Sugared honey is practically no different from sweetness in liquid form, the taste is absolutely similar, but liquid is much more convenient to eat than thickened. In addition, the baked product is used for baking, so most housewives are interested in how to melt honey without losing useful properties.

Fundamental rules

A bee product contains a huge number of different beneficial properties, for example, minerals, vitamins, proteins and amino acids. A feature of such a product is that it is able to crystallize quickly, as a result of which it hardens. It is forbidden to overheat or boil a treat, as it can lose its healing properties.  If there is no knowledge on how to make candied honey liquid, some rules should be followed:

• a ceramic bowl is needed;
• do not overheat;
• do not dilute with boiling water;
• do not drown in large quantities;
• do not mix;

To melt the product at home should only be in ceramic or glassware, for such purposes in no case can you use metal or plastic, because they will reward the bee product with harmful substances.

A crystallizing product should not be heated to more than 40 degrees Celsius so that it does not lose its beneficial properties. To deal with candied honey, you do not need to breed it with boiling water.

A frozen bee product should be drowned in a small amount, and best of all, as much as you can eat at a time, or the required amount for any recipe. After all, honey can be melted at any time, and with constant melting, it can lose its healing properties.

In no case should you mix different varieties of sweets, or the remnants of previous honey in a jar with a different kind. Based on the rules on how to melt honey correctly and how to make it liquid, it follows that if it is sugared, then you need to be patient, because you will have to heat it at a low temperature.

Heating methods

How to make honey liquid and what needs to be done for this? Almost all people store honey in a glass jar, and when honey is sugared, it is almost impossible to get it from there, which is why many people are interested in the question of how to melt honey. Dissolve the sweetness as follows:

• water bath;
• the sun;
• battery;
• in warm water;
• in the microwave;
• using lemon.

In order to melt honey in a water bath, you need two small saucepans of different sizes, a jar of candied honey, a wire rack, a spoon and a thermometer. It is necessary to pour water into a large pot, then install a small one so that it does not fall through. Then you should pour water into this pan and put the wire rack.

On this wire rack set a jar of sweetness, and put the saucepan on the fire. The main thing to remember is that the temperature of the water should not be more than 40 degrees C. The thermometer will help determine the temperature; once it reaches the required level, turn off the fire. Thus, it is possible to melt the product, and it will not lose its healing qualities.

The sweetness, which has time to thicken, can be melted in the sun, of course, if it is exposed to sunlight, then the beneficial properties can disappear, so it is important to monitor the melting process.

To melt a delicacy that managed to be sugared, you can near the battery or stove. To do this, you need to install a jar with a treat at the battery or on the stove. If the battery is too hot, you should put the jar close to it, but control the whole process and scroll the jar so that all its sides melt. Keep in mind that if it is wrong to store a bee product - it means to sugar honey ahead of time.

Warm water can also melt a bee product that has been prone to crystallization. To do this, open the tap water and put the jar in the sink, while pouring the drain. Water should not exceed the permissible temperature, i.e. 40 degrees C.

Will microwaves help?

Many people constantly argue about whether it is possible to melt honey in the microwave. Some of them say that heating a bee treat with a microwave helps to lose its beneficial qualities, but you should not overheat a treat very much, and then it will retain healing qualities. If you know how to properly heat a bee product in the microwave, you can "kill two birds with one stone" at the same time, melt the sweetness quickly enough and maintain useful properties.

Crockery must be glass or ceramic. You need to put the plate with the treat in the microwave, cover, then turn on the appliance at full power for about 1.5 - 2 minutes. Then it remains only to get the melted product and pour it into another dish that is convenient for you. (a controversial moment and it’s better not to do this, but it won’t hurt to know)

With lemon, you can melt only a small amount of the product. It is impossible to melt a large number of delicacies using this method, and it takes too much time. For example, a small plate, the ideal proportion would be: one tablespoon of sweetness per one slice of fresh lemon.

Blooming of the bee product is carried out in various ways, if done correctly, the treat will not lose its qualities and will delight the whole family.

