When should fresh honey thicken? Why can honey become sugary during storage?
Often, when people open a jar of honey, they discover white layer. There is no need to be scared, it’s just the honey starting to crystallize.
What is crystallization
We hasten to reassure everyone that crystallization is a normal natural process. Each type of honey sugariness happens in its own way. And if suddenly in winter at any retail outlet it is found in a liquid state, with a transparent structure and without a white coating, you need to think about its quality. Purchasing this honey would be a mistake. It's clear that this product subjected to heat so that its crystals dissolve under the influence of heat.
Crystallization of honey can serve guarantee of quality and naturalness of the product. Even which is stored in suitable conditions, after a year it begins to crystallize. This secret of crystallization was invented by nature itself. Thick frozen honey retains all vitamins, microelements and other useful material.
How does the crystallization process take place?
Each individual honey variety should begin to crystallize or begin to show symptoms by the beginning of winter.
Before the honey begins to thicken, it will become slightly cloudy. After this, a thick white top layer forms in the container. After some time, thick upper layer will begin to crystallize. It is noticeable that at first the candied honey will be very dense and thick, and after that it will become thick but soft. All these processes speak in favor of the quality and naturalness of honey.
But, various varieties honey will not have the same appearance. They will all be different. One type of honey may have a structure like butter, others may have large grains of honey, and others may have a viscous, fine-grained structure. But no matter what type of honey it is, it It must be already candied in winter.
Those who prefer it more should purchase it immediately after pumping. And then you need to store it not in a cool room, but in a warm one. But this must be done if there is not too much honey, and it does not have time to ferment before it is consumed. In addition, crystallization of honey will occur in any case, and a warm room will only slow it down a little.
If there is a desire to obtain honey with oily crystallization, the sweetness is stored at a temperature of +5..+7C. 
What determines the length of time honey can be candied?
When buying honey, buyers ask the question, How quickly does the product become sugary? To answer this question, you need to understand that honey is a living product that goes through a stage life cycle. Changes in the cycle are made only by the grade of honey and storage conditions.
For the most part The process of crystallization of honey takes time from 1.5 to 3 months after pumping it out. Only acacia and in these cases there may be exceptions. Crystallizes fastest buckwheat and sunflower honey. Literally by the end of the second month, a white thick layer will be formed.
The rate of sugaring is also affected by ratio of fructose to glucose in the product. How large quantity in honey there is glucose, so faster honey candied. White acacia honey contains the most fructose, which is why this honey hardens later than other varieties. White acacia honey can remain in a semi-liquid state even throughout the season. But the well-known heather honey, on the contrary, begins to solidify a short time after pumping.
Method of storing honey for crystallization
The temperature at which honey is stored also plays an important role in the crystallization of the sweet product. And the container for storing honey and its shape are of considerable importance. If the air temperature is higher than +14C, crystallization will occur faster. It was also noted that temperature affects the size of the crystals. Honey can be fine-grained, medium-grained and coarse-grained.
If the container is made of wood, then the liquid state of honey can last longer than the container is made of plastic or metal. 
If the honey container is wide, then the sugared areas will be found first on the surface. If the container is round or oval shape, then the white layer will begin to move from the walls to the center.
How can beekeepers preserve the presentation of honey?
Many beekeepers have come across the opinion that candied honey is poorly purchased, preferring a liquid product to it. Therefore, experienced beekeepers have learned some tricks that make crystallization happen beautifully.
It is known that if you immediately add a little thick honey to fresh honey, you can get another product -. At the same time, to make cream honey, you need to maintain the proportions 9\1. And when mixing, you need to keep the product at a temperature of +26C. And after this, the cream honey is kept warm, at +14C.
Drawing a conclusion from everything described, you need to understand that rapid crystallization at a cool temperature is a sign of the quality and naturalness of honey.
Crystallization (sugarification, precipitation) of honey is a natural process for this bee product, if the honey is natural and does not contain any additives. Liquid becomes solid because it contains glucose in its structure, which forms crystals. This quality is influenced by several factors that determine the speed and features of this process.
