Oh honey how I love you so very, very much. No, I wasn’t talking to Mr. Fantabulous. I mean I do love him so very, very much but no this time I’m talking about real honey. I seriously love this stuff and honestly it doesn’t matter to me what type it is – clover, sunflower, wild and so forth. I’d love to someday try avocado blossom honey. From what I’ve read this honey has a rich, buttery flavor, and is dark in color. I mean how awesome does that sound? Now the only thing I don’t like about honey is the cost. Seriously when did it get so expensive??? I mean I get it as it takes about 60,000 bees, collectively traveling up to 55,000 miles and visiting more than 2 million flowers, to gather enough nectar to make one pound of honey. Yeah I get it but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. So fine we spend the money and if you’re like me you buy it in the 5lb jugs (yes I use it that often) but sometimes if you don’t use it quick enough it starts to solidify and crystallize. Yeah, not cool man. But the great thing about it is that just because it’s crystallized, it doesn’t mean it’s gone bad. Nope! Crystallization is honey’s natural way of preserving itself. So on this week’s edition of Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer I’m sharing with you how to bring your crystallized honey back to life!
- Heat a sauce pan of water with low heat. Easiest way is to put the jar of honey in your pot and then fill it with water. You want the water line to just go about a 1/4 past the honey line. Make sure you remove the jar though before your put the pan on the stove and heat the water!
- Once the water is hot, remove the pan from the stove, remove the lid from your honey jar and place the jar in the hot water. Do not let the water get into the jar.
- Now wait. It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours to liquefy but it greatly depends on the size of your jar. Trust me, this is something that you must not rush.
- Once the honey has come to a liquid state, put the lid back on and shake the jar. If the jar is hot, wrap it in a towel first before shaking as to not burn your hands.
- Now it is equally as important to cool your honey slowly. Place the honey back in the warm water and make sure there is enough water to reach the top of the honey line in the jar.
- Let the water and the honey cool together. If you can touch the water and it’s the same temperature as the room then your honey is ready.
- To prevent crystals from forming again, store the honey in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) and avoid introducing moisture. So no double-dipping once your spoon hits your tea.
As you can see I never once mentioned using the microwave. Don’t – ever, period!
By putting it in the microwave you’re exposing it to higher than normal temperatures as a rapid speed. This can greatly increase the crystallization process. You’ll actually overheat the honey and kill the enzymes in it.
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