Runny honey/crystallisation

[Do224]

I’m always curious when I see local honey for sale in the village shops etc. around here. There’s always, without fail, a runny honey which never seems to crystallise…even at this time of year when it is clearly last season’s. My honey from last year has all crystallised.

As an experiment, I warmed a jar in the microwave about a week ago and it reverted to being clear and runny. I’m curious to know if (a) it will now stay runny permanently? (b) if sellers are routinely warming their honey prior to sale to keep it runny?…seems unlikely

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

sellers are routinely warming their honey prior to sale to keep it runny?…seems unlikely

a lot depends on turnover - if the shop has a regular trade in honey, they must be topping up their stocks from their supplier, even small scale sellers/suppliers are familiar with honey warming cabinets now, so they top up their stocks by taking a 30lb bucket from their stores, warming it through to liquefy it, then bottling it up to supply their retailers.

 

[Swarm]

Stored in buckets and warmed to jar prior to sale, pretty normal practice.

 

[Do224]

And will it stay runny indefinitely after it’s been warmed?

 

[pargyle]

And will it stay runny indefinitely after it’s been warmed?

Not usually - although some batches will crystallise faster than others. I Include one of these small labels on the back of all the jars of honey I sell ... never had a problem with any coming back.

https://www.thorne.co.uk/labels/granulation-labels/granulation-combi-labels-2500.html

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And will it stay runny indefinitely after it’s been warmed?

no - unless you cook the buggery out of it

 

[Swarm]

And will it stay runny indefinitely after it’s been warmed?

Supply in smaller batches and it's usually sold and off the shelves long before it begins to granulate. A granulation label like Phil has mentioned gives explanation for any customer who is not aware.

 

[Sutty]

I do exactly this: warm a couple of buckets gently to 40C (warmer temp) then jar up. I've only once had a retailer say some has granulated pre-sale, I took it back and put it back in the warmer.

 

[Ian Morton]

Stored in buckets and warmed to jar prior to sale, pretty normal practice.

Does anyone use one of these to warm their honey? I thought I saw it recommended on a thread in this forum but now can't find it ....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09ZL5XN51?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Well, I bought one on the basis that it had an accurate thermostat from 30 degrees C up. This is really clunky on mine, switching on and then racing up to over 50 before switching off and then, when off and 'keeping warm', the temp falls way below. It's just not accurate enough to heat and maintain a constant 35 - 40.

Is it just mine, and it should therefore be sent back, or is that just how these things are and I've made a big mistake? It's just not good enough to accurately heat honey without going above the 40 threshold

 

[Erichalfbee]

Here?
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/warming-honey.54500/
I have no problem with mine. The lowest temperature on mine is 50 but the dial lets me start lower. I warm my honey at 45. The 50 setting gets the honey in the bucket to around that.

 

[drdrday]

I have a couple of these, although both have digital temperature controls, starting at 30°C. I have a 'dirty' one I use to boil up old frames, and a clean one that I use to warm buckets of honey, or jarred honey.
My honey one is one of these: https://www.klarstein.co.uk/Home-Ap...vWnsrbgn4sBzE17yAz-rgjfeDz_8NeycaAsxXEALw_wcB
It doesn't vary beyond a couple of degrees of the set temperature, and I can set it to run for up to 12 hours. It's big enough to fit a whole honey bucket, or honey that has already been jarred if necessary (I use poly labels that can go in the water without any damage).
My 'dirty' one was slightly cheaper, as I was less fussy about the temperature, but it's still very accurate.

 

[fian]

I have only had problems with crystallization one year (the one in which I let the turnips flower in March/April) so "when the dog is dead, the rabies is over." I have not had honey left over from one year to the next without selling it, but in Galicia it is rare to see a jar of crystallized honey. What I have noticed is that it takes longer (in the bottom inch of the jar) if the harvest temperature is high, now I harvest at the beginning of July when before I did it at the beginning of September (the velutina is also a reason for that advance).

 

[enrico]

Although this year none of my honey has set. Never happened here in Somerset before, think It must be high levels of line and blackberry.

 

[Antipodes]

I have only had problems with crystallization one year (the one in which I let the turnips flower in March/April) so "when the dog is dead, the rabies is over." I have not had honey left over from one year to the next without selling it, but in Galicia it is rare to see a jar of crystallized honey. What I have noticed is that it takes longer (in the bottom inch of the jar) if the harvest temperature is high, now I harvest at the beginning of July when before I did it at the beginning of September (the velutina is also a reason for that advance).

Have you ever had it split into two or three layers in a jar?

 

[fian]

Have you ever had it split into two or three layers in a jar?

Towards the end of the season, in the bottles at the end of the drum you may notice a diffuse line or the beginning of crystallization, but nothing like 2/3 completely differentiated phases.

 

[Penninetrader]

I have only had problems with crystallization one year (the one in which I let the turnips flower in March/April) so "when the dog is dead, the rabies is over." I have not had honey left over from one year to the next without selling it, but in Galicia it is rare to see a jar of crystallized honey. What I have noticed is that it takes longer (in the bottom inch of the jar) if the harvest temperature is high, now I harvest at the beginning of July when before I did it at the beginning of September (the velutina is also a reason for that advance).

The Velutina, how are you managing that situation ?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Have you ever had it split into two or three layers in a jar?

This has been sitting on the piano for three years; the top layer is bubbling gently. Will sell easily at market tomorrow; current price £24/kg.

 

[Mint Bee]

bakers Honey, or probiotic Honey at that price

 

[North End Bees]

I let the turnips flower in March/April) so "when the dog is dead, the rabies is over."

You have some lovely sayings over there!

 

[fian]

The Velutina, how are you managing that situation ?

This year has been atypical for velutina since they took a while to activate. In fact, despite harvesting at the beginning of July, I did not have to implement measures until the beginning of September. That means you can apply the varroa treatment and let them harvest their honey for winter for 2 months.