Honeycomb sweetness

Honey is sugared in honeycombs quite rarely, but if this still happened, then there is no need to rush and reheat them into a liquid treat. You can simply cut them into small pieces, and then eat as a substitute for sweets or some other purchased and harmful sweets.

Cells that are chewed can either be spit out or swallowed at one’s discretion, because this will not cause harm to the body, but only on the contrary, will be beneficial, because the honeycomb consists exclusively of natural substances, which are often used as a medicine for many diseases.

A few words about how honey should not be melted in any case. For example, the addition of goodies to hot tea or hot milk. As you know, at high temperature the product loses its useful and healing properties, and boiled water exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. For this reason, do not add treats to boiling water. It is best to eat a spoon and drink hot tea or milk.

Summarize

So, a candied delicacy has the same smell, taste as melted. But, it’s much more convenient to eat sweets in a liquid state, for example, spread on a loaf or pour some dessert on it, and besides, for many, the recipe requires a liquid consistency of a bee product. To melt a delicacy is not difficult, but you should do it correctly so that it does not lose its useful qualities.

You can melt in several ways, for example, in a water bath, in warm water, in the sun (but with care), using a stove or battery, using a lemon. The main thing is to remember one important rule - the heating temperature should not exceed 40 degrees Celsius, otherwise the benefits of the product will disappear, and you can’t add a treat to hot tea or boiled milk, for the same reason.

The best option is simply to eat a spoonful of sweets and drink tea. The delicacy in the honeycombs does not have to be kindled, because the honeycombs can be cut into small pieces and consumed instead of purchased delicacies that contain a lot of sugar. Eating honeycombs is much more beneficial.

1. Sugar content.Honey with a glucose content of more than 28% crystallizes quickly. The higher the content of this carbohydrate, the faster this process occurs. Honeydew honey with a melecitose content of more than 10% crystallizes in the so-called "cement" honey.
2. Temperature.The most suitable temperature for the crystallization of honey is considered to be from 10 ° C to 18 ° C, a constant temperature at 14 ° C is optimal. At low temperatures, the crystallization process slows down. In the freezer, honey remains liquid for a longer time. Rapidly crystallizing honey, for example, from rapeseed, forms a crystalline structure. At higher temperatures (more than 25 ° C), the process also slows down. In this case, honey crystallizes with a coarse-crystalline structure.
3. Water content.The water content in honey from 15% to 18% is optimal for crystallization. Honey with a higher or lower water content crystallizes more slowly. Crystallized honey with a water content of 17% to 18% has better fluidity. Honey with a lower water content is characterized by a harder crystalline structure, and honey with a water content of more than 18% is softer.
4. Controlled crystallization.Controlled crystallization is applied to rapidly crystallizing flower honeys to avoid the formation of hoarfrost and large crystals. There are two procedures: mechanical crushing of crystals by mixing honey and adding from 5% to 10% fine crystalline honey to the liquid honey as the center of crystallization, followed by its mixing. You can mix using motor-driven devices, for example, powerful manual drills with a triangular nozzle, for a large number of special devices are suitable (with a power of more than 8oo W).

Crystallization defects

The formation of "hoarfrost." () In some honey with low humidity, “frost” appears on the surface. These are voids that are formed by air during crystallization. The formation of “hoarfrost” is a natural process that does not impair the quality of honey. It can be prevented by using a vacuum for packaging and subsequent controlled crystallization of honey and storage at a constant temperature of about 14 ° C.

Rough crystallization. () This phenomenon occurs in slowly crystallizing honey, as well as after the dissolution of honey, which reduces the subsequent crystallization rate of honey. It can be prevented by controlled crystallization.

The formation of two phases. () This defect occurs when honey with a high water content (over 18%) and at high temperatures crystallize. Or honey from different honey plants fell into one container.

Dissolving and softening crystallized honey

Honey heating is the most widely used method. In accordance with the Codex Alimentarius and other directives, it is forbidden to heat honey, as this significantly affects its quality. Thus, the honey should be dissolved so as to avoid harm from it. The dissolution time depends on the concentration of glucose and the crystalline form: the higher its content and the more crystals, the more time is required for this procedure.

reference

Codex Alimentarius (lat. Codex Alimentarius - Food Codex)  is a set of international food standards adopted by the FAO / WHO International Commission for the Implementation of a Codex of Food Standards and Rules. Codex standards cover basic food products - both processed and semi-finished products, as well as unprocessed ones.

