I love eating honey. If it wasn’t so gosh darn expensive, I’d eat it twice as much. But like many people, our honey doesn’t stay liquid the entire time. No matter what type of container we keep it in, at some point the honey crystallizes.

Enjoying small jars of flavored honey from local shops is one of my favorite treats. But for daily use type of snack, we buy the larger bulk sized honey. The farm fresh honey is usually whipped and will generally stay smooth and spreadable. The store bought one usually starts out as liquid. Eventually that honey won’t flow easy.

Crystallized honey is still good to eat as it really has no expiration date. Some honey has been found in tombs from thousands of years ago. The natural sugars keep it flavorful as well.

The old truck my mother taught me was to run the jar of honey under hot water to liquify it once more. This usually got the outside edges of the jar to liquify, but not the entire things. A few years ago, our daughter tried to microwave a plastic jar of honey. That worked for the first attempt and a short amount. However, the second time warped and melted the bear shaped plastic bottle. Probably not good for our health at this point.

Research online has shown me that I need to be patient. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Then remove it from the heat for about five minutes. Finally put the jar of honey in the water and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Letting the hot water slowly liquify the honey is the best and safest way to go.

In order to prevent crystallized honey, you need to store it in warmer temperatures. As it gets colder, it crystallizes. Spending the winter in a garage or cold pantry is what changes it’s consistency. So keep that liquid honey warm and you won’t get stiff. But like I said, it’s more an inconvenience than anything once it hardens a bit.