Many lovers bee treats They wonder if this happens when honey is not candied? And if it happens, then why? And in general, should honey be candied?
Why does sweetness take a long time to crystallize?
It's about the type of product
The variety determines how much fructose (a natural sweetener of natural origin) and glucose (also natural, but very high in calories) it contains. If there is more of the first substance, crystallization will occur very slowly, regardless of where the product is stored. So, if you buy real acacia honey, linden or honeydew varieties, do not be surprised if they remain in liquid form for a long time.
Exposure to very low or high temperatures
At minus product freezes and, of course, the planting process also slows down. The same effect is observed at temperatures above 30 degrees. But such an effect is detrimental to the medicinal properties of the product. If you want it to remain liquid for a long time, you need to store it at a temperature of 0°C for the first 5 weeks after pumping out, and 14°C for the rest of the time. Only by providing the right conditions storage, you will keep all the most valuable things in it.
If water makes up 17-18% of the product, it will be slowly sugared and will never become very hard, but will be pasty.
Length of product storage time
If it has been stored for a year or longer, it will be solid; if it has just been pumped out, it will be liquid. We are, of course, talking about real honey.
Mechanical intervention
The product will not harden if it is stirred occasionally with a spoon.
It was picked too early, when it was not yet ripe
It does not have all the beneficial substances that mature. This factor is also the reason why it can ferment. Aging of honey is a very important indicator of its quality.
Questionable quality of bee product
Liquid does not mean good and real. There are many ways to liquefy it: from adding syrup to heating it to a temperature of 40°C, at which point all of it medicinal properties disappear.
Varieties that are not candied
Natural varieties of honey that will be candied later than others include: white - acacia, linden, as well as May, chestnut, Greek and honeydew.
May
This is the earliest of all, which is pumped out in late spring - early summer. And the bees collected pollen for it even before spring itself, in March - April, when the first honey plants began to bloom: bird cherry, lily of the valley, apple tree, cherry, and others. The May product is considered one of the most useful natural varieties.
It contains a large number of fructose. Therefore, honey does not crystallize. That is why it is recommended to be used by people with diabetes mellitus: This delicacy is not very high in calories, is easily digestible and does not disrupt the functioning of the pancreas.
But the May variety, unfortunately, is very often fake, because it is very similar to the one produced by bees after feeding with sugar syrup in winter. Therefore, it is better to buy it closer to autumn, when it has already infused and the process of its shrinkage begins. Then there is a high probability that you will buy a real one. 
Acacia
A white variety known for its unique pleasant aroma and taste. It contains approximately 35% glucose and 40% fructose, due to which, and also due to its moisture content, it retains its “liquid” appearance for one to two years. The acacia variety is so liquid that it simply splashes in the container like syrup immediately after pumping. Crystallizing, it becomes very light and vaguely resembles a lard-like structure. The crystals are always small, so it is classified as a fine-grained variety.
Greek
A lot can be said about this species, because Greece is famous for this particular beekeeping product. It is believed that it is the cleanest among all, because the nature of Greece is virgin and not polluted by anything. Greek view tourists bring it as a souvenir to family and friends. Some of them are surprised. If we're talking about about the pine variety, there is nothing to be surprised here - after all, it is collected not from flowers, but from insects that feed on the sweet sap of plants such as, for example, pine.
It is believed that the honeydew variety does not thicken at all. But such a pure bee product practically does not exist; bees always come across flowering plants on their way, so it can begin to crystallize. You shouldn’t be afraid of this, because we found out that sugaring honey is a natural process.
Another type of Greek honey is thyme (thyme is the same as thyme). It shrinks only six months after it is pumped out, but in liquid form it can last as long as one and a half months.
Another reason why Greek variety crystallizes later than the domestic one, is that it is collected until late autumn, and if the weather permits, then in the winter months. So it cannot shrink in October, unlike our product, which was collected in August. This means that if the honey is not candied, then it is collected at a later date.
