The crystallization of honey is little understood by the
consuming public. Many assume that crystallized honey is adulterated or
‘spoiled.’ This is not so.
Real, raw honey crystallizes!
Honey is a highly concentrated sugar solution. It
contains more than 70% sugars and less than 20% water. This means that the
water in honey contains more sugar than it should naturally hold. The
overabundance of sugar makes honey unstable. Thus, it is natural for honey to
crystallize since it is an over-saturated sugar solution.
The crystallization process is natural and spontaneous.
Pure, raw and unheated honey has a natural tendency to crystallize over time
with no effect on the honey other than color and texture.
What's more, the crystallization of honey actually
preserves the flavor and quality characteristics of your honey.
Some honeys crystallize uniformly; some will be
partially crystallized and form two layers, with the crystallized layer on the
bottom of the jar and a liquid on top.
Honeys also vary in the size of the crystals formed.
Some form fine crystals and others large, gritty ones. The more rapid honey
crystallizes, the finer the texture will be. And crystallized honey tends to
set a lighter/paler color than when liquid. This is due to the fact that
glucose sugar tends to separate out in dehydrating crystals form, and that
glucose crystals are naturally pure white. Darker honeys retain a brownish
appearance.
The two principal sugars in honey are fructose (fruit
sugar) and glucose (grape sugar). The content of fructose and glucose in honey
varies from one type of honey to the other. Generally, the fructose ranges from
30- 44% and glucose from 25- 40%. The balance of these two major sugars causes
the crystallization of honey, and the relative percentage of each determines whether
it crystallizes rapidly or slowly. What crystallizes is the glucose, due to its
lower solubility. Fructose is more soluble in water than glucose and will
remain fluid.
When glucose crystallizes, it separates from water and
takes the form of tiny crystals. As the crystallization progresses and more
glucose crystallizes, those crystals spread throughout the honey. The solution
changes to a stable saturated form, and ultimately the honey becomes thick or
crystallized.
Bottom
line? Crystallization of honey is a gift of nature.