My honey turned grainy. Should I worry?
Every winter someone writes to me worried that their jar has gone bad because it turned thick and grainy. Good news: nothing is wrong. Your honey is simply real.
What is actually happening
Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution. Over time the glucose naturally forms crystals, especially in cold weather. Raw honey crystallises faster because it still contains pollen and natural particles that give crystals a place to start. Factory honey is heated and fine-filtered exactly so this never happens on a shelf.
Which honeys crystallise fastest
- Sunflower and multifloral honeys: quickly, often within weeks
- Tulsi and litchi: a season or two
- Acacia: very slowly, sometimes years, because of the balance of sugars the acacia bloom gives it
How to soften it, without ruining it
Place the jar in warm water, around 40 degrees, and stir gently. Never microwave it and never boil it: high heat destroys the enzymes that make raw honey worth eating.
Or do what we do at home: eat it grainy. Crystallised honey spreads on a paratha better than butter.
Dr. Mohit Sharma
Doctor, long-distance rider and founder of Teaspoon Honey. He writes these notes between the clinic and the hives, and tastes every batch before it ships.