Chestnut
Natural chestnut - dark variety, itself is very viscous. The process of sugaring it takes six months to a year. But even candied it is very tasty. It becomes like a light brown or brownish-brown jelly. The similarity is also emphasized by the fact that the hardened crystals resemble small granules of gelatin in consistency. But the longer it is stored, the more coarse-grained the structure it acquires, and it can also peel off - this is its special quality, and not a sign that it is not real. 
Lime
Another white variety, which, like acacia, for a long time retains a liquid structure - from one and a half to three months. It can be moderately viscous and viscous, which determines the speed of its shrinkage. As it crystallizes, it does not become hard; it is more like a paste or ointment in consistency. Linden is a fine-grained variety. This product is most reminiscent of semolina porridge, because it also has lumps. Over time, it can peel off - into a harder and more liquid part, which collects on the surface. 
Buckwheat
Does not apply to slow sugaring. This variety is different from others dark shade, but it can be either brown or orange, content minerals just huge. Once you try it, you won’t confuse it with other species later. After all, he has a special tart taste, which seems to be a little bitter, but this bitterness is very pleasant. Many people note a slight sore throat after drinking this honey.
It crystallizes quickly, so honey must be stored correctly.
If your goal is to improve your health and increase your immunity, then choose this kind of honey. Its properties have been tested for many generations, the effect is impressive. Actively used in cosmetology. What's the benefit? It relieves inflammation very well, heals the skin, and promotes rapid regeneration.
It is definitely indicated for use in cases of reduced immunity, in situations where you overload your body mentally and physically, to stabilize stressful situations. Undoubtedly, it will be useful during pregnancy, but only in the absence of allergic reactions.
Is this product candied?
Sugaring is probably not a sign by which to determine whether honey is real or not, because it is impossible to guess without checking. As mentioned above, both a liquid product - natural honey (linden, acacia, honeydew), and a thickened one (sunflower, heather), any of them can be candied.
The only thing that may indicate a fake is when you are offered to buy a liquid-liquid homogeneous product in winter or early spring. bee product. If it is not Greek and real, it must at least begin to crystallize. To do this, you should look at the bottom of the jar, where this process begins. Remember that almost all honey must be candied. This information will help you make right choice when buying honey.
Video
The crystallization process of honey does not change its properties. Fresh product- liquid. Its viscosity depends on maturity and storage conditions. How honey crystallization occurs, what it depends on - all this is in the next video!
Good, real honey tends to become sugary. Any natural honey should turn from liquid to thick mass. Some varieties plant quickly, within a week, while others take a long time to become candied. The last circumstance will help you find out which honey is not candied for a long time.
Many people like honey liquid. It comes in this form a short time. You can melt it and it will become liquid again, but this will degrade the quality. When heated, enzymes and other useful substances disappear. People, to please their gastronomic preferences, perform various manipulations with this beekeeping product, which does not always have a good effect on the quality. They heat it, beat it. The resulting product is tasty, pleasant, but not healthy. But honey is not only food product, but also a medicine. Many people want to get the benefits and at the same time enjoy the pleasant liquid consistency. Therefore, the question is asked, what kind of honey is not candied and why does this happen?
Reasons why sugaring does not occur
- Only artificial sweetness will always be liquid. It is unlikely that true connoisseurs will want to be satisfied with this product. It's simple sweet mass, which does not contain vitamins, enzymes, pollen grains and other useful components.
- Sometimes to natural honey mix in sugar syrup. This is done to reduce the cost and obtain greater benefits. Such a mixture can be classified as counterfeit; whether the syrup is present can only be determined in the laboratory by doing an analysis.
- Careless beekeepers can pump out immature nectar; it has high moisture content. During storage it does not shrink for a long time and may turn sour.
- Sometimes honey is melted, the structure of sugars changes. It hardly shrinks, remaining fluid. The product cannot be called high quality and useful.
