On forums and chat rooms, the question "why I forgot my honey" often appears. The fermentation process is usually provoked by inappropriate storage conditions or early collection. Such a product becomes unfit for consumption.
But do not get upset, even fermented honey can be saved if it is heat-treated on time. Consider the reasons for fermenting amber dessert and measures to save it.
Why honey is fermenting: causes
Fermentation of honey causes yeast fungi contained in it. The souring process is characteristic for an immature product, which is also stored in inappropriate conditions - at high temperature or high humidity of the room.
Can a mature honey ferment? If stored incorrectly, even the best quality product can sour. The process is also irreversible for sealed varieties, if they are kept in high humidity conditions. After forgetting, they will start to bubble, and their cells break.Early collection and increased humidity
What does "immature product" mean and how does fermentation start? Nectar, collected by bees from plants, includes about 60% moisture. Returning to the hive, they process it, turning it into honey, and then put it into honeycombs. For several days, work is under way to evaporate moisture out of it. The finished product contains from 14 to 20% water, and this figure is considered the norm. The final stage is the sealing of honeycombs. The frame, sealed by 1/3, means that the product is mature. Thus, mature honey is when the product goes through the entire process of transformation from nectar to honey, and the amount of water in it varies between 14-21%.
Immature goods are commercially available when beekeepers pump it out without waiting for evaporation of moisture. The volume of water in this product is more than 21%.That's how the fermented honey is formed.
2-3 months after collection, honey begins to crystallize, slowly modifying into a thick, homogeneous mass. At the same time, it can fade. There are several reasons for this:
- A mature product with a humidity of 19-21% can form on its surface a small liquid, 1-2 cm thick. This is due to the ratio of glucose and fructose in it. This process is not terrible and does not threaten fermentation. The taste and smell of amber dessert remain original, and the consistency is homogeneous.
- Unripe honey with a moisture exceeding the permissible rate( above 21%) will give off every day more and more fluid. Sifting on its surface, it will soon be covered with foam, spoil the taste and make the consistency loose and heterogeneous. The presence of excess moisture and explains why honey wandered.
Incorrect storage of
Warning! Even the most natural product can ferment, if not provide it with the appropriate storage conditions.
A common mistake is an open or non-hermetically sealed container. Being in such a container, honey absorbs all the moisture from the environment, is filled with excess water and begins to wander. It can also turn sour:
- at high temperature - from +20 0С;
- when exposed to direct sunlight;
- when stored in a metal container;
- when keeping it in places with high humidity.
Warning! Often the fermentation process is subjected to a product-fake, in which water, sugar syrup or grades of lower quality are mixed. Fermented honey is not allowed.
The whole thing in the structure of
The quality of honey depends on its structure. Candied products with high moisture content sour much faster than liquid, freshly refined. This is due to the fact that during the crystallization of glucose, an intercrystalline liquid with an excess water content is formed. It appears because the glucose crystals simply can not bind all the water present in the honey. Therefore, together with the crystalline layer, another liquid appears, in which fructose predominates.
As a result, glucose settles to the bottom, and fructose( intercrystalline fluid) floats to the surface, creating favorable conditions for the development of yeast bacteria.
Measures to save a fermented product
What can I do if honey is fermented? To save such a product is possible, but only it will be completely deprived of all its useful properties. And if in time to not take measures, then it will become completely useless.
The sour amber dessert must be heat treated. First, remove the top layer so that fermentation does not spread to the entire mass. Then warm the honey in a water bath at a temperature of 60 ° C for 30-60 minutes. These actions are designed to extend the life of the product to a little.
Attention! The resulting honey syrup can be put in pastries and cream. To use it in its pure form is not recommended - it will cause heartburn, bloating and discomfort in the stomach.
We hope that with our help you will be able to determine why the honey was fermented, and take timely measures to save it.