The effect on honey of high temperatures for a long time will spoil it, reduce the intensity of the aroma, and, in extreme cases, give this product a “caramel” taste. Easiest overheating is determined by measuring the content of hydroxymethylfurfural and the activity of honey enzymes (see table below). Therefore, honey must be heated carefully.

Low temperature heating

It is often prescribed not to heat honey at temperatures above 40 ° C to prevent overheating. However, higher temperatures are necessary for the complete dissolution of all crystals. Crystallized honey is a very weak heat conductor, so it must be mixed to reduce the decrystallization time. Heating for 1-2 days at a temperature of 40-50 ° C will not harm honey.  There are various ways to heat honey.

Honey heating in a water bath

In terms of optimal heat transfer, this type of heating is the best. 25 kg of honey are heated in a water bath to 40 ° for 43 hours, while for heating with air it takes 72 hours. For practical reasons, heating in a water bath is used for volumes up to 25 kg. There are only a few suitable commercial technologies for heating in a water bath.

Honey heating by air

This species is used widely. Compared to a water bath, air heating requires a longer time. When heating large quantities of honey, air circulation must be used to prevent overheating. To dissolve crystallized flower honey with a water content of 17.5%, the following relationship was found between the size of the container, the temperature and the bloom time:

Heating honey on an electric stove

This type of heating is widely used by small beekeepers and is suitable for volumes of not more than 25 kg. However, in order to prevent overheating, between the stove and the container there should be an air gap of 5 ~ 6 cm. According to the manufacturers, heating 25 kg to 45 ° C will dissolve honey within 24-48 hours.

Heating honey with specialized heaters

Crystallized honey can be heated with an electric heater, which gradually drops as the honey melts. Spithergin's Melitherm heaters are used to dissolve honey in some European countries. This method of dissolving this product is especially gentle and does not cause any harm to it, although the crystals do not completely dissolve.

Heating at higher temperatures: pasteurization

In some countries, honey is heated in order to destroy honey crystals and destroy yeast by pasteurization. Commercial pasteurization practice is instant heating to 70-78 ° C for a few seconds, and then quick cooling to minimize damage from heat.

Commercial practice is described in detail (TOWNSEND, G. F. (1975) Processing and storing liquid honey, In Crane, E (ed.), Heinemann, London: pp 269-292.). After pasteurization, the diastase activity and the hydroxymethylfurfural content remain almost unchanged, and the invertase activity decreases.

In some countries, mainly in North America, pressure filtration is used to clean honey after pasteurization. As a result, honey becomes very pure and remains in a liquid state for a long time (due to the lack of crystallization centers). Dissolved pasteurized honey crystallizes slowly with the formation of large crystals. The disadvantage of this procedure is that pollen is filtered out, which makes it impossible to control the declared botanical and geographical origin.

Blooming honey with electromagnetic waves

Different types of waves can be used to dissolve honey:

• Ultrasonic waves (above 20 kHz).
• Microwave (915 MHz to 2450 MHz).
• Infrared furnace (1500 MHz - 400000 MHz).

Microwave and infrared ovens are suitable and widespread in commercial production. Honey can be dissolved very quickly due to its special composition. Microwaves with frequencies from 915 MHz to 2450 MHz are widely used for heating food products and can be used for blooming honey. However, research results show that both types of furnaces cause an increase in the content of hydroxymethylfurfural and a decrease in enzyme activity, their effect depends on the time and amount of energy used, as well as on the type of honey. Thus, taking into account all these factors, in order to avoid damage to the quality of honey, special microwave ovens must be designed to dissolve it.

Desorption (removal) of water in honey

In honey with a high water content, it is necessary to reduce the humidity before it is evacuated, that is, in the combs, by placing hives in warm rooms and using dehumidifiers. This does not cause difficulties for beekeepers and this procedure does not significantly affect the quality of honey.

However, if too wet honey is already collected, then its moisture content can be reduced with a special device. This leads to the loss of volatile substances and the aroma of honey. Thus, this method is also not permissible in accordance with the Codex Alimentarius and other standards for honey, as it stipulates that "no components can be removed from honey, unless this is unavoidable when removing foreign inorganic or organic substances."

Sugaring honey is a process in which it goes into a thick state from a liquid. Someone likes to eat thick honey, and someone likes to use it in liquid form. Fortunately, there are many ways to melt bee nectar.

You can often hear that overheating of honey is harmful to health, but there is no scientific evidence for this.

It is important to melt sugared honey so that it does not lose its beneficial properties.

Rules for heating bee honey:

• only glass and ceramic dishes can be used (do not use plastic dishes);
• do not add water to nectar;
• you can not mix together several varieties of honey;
• you can not heat the honey mass above 50 degrees.

Now we know at what temperature honey loses its beneficial properties and its biological elements are destroyed. In addition, with strong heating in the nectar, the oxymethylfurfural toxin begins to be produced, which is dangerous to human health. In this article, we will talk about how to melt honey quickly and correctly.

Video: How to melt honey

In a glass jar

To melt nectar in such a container is quite simple, because you will not need to put the jar on an open fire or boil the honey mixture. There are several ways:

First way

The famous folk method is to put honey in a glass jar near the battery. You can perform the procedure at any time of the day, but usually it is done at night. The disadvantage of this method is that it is necessary to twist the jar in different directions several times a night in order to achieve uniform melting.

Second way

The following method is simple and requires the least energy costs - you must first heat the bath and put there a glass jar overnight. We already know at what temperature nectar loses its beneficial properties, so you do not need to heat the bath more than 50 degrees (water temperature can be measured using a thermometer or thermometer). Melted nectar in consistency should resemble liquid porridge.

In a water bath

Another popular way to melt nectar is in a water bath. Make a deep pan and a bowl of honey. Pour water into a deep pan and place a bowl of honey in it. Do not forget to indent about 2 cm from the edge of the small dishes. Do not be afraid that the honey will boil - this is impossible, because the speed of boiling water does not coincide with the melting speed of bee gold. Therefore, thanks to a water bath, nectar will simply become more liquid and softer.

Video: How to instantly melt candied honey

In the microwave

A fairly easy and safe way to melt bee nectar is to start heating it in the microwave. Pour honey into a glass jar and place it in a microwave oven at maximum power (average 500 W) for two minutes. Then remove the container and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. It is best to heat a small amount of shoulder nectar in the microwave, do not put too much. Microwaves act on the water contained in bee nectar, causing a melting process.

Melt in the sun

This method has a very significant drawback - the sun will heat the jar for a long time and the transition of bee honey from solid to liquid will take a considerable amount of time. In this case, the jar can be heated above 50 degrees, in which case hot honey will inevitably expect a loss in useful properties.

Melt under hot water

If you live in a city, then the easiest and most reliable way to melt nectar yourself at home is with a water tap. Adjust the temperature of the water so that it is about 50 degrees (it can be measured using a thermometer or a thermometer). Then put a jar of honey (always with a lid closed) under water pressure for a while. A warm stream of water will quickly and efficiently heat a thick honey mixture, turning it into a liquid porridge. This method is suitable if you see that crystals are formed with sugar - soft heat will help to avoid further crystallization.

Melt with Lemon

You can melt nectar and lemon, but not everyone will be satisfied with the result. Why so? Because lemon can completely melt only a small amount of bee gold, and then you need about 4 hours. Therefore, if you need to melt a lot of nectar at once, only the top layer will become liquid. This method is ideal if you need to melt a spoonful of bee honey added to any cold drink. For 1 spoon of honey, add one slice of lemon.

Liquid honey in honeycombs

Quite often, not just nectar itself is consumed, but liquid honey directly in the comb. Why is it wrong to separate honeycombs from honey? Because after eating the whole product a person will receive much more useful vitamins and minerals. Eating them is very simple: you just need to chew the honeycombs until they lose their taste, and then spit them out. If you suddenly swallowed a honeycomb, do not worry! You can eat them entirely and it is not at all dangerous to health.

How to make beer from honey at home?

We have prepared 2 more original recipes for drinks that are easy to prepare by adding hot bee honey - homemade sweet beer! Hand-made foamy drink differs from the bought one in its delicate and delicate taste, and such an ingredient as honey will add sweetness and pleasant bitterness to beer.

Recipe number 1. A simple way to make a honey foam drink

Few people know that you can make beer yourself at home from honey.

In order to quickly make honey beer you will need the following ingredients:

• natural honey (0.5 kg);
• pure drinking water (20 liters)
• rye malt (2 kg)
• hops (1 cup)
• yeast (100 gr.)

Cooking:

1. Prepare a metal container, add honey there and fill it with 4 liters of water.
2. Add hop and rye malt to the bowl. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.
3. Put the mixture on the stove and bring to a boil, and then leave to cook for about 30 minutes.
4. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
5. Add the yeast to the cooled honey mixture and mix everything thoroughly again.
6. Make a deep vat and pour the resulting drink.
7. Add 15 liters of clean drinking water to the vat.
8. Close the vat tightly and let it ferment for about 4-5 days. The foamy honey drink is ready to drink! It must be stored in a dry, cool place.

Recipe number 2. How to make Old Russian honey beer

If you want to make beer according to this recipe, you will need:

• natural honey (4 kg);
• pure drinking water (20 liters);
• hop cones (50 gr);
• yeast (100 gr.).

Cooking:

1. Take a deep vat and add honey and water in the proportions indicated above. Mix the resulting mixture well.
2. It is necessary to add hop cones in the honey liquid, and then put the vat on the stove.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for one hour.
4. Then strain the honey liquid and pour the yeast into it.
5. Pour the mixture into another container and leave for fermentation for a week, while not covering the vessel with a lid. The honey drink should be left at room temperature.
6. After the mixture has fermented, let it brew for another 3 days. Fragrant, honey drink is ready! Old Russian beer will pleasantly surprise you with its bitter-sweet taste!

Now you know how to melt honey yourself at home. You can familiarize yourself with more detailed information by watching the video.

A healthy and tasty natural product, of which it is, inevitably crystallizes over time. To return to its original form, it must be melted.

Crystallization of honey

The crystallization or sugaring of honey is called the gradual process of its transition from liquid to solid. In a simplified form, honey is a supersaturated solution of fructose and glucose.

Particles of fructose remain in a liquid state, and glucose, which has a lower solubility, begins to form groups of crystals.

Since glucose crystals have a greater density, and therefore weight, they sink to the bottom of the tableware with honey. It is for this reason that the honey sugar begins to start from below, gradually reaching the top of the dishes.

The more glucose in honey and the less water in it, the faster its crystallization process begins.

The honey saccharification rate also depends on its temperature: at temperatures below 4 0 С and above 28 0 С, the crystallization of honey is practically not observed, while 15 0 С is the most optimal temperature for its saccharification.

No matter how paradoxical it sounds, the more often the honey is mixed, the faster it will evaporate, since this will lead to the formation of new crystallization centers.

Dissolving honey

Crystallized fully retains all its medicinal and taste qualities, therefore, if you are more comfortable and more accustomed to eat liquid honey, you must dissolve it - return to a liquid state.

The most common method of dissolving honey is gentle heating, which consists in its gradual heating to a temperature not higher than 45-50 ° C.

At higher temperatures, the destruction of many enzymes and biologically active substances of honey occurs, and the simple sugars in its composition are completely converted into caramel.

Method one

Two different sizes will be needed, and the smaller pan should not “fall” into the larger one, but rather cling to its walls with its handles.

Pouring water into a large saucepan so that it does not reach the bottom of a smaller tank, put the assembled water-bath construction on fire.

After boiling the water in a large saucepan in a smaller bowl, put a glass jar of candied honey. For the dissolution of honey in a volume of 1 l is usually enough 10-15 minutes.

