Why is buckwheat honey not candied. What varieties do not candied for a long time? Does honey have to thicken?

Perhaps there are not many people who do not like honey. Preparing for the winter, we try to get a sweet treat, which is also a very healthy product. And there are always many questions. Should the product be thick or liquid, and in general, To understand the issue, let's look at the topic in more detail.

Should honey be sugared or not?

Opening honey in winter, we are sincerely upset when we find that it has become candied. By the same principle, we acquire sweetness, believing that the liquid product is better, fresher and healthier. Many even in winter prefer to buy exactly the honey that retains a liquid consistency. But this is fundamentally the wrong approach. A similar mistake in reasoning is made by many due to inexperience, not knowing the answer to the logical question, why is honey sugared?

Crystallization of a product is a completely natural process that occurs in natural substances. It is he who is the best characteristic of quality. Why does honey sugar quickly? It is worth knowing that even in apiaries, with long-term storage of honey in combs, the process of crystallization begins. This is very good, because it is in such a product that all useful substances are stored.

How fast does honey sugar? A good quality product should change its consistency by the beginning of winter. At first it becomes a little cloudy, and then an upper sediment forms, which gradually turns into crystals. After sugaring, honey first becomes hard and then soft. All this speaks of the naturalness of such a product.

Different varieties of honey outwardly look completely different after thickening. Some of them resemble butter, while others become like grains of sugar. No matter how the crystals look, any honey should be sugared. If you buy sweetness in winter or late autumn, then you should focus on its consistency. By this time the honey should show signs of sugaring.

Why do some varieties take a long time to sugar?

Why do you think honey does not sugar for a long time? Monosaccharides inside a sweet product are its main value. Their ratio is quite large. It is for this reason that honey begins to sugar over time. And yet there are varieties that remain liquid for a very long time without changing the original structure.

It is worth highlighting a number of reasons why the product does not thicken:

Monosaccharides are a combination of grape and fruit sugar. When the second type of sugar predominates in the product, honey loses its ability to crystallize.
To obtain precious nectar, some unscrupulous beekeepers feed bees with sugar syrup, which leads to a poor quality product. It is commonly referred to as a surrogate. It stays liquid for a long time.
Honey after heat treatment loses not only all its beneficial properties, but also the possibility of crystallization. Overheated product sometimes acquires a dark tint.
In addition, honey cannot be candied with a high water content. This situation is possible with improper storage of the product. If the technology is broken, then the nectar begins to absorb moisture, which leads to the loss of certain properties.
Frequent stirring of the product can also interfere with the crystallization process. Sellers use this technique to make their product look more attractive for a long time.
Natural honey, diluted with sugar syrup, becomes liquid and does not thicken further.

liquid varieties

Why does honey sugar so slowly? In nature, there are liquid varieties of honey. The rate of crystallization depends on the variety of nectar, that is, on the type of plant from which the pollen was collected. In any case, each product variety has a mixed composition with a predominance of one species. It is on this that the rate of crystallization of honey depends.

Some species are extremely slowly candied, but it cannot be said that they do not crystallize. Such a statement would be incorrect. All varieties thicken and candied, but do so at different rates. Lime, May, acacia, chestnut and Greek species are distinguished by slow processes. Such varieties remain liquid for a long time, without losing a beautiful shade.

Reasons for crystallization

To answer the question why fresh honey is sugared, you need to understand what processes take place inside it. All saturated solutions, which include bee nectar, cannot maintain a uniform structure for a long time. An excess of one or another substance, according to the laws of physics, tends to turn into a precipitate. Honey contains a large amount of glucose, which is quite poorly soluble in liquid. It is because of it that white flakes appear - crystals. The ratio of fructose and glucose levels affects the rate of crystallization. With a large amount of fructose, the product will remain liquid for a long time.

The speed of processes is influenced by storage temperature, air humidity, degree of maturity, processing before packaging. The optimum crystallization temperature is 15 degrees. Below four degrees and above twenty-seven, processes are suspended until better times.

The most popular varieties of sweet nectar

One of the most popular types of honey is lime. It belongs to the fine-grained white varieties. Such nectar retains its consistency for a long time - almost three months. Linden honey can be viscous or moderately viscous. The rate of thickening of the product depends on this to a greater extent. After crystallization, linden honey becomes like porridge.