- Honeycomb does not crystallize for a long time. Honeycombs are natural storage; processes are much slower.
- If there is a lot of fructose in honey, then crystallization occurs long time. An example is acacia, chestnut and some other varieties. They sit for a year or longer.
Acacia honey is transparent, almost without aroma, without special taste, he has a low diastase number, less than 8 units. Gote, but highly valued, refers to elite varieties. Candied for two years.
Chestnut - dark, with a peculiar smell, the taste is bitter, has recently been gaining popularity, has increased content microelements. Previously, it was considered substandard and was only allowed for processing for the confectionery industry.
Tips on how to choose good honey that is not candied
1. Buy liquid product carefully in late fall, winter, and spring. Acacia and chestnut will match.
2. When purchasing, look at how the honey flows from a spoon or sampler; if it is a continuous stream and forms a mound, then it is good; if the stream is interrupted and drips, then most likely there is a lot of water and it may turn sour.
3. Pay attention to where it came from and where it was produced. liquid honey. Pure acacia and chestnut are collected only in the southern regions.
4. Find a reliable manufacturer, beekeeper, or apiary that you can trust and buy honey from him.
Anyone who loves honey is probably wondering what happens to the honey mass when it thickens and why does it become less liquid? We will help you figure out why honey thickens quickly, talk about this unusual process and reveal its secrets!
There are several reasons for the onset of such a process, and all of them are caused mainly by the specifics of the substance. As you know, honey is a substance located between a liquid and a solid state; physicists would call it an amorphous substance. This is true, because under certain conditions this sweetness can thicken faster or slower.
The planting process is affected by:
- percentage of water in the substance;
- storage time, degree of freshness;
- sugar spectrum;
- number of crystal nuclei;
- additional processing processes.
What is the sugar spectrum of honey?
The combination of glucose and fructose in honey is called the sugar spectrum. In flower honeys, this indicator reaches 80%, in honeydews – almost 60%. Both fructose and glucose are monosaccharides, and are born from sucrose in nectar, thanks to special enzymes that bees secrete.
Different types of sweet products have different levels of monosaccharides, but fructose often predominates. It is the sugar spectrum, along with other factors, that determines how honey will crystallize.
The amount of fructose in the raw material determines how quickly the product will thicken. When there is enough of this component, the bee gift will not soon become hard, but if it does thicken, it will separate and will not lose its softness. Rich in fructose can be recognized in a thickened state by dividing the mass in the jar into two layers: the lower one is lighter, with crystals, and the upper one is dark and liquid. Such a product does not look marketable, and it is quite difficult to sell it.
When should real honey thicken?
How quickly honey thickens is also directly influenced by the amount of water in the mass relative to glucose. If the latter is several times more than water, the raw material will certainly begin to thicken.
In other words, when the mass is more saturated with glucose, it hardens faster. Why? Because honey naturally contains many times more sugars than is necessary for them to remain liquid at normal storage temperatures.
A real, high-quality bee product thickens in different ways, so it is impossible to say that the raw material thickened incorrectly. The more water there is in honey, the longer it will remain soft and the higher its viscosity.
The so-called cream honey has the highest viscosity; it literally falls into a spoon like cream and is carefully spread on bread. More attention should be paid in the market, because it is quite difficult to recognize a fake product.
Too, which does not hold its shape on any surface at all, should raise suspicions. And if you drop it on paper and notice wet marks around the sweet spot, then you can confidently say that you bought a fake! Despite the thickening process, the bee gift should not smell like flowers, but only like honey. An exception may be raw materials obtained from fireweed nectar, in which case the smell will be specific and pungent.
How to distinguish a real product from a fake by crystallization?
Let us immediately note that any honey must crystallize, regardless of the variety. This is a natural process and even if it does not happen quickly, it still takes place. So, how can you determine by the crystallization process whether you bought a fake? If the jars containing the sweetness are kept cool, the honey will thicken slowly. But if, even in a warm place, the product does not change its consistency at all, there is already reason to think about it.
