A colony of bees will collect nectar from many different plants. This makes every jar of honey slightly different to the next one and therefore they will granulate at different rates. As a general rule of thumb, spring flowers give up nectar that is rich with glucose sugars. This produces a honey that crystallises and sets rapidly.

Summer flowers generally give up nectar rich with fructose, and the honey remains clear and runny. But as previously mentioned, the bees from a single hive will visit many different plants, so some honeys may have near equal amounts of glucose and fructose, meaning crystallisation can start to occur at any time after the honey has been bottled.

Honey has an amazingly long shelf life. If kept in an airtight container it will remain in perfect condition for many years.

When Egyptian tombs were opened, still-edible honey was found inside, left there as a gift to the gods of their time

How to Reverse Honey Granulation

Luckily, honey granulation is completely reversible without altering its taste, quality, or nutrients. Here’s how you can do it:

Warm Water Bath Method (Gentle Heating)

This is the safest and most effective method to de-crystallise honey while preserving its natural properties.

• Step 1:  Fill a bowl or pot with warm water (not boiling). Ideally, the temperature should be around 40°C to 50°C (104°F to 122°F).
• Step 2: Place the jar of crystallised honey into the warm water.
• Step 3: Stir occasionally as the honey starts to melt. You may need to change the water to keep it warm enough for the honey to fully dissolve.
• Step 4: Once the honey returns to its liquid form, remove it from the water bath and store it at room temperature to slow down future granulation.