To make the process of heating honey softer, you can pour water into a smaller saucepan. At the same time, the melting of honey will double or triple.

In the process of dissolving honey periodically mix it.

Second way

Type in water in the pan so that its level is slightly below the upper edge of the jar, put it on a small fire.

To protect the bottom of the can from thermal contact with the bottom of the pan, place an improvised stand, such as a metal dishwashing grid, between them.

In the process of heating water in a saucepan, it is necessary to control its temperature using a thermometer. Water should not be hotter than 50 ° C.

The time required to dissolve 1 l of honey will be approximately 5-7 minutes. As in the previous method, during melting the honey must be periodically mixed.

In the end, a jar of candied honey can be put in any place with a suitable thermal mode: at the central heating battery, on the stove, in the bath or in the sauna.

After a few hours or days (depending on the air temperature), the glucose crystals will melt and the honey will become liquid.

Good appetite!

Virtually any heterogeneous substance in nature can eventually be divided into fractions. Honey is also subject to similar processes. Glucose in its composition tends to descend to the very bottom and crystallize. A product with more fructose and less glucose, is able to remain liquid longer in time. Someone may like it hard, but it is more pleasant for someone to use it in liquid form, there are ways to melt honey.

Rules for the dissolution of honey

Many people know that heat treatment can make a dangerous toxic product out of honey, but there are ways to avoid it:

• different varieties should not be mixed with each other;
• temperature effects should not be above 50 ° C;
• eliminate the use of plastic dishes;
• best natural materials (glass, ceramics);
• do not allow the ingress of water.

How to thin the honey in a glass jar?

One of the simple ways to kindle honey is to place a glass jar with bee nectar near a source that radiates heat. For this, direct fire with a high temperature will not work; it is better to use a radiator battery, heater or other heat source with a low temperature.

Periodically you need to rotate the glass jar in another side to evenly melt the product.

Another popular way to dissolve honey in a glass jar is to leave the container with the product overnight in warm water (not more than 50 ° C). You can also put the jar in the bath, this method is suitable for large glass containers.

High thermal conductivity of water

Water has a high thermal conductivity, so it is excellent for dissolving honey. You can make a simple water bath at home. To do this, it is enough to take a suitable dish that fits into the pan, put a bee product there, fill the pan with water and put it on a working stove.

Water should not fall into the tank during the process!

Cope and regular lemon

With the help of lemon, honey can not only be dissolved, but can also make a very useful mixture that will cure many colds. To do this, you need to do the following:

1. Prepare a lemon (wash, chop, grind);
2. Then mix it thoroughly with honey;
3. Wait a while until the physicochemical process begins;
4. Use the resulting product.

A microwave oven will do.

A microwave oven is able to cook many foods, including it can soften honey. First you need to take a suitable dish - thermoplastic or glass without pictures, then put there candied honey and turn on the microwave for a few minutes. The total time of kindling in the microwave depends on the amount of product.

Every 1-2 minutes you need to get honey and stir it so that it warms up evenly, thereby eliminating overheating and boiling.

Multivarka help quickly and easily

If a household has a multicooker, then it can also be used to turn honey from a solid to a liquid state. The main thing is that in this device there was a multipair mode with a processing temperature of no more than 40-50 ° C. The product will melt quickly, so it is important to watch the process every 1-2 minutes.

How to melt honey in honeycombs?

Sometimes it happens that honey crystallizes right in the comb and it is problematic to get it out. A simple way out of this situation is to place the bee product in warm water with a low temperature, about 40 ° C. Honey will gradually melt and flow into the water, perhaps the result will not be as good as with other methods, but sweet water can be used in many recipes.

Is it possible to prevent early crystallization of the product?

So that you don’t have to melt the honey and look for the most suitable way for this, there are a few tips that will help prevent it from hardening beforehand:

• Store the product at low temperatures, about 4 ° C, the process of crystallization slows down significantly.
• Mix honey as often as possible (crystallization centers do not form here).
• Add water to bee nectar, not the most suitable, but very effective way.
• Choose low-glucose varieties.

And remember that solid honey is as tasty and healthy as liquid and its crystallization is only an indicator of quality.