There are no large crystals. After a certain period of time, you can notice the stratification of nectar into two parts. The top layer will have a more liquid consistency, and the bottom layer will have a thicker one. But with all this, linden honey will never become hard. That is his specialty.

May honey is no less popular. Sometimes it is also called flower. The time of its crystallization largely depends on the plants from which the bees collected pollen. By the way, May nectar is always a quickly candied product. So, for example, blueberry flower honey thickens within three weeks. And nectar from sage - within a month.

Is it true that nectar is sugared in grains?

Why is honey sugared in grains? Because glucose collects around the particles, forming crystals. And the process always starts from the bottom. After all, it is there that heavy particles of impurities or pollen fall. But gradually the crystallization process covers the entire product.

Does honey have to thicken or not?

Honey should definitely thicken. Regardless of the conditions under which it is stored and all other factors, a natural product must crystallize sooner or later. The process of thickening can occur even a week after collection, or maybe after a few years. It should be noted that after three years of storage, only artificial honey can remain liquid. This is proof of its unnatural origin.

Everyone, probably, faced such a situation when a fresh product immediately thickened. Why does fresh honey sugar quickly? Sometimes nectar literally immediately turns into a sugar clot. However, there is no need to worry about this. Early ripening types of honey may well crystallize quickly. In addition, the following factors affect the thickening process, which we mentioned earlier:

The presence of mechanical impurities and pollen.
High glucose content.
Adding old honey.

All these factors are not something terrible and do not give reason to consider the product bad. It is much worse when honey does not thicken, which indicates its unnatural origin.

To form a crystal structure, honey needs a fulcrum. It becomes particles of pollen or other substances that fall during the pumping of nectar.

Experienced beekeepers who know many of the secrets of the product give some advice on how to keep the original look of honey. Initially, it must be kept for about five weeks at zero temperature. And after the jar can be sent for storage to a place whose temperature does not exceed 14 degrees.

When should honey thicken?

Many consumers are interested in why honey thickens, but does not sugar? And how fast should it crystallize? It is difficult to give exact answers to these questions, because they simply do not exist. It all depends on many factors that affect the processes of thickening - the type of nectar, its purity, pumping and storage conditions. Varieties that candied the fastest include sunflower, rapeseed and buckwheat honey. They begin to crystallize just a few weeks after pumping.

Linden, sweet clover and buckwheat nectar also quickly thickens. Heather, honeydew, chestnut honey crystallizes more slowly. Such varieties may not be candied throughout the winter. The record holder in this matter is the acacia product, which retains its structure for up to several years. This is the reason why he is so popular.

How to return honey to its original state?

Some people do not really like candied honey, preferring to use viscous nectar. If the consistency of the product is important to you, then it can be returned. This is done by heating. This method is actively used by nectar traders in the markets. To keep the presentation of honey for a long time, it is heated. However, excessive overheating leads to the loss of all useful properties. In addition, honey acquires a characteristic brown hue. An overheated product forever loses its ability to be sugared, and there is no longer any benefit from it.

How to make nectar liquid?

In order for the nectar to become liquid again, it must be heated in a water bath. To do this, we need two pans of different sizes. It is necessary to pour water into a large one and send it to the fire. After boiling the liquid, it is worth reducing the intensity of the gas to a minimum. We lower a smaller pan into a large container, after putting a towel on the bottom, and put a jar of honey in it. The water should be very hot, but not boiling. Within fifteen minutes, the honey will again become liquid. But it is worth remembering that at temperatures above +40 degrees nectar loses its properties.

The second way to liquefy honey is a bit easier. We lower the jar of nectar into a pot of hot water. After a while, it will become more rare. You can also heat the product in the microwave. This method is the easiest and fastest, but also the most dangerous, since you will not be able to control the temperature.

Experts do not recommend heating all the honey that you have. If you really want liquid nectar, make a small portion so as not to spoil the whole mass. Moreover, in the future, the product will thicken again anyway.

Instead of an afterword

Honey is a wonderful natural product that should always be in the house. But buying sweet nectar always comes with a lot of questions. We hope that in our article you have found answers to them, which will be useful to you in the future. And now the acquisition of nectar for you will become an easier task. After all, now you know why fresh honey is sugared, which means you should not be afraid of it.

It is known that honey is not only a wonderful dessert, but also a product that is used in medicine, cosmetology, treatment with folk methods, and cooking. Its advantage is a long shelf life. But over time, it candied, sometimes this process is called crystallization.

What is crystallization?

Crystallization is a natural phenomenon whereby a liquid product becomes a solid. This transition from one state to another occurs naturally, indicating the naturalness of the sweet nectar. It is important to understand that this process in no way reduces the beneficial properties and nutritional qualities of honey.

There are people who prefer to buy liquid honey, because it is more convenient to use it for various purposes. But such a product is the easiest to fake. The content of useful components is the same for liquid and solid honey. In addition, if solid honey is melted correctly, it will take on its original form.

It is more important to distinguish natural honey from a fake. It is necessary to have an idea about the essence of the crystallization process, why and how it all happens.

By consistency, crystallization is divided into the following varieties:

fat-like homogeneous smooth mass;
fine-grained, with crystals half a millimeter in size;
coarse-grained, with crystals of more than half a millimeter.

Causes of sugaring: natural and unnatural

Sugaring begins with a gradual thickening of the product, while it acquires a whitish hue, becomes lighter. One of the main factors affecting sugar content is the presence of glucose. The higher the amount of glucose, the faster the honey begins to turn into crystals, and the predominance of fructose allows honey to remain liquid longer.

The speed of thickening depends on many factors:

varieties;
the presence of moisture;
storage conditions;
maturation;
weather;
collection points;
impurities;
honey plants.

Some types of honey have a high percentage of glucose. For example, the formation of sugar crystals in honey collected from buckwheat or sunflower begins on the 20th day, and in rapeseed - after two weeks.

Other varieties of honey (acacia, May) contain more than 40% fructose, they remain liquid much longer, sometimes up to two years. Such honey is considered very valuable, it is recommended for use even for diabetics, as it regulates sugar levels and has a beneficial effect on metabolism.

The percentage of water content slows down sugaring. If the bees collected nectar during the rainy period, then there will be more moisture in it. Proper storage is important. At temperatures above +10 degrees, crystallization increases several times compared to low temperatures.

Honey collected on a hot summer day (sunflower, buckwheat) contains more glucose, less water, respectively, these types of honey will be candied much faster. The presence of pollen, wax, and other impurities accelerates sugaring.

All of these reasons are natural, depending on natural conditions. But there are unnatural reasons for the thickening of the product, depending on the beekeepers and sellers, which, through various manipulations, affect the rate of sugaring.

Beekeepers sometimes harvest an unripe product that contains a lot of water. It deteriorates quickly, has less benefit. Trying to get more profit, they dilute honey with water, mix in various additives, such as dextrin. This is an artificial component, the so-called polysaccharide. The function of this additive is to slow down the thickening.

To make a product presentable, it is overheated, while the usefulness of such a product is lost.

How to slow down the sugaring process?

There are people who prefer candied honey, but there are also many who like liquid treats and want to delay candiing while still retaining the beneficial properties. There are several ways to solve this problem:

Stir honey occasionally. The more often you stir, the longer the product will remain liquid.
Store in a cool dark place.
Remove pollen and impurities.
Avoid exposure to sunlight.
If the dessert is sugared, melt and place in a room with the optimum temperature.
Monitor the humidity level (range 60-80%).

To keep the valuable properties of honey for a long time, you need to store it in a special container. Best suited for these purposes:

clay pots;
glass jars;
ceramics;
enameled container;
wooden utensil.

Metal utensils are not suitable due to the harmful substances released during the oxidation of the metal.

Which type of honey does not crystallize for a long time?

Some types of sweet dessert have a wonderful property to remain liquid for a long time. Such varieties are rightfully considered elite.
What kind of honey is not candied? We list the most common:

acacia;
May;
lime;
chestnut;
Greek.

Acacia. When fresh, it pours like syrup and stays that way for up to two years. Contains a large amount of fructose and moisture. Over time, it turns white, turns into a fine-grained homogeneous mass.

May. The earliest spring dessert. It is pumped out in May, hence the name. Bees collect nectar from primrose fruit trees. This dessert is very fragrant, with a unique taste. It contains a lot of fructose, so thickening is quite slow.