The correct temperature at which it works best is around 18°C. At the same time, it is good to store a mass with large crystals at an average temperature, and a small-crystal mass in a cool place (basement, cellar). Seed crystals, which were mentioned at the very beginning, are also called crystallization centers. They consist of glucose, of which, as we already know, the more, the better for thickening.
Good honey crystallizes evenly! The process occurs carefully, without delamination of the mass. If the bank contains different varieties, mixed, and even diluted with water or syrups, this will be immediately noticeable. How exactly? By dividing into “tiers” and forming a liquid layer at the top of the jar.
If mineral composition bee gold is normal, its viscosity will be optimal, and the tongue will feel soft and delicate taste. Poor quality, fake product It is also prone to fermentation, therefore, if foam is visible in the jar, you should not buy such a product.
Interestingly, different varieties thicken differently. For example, honey masses of rapeseed, rapeseed, alfalfa, mustard, buckwheat, milk thistle, as well as honeydew species quickly become viscous. Slow crystallization of sweet raw materials from linden, acacia, fireweed, and cherry. Such varieties are stored for a long time and begin to harden in the temperature range from 10°C to 15°C.
Many people who purchase delicious bee products are interested in the question of whether honey should be candied and what honey is not candied. Crystallization is a natural process that changes the structure of the product and its color. After a certain amount of time, the dessert becomes viscous, begins to turn white and loses its original color. Most buyers prefer a liquid treat, but the question of whether they are doing the right thing and whether the honey should be candied still worries everyone.
Why does crystallization occur?
To answer the question of how and why honey is candied, you need to understand what is included in the product. A few months after collecting the bee product, it may begin to thicken, then turn white, its color becomes lighter, and its consistency becomes thicker, what does this mean? This process may mean that honey is being sugared.
Natural honey contains a large amount of substances such as fructose and glucose. Honey is candied in accordance with the ratio of carbohydrates contained in the product and glucose. If the amount of glucose in sweets reaches up to 35%, then honey quickly begins to crystallize. This happens for a simple reason: glucose is converted into sweet crystals that settle to the bottom.
There are varieties of bee products in which fructose significantly predominates. It is thanks to this that honey does not sugar up so quickly or does not have to be sugared at all for a long time (sometimes even more than one year). Fructose helps to envelop the components that make up the treat, and this, in turn, prevents the formation of crystals. If the honey is sugared, do not worry.
Candied honey does not lose any of its beneficial properties and does not mean that the quality of the delicacy is poor. It can be eaten with equal success and used as an additive to desserts and drinks. If you wish, you can melt the candied honey, while preserving all of it. useful qualities. But the main thing is to do it correctly, for this you need to remember that you cannot heat the product to more than 50 degrees, so as not to lose beneficial features. It is best to melt the sweetness in a water bath.
Causes of crystallization
There are several reasons why honey can become sugary. They are influenced by certain factors, these include:
- Type of flower - honey plant;
- Weather;
- Maturity;
- Are there any impurities;
- Presence of moisture;
- Storage method;
- Storage.
It depends on the variety whether the honey will be candied. For example, such “gold” varieties as sunflower and buckwheat do not retain their freshness for so long (only about a month). The candied product does not differ in quality from its liquid consistency. And there are varieties of sweets, such as acacia or may, that retain their liquid consistency long enough. How long can such honey be stored in a liquid state? Such varieties can remain liquid for more than one year in a row. A non-crystallizing product has higher demand among buyers.
What type of bee products does not crystallize?
None of the types of real honey can remain permanently in a liquid state. In any case, the honey must be candied after a year or several years. But if you follow proper storage product, you can leave it in a liquid consistency for a long time. How to store honey correctly and how long will it remain fresh? You need to store sweets in a dark and cool place; a basement is a good place for this, but there should not be excess moisture there. If you follow the requirements, you can enjoy the sticky sweetness for a year or two.
