Honey Separating in the Jar

[The Poot]

Hi all,
I found a batch of honey, jarred in August last year starting to “separate” in the jars - the very top of the honey being runny whilst the rest was soft set. I read up on it and found it is a way some honey will granulate. The water content rising and it can then cause fermentation. I read the fix was to warm it to liquid, mix it and let it be. BUT in this case it has made the separation ten times worse - see photo.
Has anyone experienced this and found a way to deal with it, to enable the honey to be sold?
Thanks in anticipation,
Poot.

 

[Wilco]

Invert it a few times while warm. Then sell as soon as you can. Or make it a selling point.

 

[Amari]

My honeys do that every so often in apparent random fashion so I've never identified a pattern.
This is why I don't like the 'Best before date', often three years hence, being required on honey labels for retail outlets. Obligatory I believe - if so, how come one or more supermarkets are currently removing 'Best before' and replacing with 'Use by'?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

'Best before date', often three years hence, being required on honey labels for retail outlets. Obligatory I believe

It's obligatory to have a BB date on honey but there is no obligation as to the timescale, so it can be anything between tomorrow and eternity.

 

[The Poot]

Invert it a few times while warm. Then sell as soon as you can. Or make it a selling point.

I don’t really feel confident about selling it as I only sell through one outlet and don’t want to queer my pitch. I have given them all a good stir up today and will see wants transpires, but if separation happens again, then the bees will have it back I think.

 

[The Poot]

It's obligatory to have a BB date on honey but there is no obligation as to the timescale, so it can be anything between tomorrow and eternity.

How far hence do most folk date it in your experience Jenks?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How far hence do most folk date it in your experience Jenks?

'they' suggest three years, I give it two

 

[Amari]

It's obligatory to have a BB date on honey but there is no obligation as to the timescale, so it can be anything between tomorrow and eternity.

I usually order 1000 labels at a time (cheaper in bulk) so in the first year the BB date might be three years. If I sell 300 jars a year the BB date becomes progressively shorter.
I have some heather honey labels with the BB date 2015!

 

[Swarm]

Leave that part blank and add the date.

 

[Hachi]

I've had this happen to me this year and looking at the posts, its not uncommon and yet no answer to the problem... Anyone willing to share?

 

[Anduril]

I've had honey that was over 20 years old separate like that, the liquid part was 16% and no fermentation.

 

[WoodenBeam]

A general guideline (This isn’t aimed at you Poot). Honey stores better in bulk so don’t have hanging around in jars, only jar up what you’re going to turn around in a reasonable time. If you’re not turning it around quickly then reconsider how you’re selling it - especially the price point, all well and good going on about a premium product commanding a premium price but if it ain’t turning over and sitting about well…………….

I would guess the separation is purely the different sugars crystallising in different manners. You can hold Honey in a water bath at about 55/60 degrees for an hour to turn back to a liquid but when it’s really separated out I’d suggest it needs frequent stirring and monitoring. This experience is only through messing about with old Honeys for showing.

I think I’d be using in my coffee & enjoying for home consumption, they isn’t anything wrong with it as already said other than aesthetically.

 

[Hachi]

Thanks WB I'll try it

 

[enrico]

It happens when you get a mixture of honeys. For example lime and dandelion. The dandelion is more dense and wants to crystallise so as it sinks it turns to crystals. The lime is less dense and wants to stay runny so it rises to the top. The only real way round it is to pour all the runny honey off the top and separate them. I had one like that one year that looked disgusting because the crystallised honey was a different colour and it looked like mould but...... It sold like hot cakes once I had explained that you go two different honeys in one jar!!!!

 

[The Poot]

A general guideline (This isn’t aimed at you Poot). Honey stores better in bulk so don’t have hanging around in jars, only jar up what you’re going to turn around in a reasonable time. If you’re not turning it around quickly then reconsider how you’re selling it - especially the price point, all well and good going on about a premium product commanding a premium price but if it ain’t turning over and sitting about well…………….

I would guess the separation is purely the different sugars crystallising in different manners. You can hold Honey in a water bath at about 55/60 degrees for an hour to turn back to a liquid but when it’s really separated out I’d suggest it needs frequent stirring and monitoring. This experience is only through messing about with old Honeys for showing.

I think I’d be using in my coffee & enjoying for home consumption, they isn’t anything wrong with it as already said other than aesthetically.

That makes sense WB, thanks. Looks like I need a warming cabinet for buckets instead of jars and I may start twitching from too much caffeine for a while.

 

[Hendrik]

Am I correct in thinking that honey 'never' actually goes off and will remain edible for pretty much ever, due to its anti bacterial properties?

Anyone tested that..?

 

[Swarm]

We ate a jar of 2013 honey earlier this year, it had separated slightly so decided to eat it. Stirred in the runnier bit with the rest, it still tasted delicious.
Not a good year 2013, but what honey we had was very nice.
Sealed and stored at a sensible temperature there's no reason for it to go off.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Am I correct in thinking that honey 'never' actually goes off and will remain edible for pretty much ever, due to its anti bacterial properties

sort of - if water gets into it it will ferment and spoil

 

[enrico]

sort of - if water gets into it it will ferment and spoil

And.....there may already be enough water in it to do that without any more getting in!

 

[Sutty]

Am I correct in thinking that honey 'never' actually goes off and will remain edible for pretty much ever, due to its anti bacterial properties?

Anyone tested that..?

I remember reading that honey had been found in ancient Egyptian tombs and was still edible!
Maybe a few thousand years for the "best before" date?