Lime. Refers to light varieties, does not thicken up to one year. Then whitish small grains appear, similar to semolina.

Chestnut. This nectar has a higher viscosity than the above varieties. It is dark in color with a characteristic bitterness. Begins to thicken after six months. Crystals tend to gradually increase. When candied, it is brown in color.

Greek. The most common pine and thyme honey. Such a product is popular not only among the Greek population. Tourists love it very much for its wonderful aroma, appearance, amazing property to keep its freshness for up to a year and a half.

Which variety does not crystallize at all?

Any natural honey, even if it remains liquid for a long time, will begin to sugar over time. Only compliance with the correct conditions listed above, the acquisition of varieties that have certain characteristics, will delay the thickening for a certain period, but not more than three years.

It happens that after the specified time the substance did not begin to crystallize. Why is honey not candied? The reasons are as follows:

excessive presence of water in the concentrate;
deliberate dilution with water or sugar syrup;
minimum pollen content.

Beekeepers often dilute the product with water, and the pollen and other components contained in the nectar are regulated by the bees.

Useful properties of honey and sugaring

In the process of crystallization, not only the consistency changes, but also the color and taste. At the same time, the beneficial properties of honey are fully preserved. It can be used to treat various diseases.

Of course, the liquid consistency is much more convenient to use, it is more pleasant to spread it on bread, scoop it up with a spoon. But the undoubted advantage of candied nectar is the fact that it is much more difficult to fake.

By purchasing such a product, you will be sure that you have bought natural honey and will be able to make your favorite liquid dessert by melting it.

How to melt thick honey?

If melted incorrectly, for example, in a microwave oven, the product loses its healing properties. Heating the dessert above 50 degrees also destroys valuable trace elements.
There are ways to turn a candied treat into a liquid state while maintaining all the original qualities:

Water bath. In a container, you can put it in a saucepan, pour water, put a dish with the product there, heat it up gradually, not forgetting to monitor the temperature. It should not exceed 50 degrees.
with heating radiators. Place the honey next to the battery, or directly on top of it if the design allows. The product will gradually begin to melt.
Pour hot water into a bowl, put a jar of nectar there. If the honey is not completely melted, you can repeat the procedure.

Some apiaries have a device called a decrystallizer. With it, beekeepers melt the candied product.

Can anyone not like the wonderful taste of honey? Of course there are, but there aren't many of them. Those who prefer its use are aware of its beneficial properties. However, does everyone know the true reasons why honey is candied? But before getting to the heart of the matter, it is worth touching on the useful properties of the product.

Many people who like such a delicacy try to stock up on them for the winter. Moreover, the product can be added to almost any dish. It is worth adding a certain amount to the meat, as it acquires a spicy taste, the wine becomes “velvety”, and the salad becomes more fragrant.

Useful properties of honey

Science has long denied the fact that honey is just a storehouse of a variety of useful trace elements. 1 kg of the product is equivalent to 2.5 liters of fish oil, 900 grams of cheese or 1.8 kilograms of meat. Due to such a rich supply of energy resources, honey is recommended to be used during rehabilitation after serious operations or diseases. Also, due to the calorie content (35,000 kcal per 1 kg), such a delicacy is shown to athletes and workers of hard physical labor. Knowing this, it would be useful to find out why the honey was candied.

An almost indispensable folk remedy

Without a doubt, honey can be classified as a medicine due to some of its features. This is a kind of antibiotic of natural origin, which is effective against a number of infectious diseases such as tonsillitis, SARS or influenza. Moreover, in the fight it shows a sparing regimen, which allows not only to preserve the intestinal microflora, but also to do without the help of other medicines.

The circulatory system is very important for human health, and therefore it is worth at least occasionally pampering yourself with a medical kit. Thanks to him, the elasticity of blood vessels increases, thereby reducing the risk of atherosclerosis or vein thrombosis.

In the course of finding out the answer to the question of why natural honey is quickly candied, it is worth noting that regular use of the product (under the supervision of a doctor) normalizes upper and lower blood pressure. And due to the antiseptic properties, honey is good in healing wounds or abrasions. It helps to relieve purulent inflammation and significantly accelerates tissue regeneration.

If the liver suffers, then it should certainly be included in the diet. In this case, there is a normalization of metabolism and restoration of the body at the cellular level. As a result, recovery is faster.

The main causes of sugaring

If honey has a pleasant golden-amber hue, is transparent and has a liquid consistency, then many are sure that they have a natural product of bee production. But when they see white flakes on its surface, many buyers are in no hurry to take it, because they believe that it has expired. This is what those buyers do who do not know why honey is quickly candied.

Meanwhile, the process of sugaring, or crystallization, has a natural justification. It's all about a simple law of physics: any supersaturated solution is not able to maintain a uniform structure for a long time, since the excess of the substance precipitates.

In our case, this substance is glucose due to low solubility. As a result, the structure of honey changes over time, filling with white crystals.

It is worth noting that honey is candied depending on how much glucose it contains. If it is more than fructose, then the product begins to sugar faster. Otherwise, it will take much longer.

Should honey be candied?

Some lovers of bee "medicine" ask another, no less interesting question: should honey crystallize? At the same time, many immediately begin to get upset, thinking that it is time to throw away such a valuable delicacy without knowing why fresh honey is candied.

Returning to the question, we note: the answer is unequivocal - yes, a natural product should crystallize, since this process is laid down by nature itself. The situation is quite different if the sold honey was presented as natural, nevertheless, it was in no hurry to be candied. This once again proves that the product was heavily diluted. In this case, the quality of the product can be doubted. Then another reasonable question arises: how long does the crystallization process usually take?

Often, lovers of sweetness are amazed that honey, which was purchased not so long ago, has already begun to be candied. There is nothing frightening in this, of course, it just contains a considerable amount of pollen. Early crystallization is even a good sign, which means that the product is natural.

What is the crystallization period?

While some are interested in the process of crystallization of a sweet product, others, on the contrary, are interested in why honey is not candied during storage and what is the exact duration of the process. If it is stored at an even temperature, and the container is closed properly, then crystallization may not occur even for many years. The specific time of honey crystallization depends on the storage conditions and its variety. If for some reason a product is needed that thickens quickly, then the following varieties should be preferred:

buckwheat;
lime;
sunflower;
rapeseed;
sweet clover.

Moreover, each variety after thickening looks different. Some are most like butter, while others can be seen sugar grains.

Can you use candied honey?

If, after buying honey, it began to crystallize, you should not immediately blame the sellers for selling a poor-quality product. You need to find out if it belongs to one of the varieties listed above.

By and large: is it so important which honey is not candied and why, how long will it take, what to do with the candied product? Despite a natural process that may scare some people, the goodness of the treat is not lost. You can not worry about this and prepare a cough remedy based on it, bake delicious pies or cakes, or simply drink it with warm tea.

There is one effective way to check honey for authenticity and quality. To do this, it is worth dropping a small amount of it into the palm of your hand and rubbing this piece between your fingers. A product of artificial origin will immediately give itself out as flakes and lumps.

If the droplet has become more viscous and sticky, then there is no doubt about the naturalness of honey. Experienced beekeepers recommend using this method in practice in determining the quality of a candied product.

If honey is not candied...

Before you wonder why honey has not been candied for a year, you should pay attention to its origin. There are varieties that remain in their original form for a long time. They can remain liquid throughout the winter, and begin to thicken only by the time of the next harvest. These varieties have these features:

clover;
chestnut;
heather;
honeydew;
acacia.

At the same time, the absolute record holder in terms of the duration of being in a liquid state and transparency is acacia honey. If you store it under favorable conditions, then it does not change its structure for two years. For this reason, the products of this variety are held in high esteem by most people.

Reasons for this rare occurrence

The process of crystallization of honey should no longer be in doubt, and the question of why the honey of the new crop was candied should not arise. This is really a confirmation of the naturalness and high quality of the product. But the lack of sugaring is not yet a cause for concern, although this is a rarity for natural honey.

For example, there are some types of honey, where the amount of glucose does not exceed 30%, or even less. And if everything else is stored at a temperature of more than + 23 ° C, then the product will be in a liquid state for a long time, up to several years. And at the same time remain natural.

However, the absence of a crystallization process can clearly indicate the poor quality of honey. And there are reasons for this:

immaturity;
violation of storage conditions;
overheat;
dilution.

