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The good news is, all you need is a little warmth to get that honey back to its syrupy state. We’ll show you how to soften your honey with a hot water bath, in the microwave, and with other simple methods, as well as show you how to store it to prevent crystallization.
- Place your jar of honey in a pot of water that’s about 140 °F (60 °C) and let it sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Soften glass jars of honey in the microwave by heating them on low-medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each round of heating.
- Soften jars of honey over time by placing them in direct sunlight throughout the day for 3-4 days, and keeping them somewhere warm at night.
Using Hot Water for Glass or Plastic Containers
Boil a pot of water, then remove it from the stove to cool. Find a pot that’s large enough to comfortably fit your jar or bottle of honey. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the honey (once the honey container is placed in the pot). Set the burner to high and boil the water, then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool off slightly. Place the pot on your largest burner. Large burners will heat your water more efficiently than smaller ones.
Place the open honey container into the warm water. Set the open container of honey in the center of the pot of just-boiled water. Let the top of the container stick out from the water; don’t let the water get inside! Important: If you’re using a plastic container of honey, wait 5-10 minutes for the water to cool to less than 140 °F (60 °C), then place the container in the pot. Otherwise, the container may degrade or deform.
Wait 15 minutes for the honey to soften, stirring occasionally. Set a timer while your honey warms up. After 15 minutes pass, stir the honey to see if it’s still crystallized or not. If it hasn’t softened all the way, leave the honey in the water for another 15 minutes, or until it’s no longer hard. If the water gets tepid or cold, remove the honey from the pot and re-boil the water. Speed up the process by heating smaller amounts of honey; spoon some scoops into an empty jar and heat the jar in the water.
Heating Glass Jars in the Microwave
Take the lid off the jar before heating the honey. Since most jar lids are metal, and pressure from the heat may burst the jar anyway, always avoid heating up closed jars of honey. Instead, leave the lid on a nearby surface so the honey has room to breathe as it reheats.
Set your microwave to a low-medium power setting. If possible, check the settings to your microwave and see if you can lower the power going into your device. If you don’t have specific settings, choose a “medium” power level. If your microwave is more advanced, choose “50% power” or lower. Note that intense microwave heat can degrade some of the beneficial enzymes and other nutrients in honey. However, if you’re looking for a quick heating solution, the microwave can work in a pinch.
Heat the jar in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Set your microwave timer for 30 seconds and wait for the honey to finish warming up. Stir the heated honey with a spoon to mix it and test its consistency. If the honey still looks crusty and hardened, reheat it for another 30 seconds or less. Warning: Don’t heat plastic honey bottles in the microwave, as the plastic can warp and begin to melt. Transfer the honey to a glass container first.
Other Simple Ways to Soften Honey
Set the honey in direct sunlight for 3-4 days. If you’re in no rush, the heat of the sun will do the trick. Place the closed jar of honey somewhere that gets a lot of direct sunlight, like a windowsill, and leave it there for a few days or until it’s thoroughly softened. Keep a close watch on the honey; if it gets too hot, the antioxidants may degrade. Remove it from the sunlight if the jar is ever hot to the touch. Stir the honey every 5-6 hours to test the consistency and keep it evenly warmed. When sunlight isn’t available, keep the honey somewhere relatively warm, like a pantry.
Place the jar in a slow cooker hot water bath or sous vide machine. Fill your crock pot or sous vide machine with enough water to submerge most of your uncapped honey jar. Next, turn the device to the lowest possible heat setting, or around 120 °F (49 °C), then leave your container of honey uncovered in the slow cooker for up to 8 hours. Return every hour or so to test the honey’s consistency and give it a quick stir. Remove the honey from the water when it’s liquefied. Ideally, keep the water’s temperature under 120 °F (49 °C).
Preventing Honey from Hardening
Keep honey between 50–70 °F (10–21 °C) to prevent crystallization. Storing your honey somewhere slightly cool helps to prevent the molecules from crystallizing and hardening. Set it in a dark pantry pantry, or near your refrigerator to keep the ambient temperature cool. If you’re storing honey long-term and not using it often, keep it below 50 °F (10 °C), or somewhere slightly cool, instead, like on top of your freezer. Avoid storing honey in the refrigerator, though, which will only speed up crystallization. Note that crystallization is inevitable and there’s no way to totally prevent it. Thankfully, warming it up to liquefy it again is a cinch!
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