How to Save Honey

I don’t know about you, but I can’t count how many times I’ve open the cabinet to get some honey, and its been a hard, crystallized, mess! You can save that honey, honey! I promise. No matter the size of your honey vessel, if it can fit in a pot of water, you can make the honey pourable again!

How to Save Crystallized Honey

1. Warm up enough water so that you can submerge your container about three quarter of the way.   You can use the stove, a tea kettle, or microwave, whatever is easier.  My container was huge, so I filled a big stock pot with water and got it going on the stove.

2. When the water is very warm, but no so hot it will melt your container take it off the heat.  Place your bottle, jug, or bear into the water.  To be safe I didn’t cover the lid area with water.  Usually some of the honey has been used from a container before the honey hardens, so 3/4 of the way up should be fine.

3. Wait.  With my large container I waited for the water to cool and then repeated.  With a smaller jar of honey it will take less repetition. You can stop repeating when the honey gets liquid-y again.  Test this by turning the container upside down and seeing if the honey flows.

4. Shake.  Once the honey really starts to flow, shake your container until the crystals are melted.  With my large container I rolled it around and shook it as best as I could.  If the crystals don’t seem to be melting start over at step one and keep gently heating the honey.

5. Cool.  Now you need to cool the honey down slowly.  Take your large pot of water and fill it with warm tap water.  Set the honey in there to cool.  As it cools air will bubble up at the top of the honey container.  That means you did everything right.

6. When the water is room temperature, dry off your container of honey and store it.

Yes your old, crystallized honey can be saved.  But it is a process that takes some time.  Here are two tips so you don’t have to do this again.

1. Temperature fluctuations are what causes the honey to crystallize.  A good option for storing honey for many people is areas above their stoves, like an over head cabinet.  This area will get some residual heat to keep that honey a bit warmer.  You want a place that has a consistent temperature, and since heat rises an upper level cabinet may be your best bet.

2. Buy less honey! I had to learn this the hard way. I don’t go through honey nearly as fast as I thought I would.  What I really wish I had done was taken a pint jar or 2 and split the honey 3 ways with a friend or two.  Then I still get the savings of buying in bulk, but not the wasted time of warming a huge jug of honey!!

I hope this helps you save the honey sitting in your cabinet from being thrown out!

Cheers,

Heather