Implementation immature The product can be dealt with by beginners or unscrupulous sellers. Such honey will have an increased moisture content, which does not allow it to be stored for a long time, as it will begin to exfoliate and ferment. It is not difficult to check this - just scoop up the product with a spoon and turn it relative to the horizontal plane. If the sweetness is ripe, it should be wrapped around the cutlery, otherwise it will simply drain. Another sign of good honey is weight. A 1 liter jar must weigh at least 1.4 kg.

The bee product should be stored at a temperature not exceeding +20°C, low humidity, and avoid exposure to sunlight. Then the question of why the honey was candied simply will not arise. You should also take care of good tightness of the container. One has only to violate any condition, as honey will begin to bloom, while losing most of its useful properties.

Due to the crystallization of the product, its presentation does not change for the better. In addition, some buyers, due to lack of experience, believe that high-quality honey can only be in a liquid state. For this reason, most sellers begin to melt the product, ignoring the required heating temperature. As a result, its value drops significantly. Recognizing such a "fake" is not difficult - the color will be amber with a brown gamut.

Among other things, some sellers add various additives to honey in the form of sugar syrup, starch, flour, chalk, etc. Determining their presence by eye is quite difficult, but possible. Starch will immediately give itself away in the presence of iodine, acid will help to reveal the content of chalk, and a number of additives will immediately precipitate, one has only to dissolve a little honey in water.

Is it possible to make honey liquid?

Now it is finally clear why fresh honey quickly sugared. In addition, if honey is used as a tasty and light dessert, then there is no need to liquefy it. The candied product goes well with tea. However, the situation is quite different when honey is used to make some kind of pastries. In this case, you can not do without a liquid product. Also, a liquid delicacy will be required during honey procedures.

To make a crystallized product liquid, there are several simple ways.

Method number one

This technique will require two pans of different sizes. Pour water into a large container and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a minimum. Then you should put a smaller saucepan in the water, in which there should already be a small jar of honey. In this case, the container should not reach the bottom, holding only on the handles.

There is no need to increase the heat - let the water remain hot, but not boiling. The product itself must be stirred periodically so that it melts evenly. At best, it can take 15 to 20 minutes to kindle honey.

Method number two

It is useful not only to know why honey is candied, you need to be able to properly melt the product if necessary. Here you can already get by with one pan. The container with the product is also placed in hot, but not boiling water. Only first on the bottom of the tank should be installed any kind of stand. You also need to melt the honey slowly, while making sure that the water level in the pan is 2 cm below the border of the honey in the jar.

For such a purpose, it is not a sin to use a microwave oven, but in this case there is a risk of losing all the useful qualities of the product.

Whatever method is chosen for kindling, the main thing is not to overheat the honey. The temperature should not exceed 50 ° C, otherwise all useful trace elements will begin to break down, and the sugar will turn into caramel.

In addition, there is no need to melt the entire amount of honey at once. This can take a very long time, and it’s not a fact that patience is also enough. It is better to take the amount of the product that is consumed at one time.

Sugaring is a natural process of natural honey. Thanks to him, it can be stored for more than one year without losing its beneficial properties. However, despite the fact that all varieties of natural honey are candied, this process occurs differently for each individual variety. Some sugarize faster, others take much longer to do so.

The process of sugaring the most common varieties of honey.

May honey.

The rate of sugaring of honey directly depends on the amount of water contained in it. Early varieties have much more moisture than later varieties. That is why May honey retains its liquid structure for as long as possible and slowly acquires the viscosity inherent in honey. If during the period of nectar collection there are heavy rains, then honey can stand in liquid form for about a year, if vice versa, then most likely there will be no May honey at all, since pollen is produced very poorly during a very hot period, or it will be very small and it will dry out in two or three months. When buying honey of this consistency, it will be difficult to make out its true variety.

Acacia honey.

Acacia honey is the most liquid and light variety. It is sold out at lightning speed, so it is almost never sold in candied form, since it simply does not have time to reach this point. However, like any other honey, acacia also undergoes a crystallization process, the beginning of which is evidenced by a change in color and an increase in viscosity. After that, honey becomes dense and white.

Linden and meadow honey.

