Liquid honey in winter is not at all an indicator of its freshness. Such a consistency is falsified product or specially heated to give it a more attractive presentation. Experienced beekeepers immediately recognize the fake by its appearance and explain why honey is candied and how it affects its properties.
Causes of crystallization of
All supersaturated solutions, which include a delicious bee product, are unable to be stored for a long time in a homogeneous state. The surplus of matter, according to the laws of physics, tends to precipitate. As a result, the water balance is restored and the solution becomes saturated.
If we talk about honey, then it turns out to be an extra glucose, as the least dissolving substance. And it is she who causes the appearance of white flakes.
The ratio of glucose and fructose depends on the time during which the crystallization of honey occurs. The more content of the first and less of the second, the faster it will happen. If fructose prevails, then a tasty and healthy product will stand liquid for a long time and will not become sugar-free.
The following factors can affect the rate of crystallization:
- storage temperature;
- pre-treatment before packing;
- air humidity;
- degree of maturity.
The most favorable temperature at which the crystallization of glucose occurs is 15 ° C.At its value below 4 0С and above 27 0С, this process is suspended until more favorable conditions occur.
If honey quickly candied, then this may indicate a high content of pollen and other solid impurities in it. Crystallization is possible in the presence of centers around which glucose is concentrated. Purified during processing, the product remains liquid for a long time.
With a high water content in honey due to its immaturity or the absorption of excess moisture from the air, the sugaring process slows down. This is explained by the fact that the amount of free water molecules increases and the degree of supersaturation of the solution with sugars decreases.
Tip! To distinguish between the natural in front of you the product can be by its consistency. Rub a piece of it between your fingers - an artificial slides into a lump, and the present will melt and soak into the skin.
How does crystallization affect the properties and shelf life?
So, we found out how and why honey is sugar-coated. And how does this process affect its properties?
Its medicinal properties after crystallization does not lose honey. It is still as useful as freshly refined. However, do not store it for long. The more fresh the product, the more benefits it will bring.
For the useful life of a tasty product, the degree of its crystallization is also not affected in any way. On the contrary, the harder it is, the less likely it is that it will ferment and deteriorate. Candied honey is less prone to contamination and exposure to light and air.
Interesting fact! Hard stone honey can be broken off, and there are pieces. When stored, it is simply wrapped in something and cleaned in a dark cool place.
Is it necessary for the honey to thicken?
On the question of whether the honey should crystallize, you can answer in one word - always! Regardless of the type, storage conditions and all other factors, this natural honey will sooner or later change its structure and become sugar-coated. This can happen a week after the collection, or after a couple of years. Remain liquid after 3 years of storage can only be an artificial product, thereby signaling about its unnatural nature.
Sometimes, after a very short time, a sweet purchase turns into a ball of granular, similar to a melted fat substance. In this case, a completely legitimate question arises: Should fresh sugar, freshly bought honey, be sugared? If this happened, then do not worry. You may have acquired an early ripening variety, or the storage temperature was most favorable to this process.
Why is fresh, recently pumped out honey sugared, if all the conditions of its storage are met? The reason for this may be the following factors:
- presence in the composition of pollen and mechanical impurities;
- variety with high glucose content;
- adding an old product that has already thickened.
To build a crystal structure, sugars need a point of support-center. It becomes solid particles of pollen and other substances trapped in honey during pumping, as well as already formed crystals of old honey.
Tip! A liquid structure of a delicious treat can be preserved with the help of some simple manipulations. The honey is aged for 5 weeks at zero temperature. Then the jar with the product is transferred to a permanent storage site, where the temperature is maintained within 14 ° C.
After what time should it thicken?
When should honey be sugar-coated? There is no exact answer to this question. This depends on the many factors that influence the course of the crystallization process. This is the variety of the product and storage conditions.
Fast-growing honey varieties - buckwheat, rapeseed and sunflower. Sugared they are in 2-3 weeks.after pumping.
An interesting fact! Champion for long-term preservation in liquid form - acacia honey. It can maintain its fluidity for up to 2 years. This explains its great popularity among the population.
The following grades are also quickly sugared:
- linden
- buckwheat
- .
Slowly thicken and not crystallize for long:
These varieties of honey can stand all winter, preserving their structure until the next honey collection. Learn more about the varieties of the product, which remain liquid for a long time, as well as the reasons for this, you can if you read the article: What honey is not candied?
An interesting interview about whether a real honey is sugared, you can see in this video: