Thickening is one of the most famous phenomena that accompanies every lover of bee products. However, hardened honey often brings a lot of inconvenience, including during the preparation of various dishes, which is why its melting is considered a necessary culinary process. This article will examine in detail how to clean old honey from sugar grains and what to do so that heating does not affect its beneficial properties.

Important! If the purchased honey does not crystallize, this is the first sign of a poor-quality or completely falsified product.

What is a crystallization process?

Crystallization is commonly understood as the process of the transition of a concentrated substance from a liquid phase to a solid, with the formation of so-called crystals. This process is a consequence of natural chemical reactions that occur with highly concentrated substances. It often depends on the composition of the initial liquid and the chemical qualities of its constituent elements. Being in a dissolved form, they are in an unstable state, therefore, to stabilize chemical processes, separation of supersaturated components from the substance takes place.In the case of honey, sugars are subject to crystallization, which take the form of small grains that fill the entire liquid. Often this affects the consistency of all honey, it becomes quite dense, cloudy and loses its original color. The main reason for the crystallization of honey is its composition. As you know, its basis is glucose and fructose, which cause the effect of sweetness. The higher the glucose value over fructose, the more intense crystallization is observed.

Despite the fact that many housewives are in a hurry to say goodbye to sugared honey, with the exception of consistency, this phenomenon does not lead to a change in any properties of bee products. All trace elements concentrated in liquids, vitamins and biologically active substances remain unchanged and with the same activity as in the liquid phase, which is why the product is able to be safely stored for many months in this form.

Important! It is forbidden to heat honey in a plastic container, when exposed to temperature, the plastic components will saturate the product with harmful toxins, so from such containers it must be poured into more stable, glass ones.

A lot of factors influence the sugar rate, but often the process depends on:

• temperature - crystallization occurs only at a liquid temperature above + 15 ° C, at lower rates the process is almost completely inhibited;
• humidity - with a decrease in the moisture content of the product, the natural balance of substances is violated, which speeds up sugar at times;
• purity - if the bee product is saturated with pollen, wax residues or other inclusions, sugar activity increases. Small grains become crystallization centers around which crystals form;
• maturity levels - even under the most optimal conditions of detention, the process is inevitable, since concentrated products necessarily undergo precipitation of concentrated particles.

How to melt sugared honey in a glass jar

A lot of product lovers resort to kindling, especially if they stock up for the future, for example, with a 3-liter can. However, not many people know how to do it right. Despite this, with gross errors, the taste of the product remains practically unchanged, but its usefulness decreases significantly. Since, with an aggressive effect on the structure of a substance, the destruction of vitamins and other substances is observed.

In a water bath

A water bath is considered the most popular method of kindling honey. In order to carry it out, it is necessary to take a large open container, half fill it with water, place the product in it, and then put on medium heat. For a three-liter jar you will need a pan with a volume of about 5 liters. After the water boils, the fire is reduced to a minimum.

Did you know? Honey is one of the oldest food products; it was first harvested back in the Stone Age, about 15 thousand years ago.

Heat treatment is carried out until the sweet product is completely dissolved, it is recommended to stir it periodically to speed up the process. After dissolution, the jar must be removed from the water, cooled to room temperature and then transferred to the refrigerator.

At the bottom of the tank, it is necessary to lay out a piece of natural matter or gauze, this will protect the jar from the sharp influence of the tank's heating point. Otherwise, it may burst, in which case honey becomes unsuitable for consumption, since it is practically impossible to clear it from the glass of broken containers.

Bank near the battery or in the sun

Warming up in the sun or a battery is a more gentle way to restore the liquid state of your favorite bee treat. In addition, it does not require any complex manipulations, so it can be trusted even to children. For exposure to the sun, the south or southwest window sill is often chosen, here the most intense exposure to the sun is observed throughout the day.

Did you know? About 3 thousand varieties of honey are known in the world, bees are able to harvest it from almost any flowering culture.

The jar is placed directly in the sun and periodically stirred, which allows you to achieve the desired effect quickly enough. When heating near the battery, it is allowed to put the container directly on the heating radiator, to achieve a faster effect, you can cover it with a small towel. To melt the product in this way, depending on the temperature of the radiators, it will take from an hour to several hours.

Accommodation in warm water

Heating in warm water is considered an alternative to exposure to the sun or a battery. To warm up the product, the jar is placed in a vessel with hot water and kept until the liquid is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. For this, any hot water is suitable, including after cooking vegetables or otherwise, but it must be technically pure.

Using lemon

Dissolving crystals with lemon is a fairly effective and safe way to restore the uniformity of a bee product, but it will take several days. For this method, you need to acquire a large lemon, carefully peel it and cut into half rings. Then the slices should be put on a honey crust and put everything in a cool container.

Under the influence of vitamin C released from lemon, a slow chemical melting of crystals occurs. This option is the most preferred and safe, but it also has its drawbacks. Lemon saturates the sweet product with acidity, which often can be felt and tastes. In addition, as soon as melting takes place, the slices settle to the bottom, after which it will be quite difficult to get them.

Is it possible to heat honey in the microwave?

In the microwave, you can melt honey in minutes. Most doctors and cooks do not prohibit the use of such a furnace for heating, but with some limitations. First of all, for this you need to use only glass, heat-resistant dishes or ceramic containers.Decrystallization is carried out at low power, not more than 600 watts, for 2-3 minutes. After this, the hot product must be thoroughly mixed to give uniformity, since the microwave acts only on individual layers of the liquid. As soon as the mass reaches homogeneity, it is poured into a container with a tight lid.

Are product properties lost

Any thermal effect on food leads to a negative effect on their components. This process leads to the destruction of vitamins and biologically active substances, which reduces their benefit to the body. However, things are not so sad with honey, if the product is heated to a temperature not exceeding + 40 ° C, all its useful qualities and composition remain almost unchanged. However, when the indicator is exceeded, following the breakdown of vitamins, an accumulation of the dangerous toxin oxymethylfurfural in honey is also observed; therefore, it is highly recommended not to bring it to a boil.

You can melt honey in a variety of ways, but be sure to remember that the product does not tolerate any excessively aggressive effect. Decrystallization with temperatures above + 40 ° C can provoke not only a decrease in nutrients in the product, but also the accumulation of dangerous toxins. In this case, your favorite treat can cause an exacerbation of many ailments.