These two varieties thicken much faster than Acacia and May. Their crystallization process begins to activate after two to three months. However, it can slightly fluctuate both up and down, as it all depends on the weather conditions when collecting pollen and honey plants that collect it. After thickening, meadow and linden honey becomes quite dense and elastic.

Sunflower honey.

Collecting pollen for sunflower honey is the final step for the bees. It is often quite thick and crystallizes very quickly: about two to three weeks after pumping. This is due to the fact that during the period of its collection there is practically no moisture.

The main causes of crystallization.

Honey is a rich sugar solution that contains large amounts of glucose. It is she who, after a certain period of time, begins to turn into crystals under the influence of all honey components. The appearance of such crystals contributes to the beginning of the honey sugaring process.

After a large number of crystals have formed, they begin to slowly settle due to their gravity to the bottom of the container. Thus, crystallization begins from the bottom of the dish, after which it gradually rises up to the neck.

However, the process of sugaring is not always the same. If there is a large amount of fructose in honey, and not glucose, then honey may not thicken at all and remain liquid for a large amount of time, if vice versa, then honey quickly turns into a very thick and dense mass of cloudy yellow color.

There are several main reasons for candied honey:

1. High content of glucose.
2. The minimum amount of water.
3. The degree of maturity of honey.

Arriving at a honey store, the main thing that a buyer should know is that natural honey must be candied. If suddenly, in the winter period of the year, the honey on the shelves is very liquid and transparent, as if only after pumping out, then it is either warmed up or not natural. Such products should be treated with extreme caution.

The liquid consistency of honey does not always mean that it is natural and fresh. If in the middle of winter you are offered to purchase a liquid product, then at best it is honey, preheated to give it a marketable appearance, and at worst, a fake made of no one knows what. Although there are exceptions to this rule: certain varieties can retain a liquid consistency for a long time without losing their beneficial properties.

Experienced beekeepers know when real honey should be candied, and therefore they can easily identify a fake.

Conditions for sugaring natural honey

Natural sweet substance candied from two weeks to two months, with rare exceptions. The product is 90% fructose and glucose, the ratio of which determines the speed of its sugaring - if glucose predominates in the composition, honey becomes solid very quickly, and if the fructose content is increased, then the sweet substance can retain a liquid consistency for a year or even more .

In addition, the crystallization rate may depend on the influence of some external factors:

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

As a rule, it begins to crystallize at a temperature of 4 to 27 degrees Celsius (optimal - 15 degrees). If the temperature falls below or above these limits, sugaring is suspended until favorable conditions occur.

Too fast crystallization can be an indicator of an increased content of pollen and solid impurities in the composition of the product. A high concentration of liquid due to immaturity or absorption of excessive moisture from the air, on the contrary, slows down the crystallization process.

There is one simple way to distinguish a natural product from a fake: you need to rub a small drop of it between your fingers. The real product lays down evenly, melts and is absorbed into the skin, and the fake rolls into lumps.

Product properties and causes of crystallization

The crystallization process does not affect the healing properties of the sweet mass at all - it remains as useful as fresh. Sugaring does not affect the shelf life in any way - on the contrary, the harder the product, the less likely it is to go bad, since crystallized honey is much less exposed to air and light.

Regardless of the variety and storage conditions, any real honey sooner or later changes its structure and crystallizes. If the sweet mass remains liquid for three or more years, this is probably a fake.

So, a natural product must be sugared during storage. But sometimes it happens that a sweet substance, bought just the other day, begins to show a tendency to crystallize. Upon noticing this process, the customer begins to worry, wondering if they have really bought a real and fresh product.

If recently purchased honey has begun to crystallize, you should not be especially worried about this - perhaps this is a variety with a high glucose content, or its storage temperature favored the candied process. However, rapid sugaring can also mean that a fresh, recently pumped product has been added to an old one that has already thickened.

It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of when honey should be candied, since the rate of crystallization is associated with numerous factors - in particular, storage temperature and varietal affiliation. Buckwheat, rapeseed and sunflower thicken the fastest, acacia, heather and chestnut thicken the slowest.

Why doesn't honey crystallize?

Varieties, in which glucose predominates, tend to remain liquid for a very long time. This is a natural state and should not cause concern. However, it also happens that the sweet mass loses its ability to be candied due to external interference.