First of all, what is honey made of? Bees collect nectar or honeydew as raw materials. At this stage, the liquid is made up of sucrose and water. These substances are then collected in the combs of the hive. The bees intervene in two ways: enzymes and ventilation to produce the liquid gold, honey.
In fact, when bees bring nectar or honeydew back to the hive, they pass it on to their fellow bees by trophallaxis (mouth-to-mouth). The bees then pass it several times between their mouths and their jabot (bees' stomachs), then give it to other bees, and so on. Enzymes present in the bees' jabot - invertase, diastase and gluco-oxidase - modify sucrose into fructose and glucose. The nectar is thus transformed into honey. Once in the honeycomb, evaporation takes place. Initially, nectar is 50% water. At the end of the bees' collective action in the hive, honey contains around 17% water! Much like the evaporation of maple water, the bees concentrate the sugars to preserve the honey.
In short, honey consists mainly of glucose, fructose and water (17%). It's a supersaturated sugar solution.
Now, why does honey crystallize over time? Which honey crystallizes fastest?
Crystallization is the last stage in the development of honey after extraction. It is a phase change (from liquid to solid).
The speed at which honey crystallizes is influenced by :
- The ratio of glucose to fructose it contains;
- The storage temperature
- The amount of solid particles in the honey, such as pollen; and
- