The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: suziequeue on September 04, 2010, 09:21:45 pm

Title: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: suziequeue on September 04, 2010, 09:21:45 pm
My clear runny shop bought honey has gone all crystallised.

Anybody got any suggestions as to how to get it back to clear and runny?

I have tried heating it a bit by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water.

Susanna
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: RUSTYME on September 05, 2010, 02:17:58 am
it has to be VERY hot water , and either keep it on a very low simmer or keep swapping the water for more hot ,as it cools. It will turn back to runny , but it takes a time , the last one I did took about 1 hour. I go careful not to cook the honey though . It will go back to crystalized after a while though , so eat it up faster or use it in cooking .

cheers

Russ 
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: Mickyork on September 05, 2010, 02:58:45 pm
I place mine in a bowl of hot water in the microwave on a low defrost setting. You have to watch it though as it will cook as Rusty said.
When your heatings on the winter place the honey on a radiator before you want to use it.   
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: OhLaLa on September 27, 2010, 12:29:16 pm
Remove the lid and microwave. Do it in short spurts so as not to overdo it.

 Yummm, honey :yum:

Oh, and buy your honey from your local beekeeper - MUCH nicer flavour!
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: lazybee on September 27, 2010, 12:50:49 pm
That's all I do put it in the micro wave on the defrost setting if it's one jar. If I have to do a bucket or several jars I use an old fridge..................................................What I here you say ;D

Get an old fridge, drill a hole through the bottom, shove a piece of electrical flex through, fit a bulb holder, 100w lamp, put bricks either side of the bulb, place a metal sheet above to diffuse the heat. The bricks act like a storage radiator. put the honey on the shelves above the metal plate. Shut the door, switch on the bulb. Open after a few hours check for hot spots, remove when it's liquid.

A homemade honey warming cabinet for the price of a bulb and holder. Simples
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: OhLaLa on September 27, 2010, 01:14:20 pm
Ah Lazybee - a beekeeper? Me too.

Mine is an old dishwasher, more or less the same conversion. Works a treat, but the faces on the removal men when we told them we ARE taking that 'old bit of tat'.

 ::)

Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: Anke on September 27, 2010, 02:53:56 pm
I keep most of my honey in plastic (food) buckets and they go solid v quickly, as I have got a lot of rape in mine. I use a german "WECK Topf", which is a really useful piece of kit to have for all sorts of tasks. Ascott sells one too. Put the bucket in , fill up with cold water, put temperature on for 50 Deg C and a day or so later, honey is liquid and can be put into jars, that then are stored on top of the boiler (warmest place in our house, as OH veto-ed an AGA when we built). Also useful for bottling fruit, melting wax, making cheese.... etc etc

If your honey goes solid its a good sign for its quality, most supermarket honey stays liquid, because it has been overcooked and the sugars have changed, so no crystallisation. Would buy local though....
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: northfifeduckling on November 08, 2010, 01:57:30 pm
Hubby keeps on telling me off when I do it on the hob in a waterbath - he says if you heat it too hot it changes chemical structure. I like the sound of your homemade honey warmer, sounds the perfect temperature, nice and gentle!   ;D :&>
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: Blonde on March 17, 2011, 02:23:23 pm
Put it out in the sum or put it in the microwave for 20 seconds on high, ust a small amount thou this is not    for a 20 litre drum
Title: Re: Re-invigorating honey
Post by: Rosemary on March 17, 2011, 08:15:34 pm
Put it out in the sum or put it in the microwave for 20 seconds on high, ust a small amount thou this is not    for a 20 litre drum

Sun? Are you having a laugh? ;D