For example, acacia sweetness is similar to syrup, so its liquid consistency can delight you for 2-3 years. The linden product may not be completely sugared, but only become pasty. Chestnut bee product has a bright and rich color, having a brown tint. It is capable of not crystallizing for half a year.
May honey is collected at the end of May or early summer. Such a product is able to maintain its liquid consistency for 1-2 years, since it contains a large amount of fructose.
The main thing to remember is that you should never add sweetness to hot drinks, as useful product will lose his healing properties. Candied honey can be melted before use.
Why is the beekeeping product not sugared?
There are times when a long period of time passes, but tasty and sweet product still not sugared. Why is honey not sugared and how much time is needed for this?
The reasons may be various factors, for example, the water content in the treat exceeds the norm. Some beekeepers deliberately dilute the delicacy with syrup to lure buyers, because such sweetness cannot crystallize.
Another reason why fresh honey is not sugared is that it contains insufficient pollen. The beekeeper is in no way to blame for this; the bees themselves determine the norm for the development of their bee “gold”.
If you constantly stir the treat, this can extend the period during which the sweetness remains in a liquid state. Storing a sweet product at a low temperature can slightly freeze the sugaring process, but this will not in any way affect its beneficial properties.
Do not forget that there are some varieties that can be stored in a liquid state for a long time without adding impurities.
Are the beneficial properties retained?
Bee product comes in liquid and crystallized form, which raises the question: is the candied product healthy or not? Of course, one should not question the benefits of such a delicacy. After all, during crystallization its color changes slightly taste sensations, but the beneficial properties remain unchanged. Most people, when choosing such a delicacy, prefer sweets in a liquid state, but liquid does not mean healthy.
It is much easier to mix any impurities into the liquid consistency, for example, sugar syrup. Thanks to it, honey is not only diluted, but also not sugared for a long time, thereby attracting the attention of buyers. After all, liquid sweetness is much easier to spread on bread, and eating it is more pleasant than peeling off a solid product.
When choosing a delicacy, you should also pay attention to the candied sweetness, which has a huge amount useful and nutrients. The bee product can be used in medicinal purposes, for example, for a sore throat (it is enough to eat one or two spoons daily on an empty stomach, washed down with warm water or milk), for diseases gastrointestinal tract, with increased blood pressure, as well as in case of bruises, bruises and abrasions (you can make various lotions and compresses based on bee products).
How to quickly and efficiently melt a candied delicacy?
There are several methods that allow you to quickly and correctly melt the delicacy so that the product does not lose its beneficial properties. Among them, the following three methods are noted:
- method: kindling in a water bath, for this you need to place some container with honey on it, then heat it slowly to the required temperature. The main thing is not to overheat, because if the temperature goes beyond 50 degrees Celsius, then most useful microelements die.
- method: honey can be melted using a stove or battery. Place the jar near the battery; it will warm up slowly, and most importantly, gradually. This process will take much longer, but it will be worth it.
- way: exists special equipment, intended for beekeepers, which is called a decrystallizer. With its help you can special effort melt the honey and don’t worry about it being overheated.
So, most people who purchase this healthy sweets, many questions are asked about whether a candied product is healthy, which delicacy is better to choose, which one will be healthier: candied or one with a liquid consistency. The sweetness begins to crystallize as a result of the fact that it contains a large amount of glucose, which predominates over the other components, so crystals appear.
In cases where fructose predominates in the product, it may not be candied for a long period of time, sometimes even several years. The crystallization process can be slightly slowed down or stopped if the sweet is stored properly in necessary conditions: In a cool, dark place free of moisture. The benefits of candied bee products remain unchanged. During crystallization, the beneficial properties do not leave the delicacy. It is best to purchase sweets from trusted and reliable beekeepers. Liquid or thickened product is everyone’s personal choice. The main thing to remember is that, if desired, the candied delicacy can be melted in a water bath.