Over Thanksgiving, I went to Virginia for a week and left my thermostat on 55 degrees to save on my heating costs. Well, my gas bill wasn't so high but there was an unexpected cost.
I left all of my bottled honey on a table and came home to find that the jars that were harvested over Memorial Day last year had all turned into creamed honey. People prize creamed honey - it's less drippy and easier to spread. In truth, though, it is honey that has granulated. Creamed honey isn't a solid mass. Instead it is a thickened honey that tastes great and is just thick instead of clear.
I wondered why the honey from Memorial Day harvest had granulated and not the rest of my jars. I posted on Beemaster to find out what the other beekeepers had to say about this. Apparently this batch of honey had just the right amount of glucose and "seed" material (pollen grains, for example, that didn't filter out) to encourage its turning into creamed honey. And the temperature at which I left my house (55 - 60 degrees) was IDEAL for making creamed honey.
Interestingly, this honey doesn't have a sandy feel on the tongue. Instead it spreads like regular honey and is fabulous, in my opinion. You can tell that I am using the honey from the jar below. Actually you can heat the honey in a water bath and the granulation will go away, but I don't want to heat my honey so I am going to enjoy it as is.
You can see the consistency in the picture below.
When it is spread on hot toast, it is exactly like non-granulated honey and tastes, as all my honey does, absolutely delicious!
The bread, if you are interested, is a multigrain bread that I made with my grandson.
I bet it's delicious!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda ~ Your honey looks fabulous! I have a question though - I heard that honey does not go "bad". Is that true? What about bee pollen? I love your blog - the whole thing is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteHoney doesn't spoil but it can crystallize like this has done - if it happens in a "smooth" way, it can be called creamed honey. I imagine pollen can go bad because it could certainly mold like any other plant material. I read on the Internet that pollen spoilage is related to moisture content - so pollen with a 14% moisture content is much less likely to spoil or mold than pollen with a 44% moisture content.
ReplyDeleteany loss of nutrients in the granulated honey?
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Linda for answering those questions for me! And I never thought of putting honey on toast but I may have to try it now!
ReplyDeleteLinda
ReplyDeleteI opened up the thread for the breads you make and now I have a whole other blog filled with wonderful baked goods. Thank you for sharing this other blog as well.
Annette from Placerville California
Do you know of a group of organic bee keepers in the Asheville area of North Carolina?
ReplyDeleteThanks please send info to housecalls611@gmail.com
Oh that looks mighty yummy, I don't mind when my honey sugars, I liketo add cinnamon to it! BEElicious!
ReplyDeleteI always learn something when I come here! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSmall Footprints
http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com
The honey looks Delicious! Great blog you have.
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