Soften Honey
Honey doesn't spoil like most foods. In fact, well-stored honey can have an eternal shelf life if stored properly, thanks to its acidity and low-moisture. However, honey can crystallize after a while. You can soften honey with hot water or a microwave to return it to its liquid state.
Contents
Steps
Softening Honey in a Bowl
- Boil a kettle full of water. You can also run tap water until it is very hot.
- Find a bowl that is just slightly shallower than your honey container.
- Pour the boiled water into the bowl.
- Ensure that the lid is tightly sealed. Allowing water to leach into a honey jar is one of the ways you can spoil it.
- Place the honey container in the bowl. If your honey is stored in plastic, you will need to wait ten minutes before placing the honey in the bowl. For other containers, you will be able to place it into the bowl right away.
- Allow it to sit until the water comes to room temperature. Remove the honey and wipe off the outside.
- Unscrew the lid and dip a spoon in the honey to check if it’s soft. If it is not, you may want to try softening it on the stove or repeating the process. Large containers will require more time in very hot water than smaller containers.
- Try to stir the honey every 10 minutes or so to speed up the process.
Softening Honey on the Stove
- Screw your honey lid tightly into place. You want to avoid getting water inside the honey jar, or it can spoil the honey.
- Place a small saucepan on the stove. Place the honey container in the middle. Gently fill the saucepan with water until the water reaches two-thirds the way up the honey container.
- Turn the burner onto the low setting. You can use a medium setting with glass containers.
- Stir the honey every 10 minutes, and then replace the lid and heat some more.
- Turn the burner off and remove the jar when the honey is soft enough to stir.
Softening Honey in a Microwave
- Ensure your crystallized honey is not in a thin plastic or metal container. You will need to use other methods to soften honey in these containers.
- Remove the lid from the honey container. Place the honey inside the microwave.
- Microwave it on high heat for one minute. If you are softening a small amount of honey, use 20-second intervals.
- Remove it from the microwave and attempt to dip a spoon into it. If it is not yet soft enough to remove, repeat the process.
- Stir it between one-minute heating processes.
- Keep the honey tightly sealed between uses. It may recrystallize within one or two weeks.
Warnings
- Don’t store honey in the refrigerator. It will crystallize more quickly and remain hard. If honey is stored in a dark, cool and dry environment in a sealed container, it will keep indefinitely.
Things You'll Need
- Large bowl
- Water
- Kettle
- Spoon
- Saucepan
- Microwave
