiced, and I can guarantee that all healing properties the product with this recovery remain and even more activated. The main thing here is not to overdo it, because, as they say, foolishly you can do a lot of different nonsense.

Most often, my grandfather put water bathand placing a container of honey in it, slowly heated it to the desired temperature. It is extremely important not to overdo it, since at a temperature above 40 degrees Celsius most of the vitamins will be hopelessly lost.
The easiest way, and much more reliable, is to heat the honey near the stove or the battery. And the hotter the object, the further you need to install a jar of honey so that it warms up slowly and gradually. True, it will be long enough, but it is worth it, no doubt.
The third method is a decrystallizer, that is, a special device for beekeepers, which allows you to uselessly drown honey without fear of overheating it.

Many buyers who rarely buy honey are afraid to buy a product with white flakes on top. They believe that sugar crystals are a sign of old product. In fact, it is not. Why honey is sugared? This is a completely natural process.

The rate of formation of crystals depends on the type of nectar and the conditions for its collection and storage. A product that is poorly cleaned and contains pollen particles, pollen and other impurities is more quickly sugared. But the quality of nectar is not affected.

What honey is not sugared?

You can answer unequivocally: artificial. Natural product sooner or later becomes thick, and sugar particles appear on top. Of course, this process varies widely. In general, the content of glucose and fructose affects the crystallization period. The more glucose in it, the faster the nectar will become thick. There are varieties that are very long in a fluid state, among them:

chestnut;
padevy;
heather.

These varieties can be stored for several years and not crystallize. But sooner or later the substance will still become thick, and flakes will appear on top.

Should honey be sugared?

Of course, but if you do not really like a thick product, buy clover or chestnut varieties. Buckwheat, lime and sunflower varieties quickly crystallize. This usually occurs 2-4 weeks after collection.

The crystallization process occurs due to oversaturation of the solution. The product has a lot of glucose, which tends to precipitate. It is this precipitate that is crystals. You can not influence the process. But some unscrupulous distributors in order to keep the product in liquid state longer, add water to it. The amount of glucose in the solution decreases, and the product does not thicken for a long time.

If you purchased a product and honey quickly candied, do not blame the seller for the implementation of low-quality goods. Pay attention to the origin of the product. If it was harvested from sunflower or rape, it is quite normal that after 3 weeks of storage you will see the first grains. Nothing to dilute is needed. It is as useful and high-quality as liquid natural honey.

What to do with candied honey?

Eat it for food. Its properties remain the same. With it, you can prepare cough drops or bake delicious muffins. Natural honey can be eaten with warm tea.

If honey quickly candied, and on the label it is indicated that it is acacia, then you should doubt its quality. Natural acacia honey is the product with the longest shelf life in a liquid state. It can remain fluid for 2-3 years. It's quite normal.

To check the authenticity of candied nectar and its quality, apply a drop on the palm. Now rub a slice between your fingers. If the product is artificial, then it will gather in flakes and lumps. If the honey is real, it will become liquid and turn into a viscous mass that glues the fingers together. Many beekeepers recommend using this method to check the quality of the candied product.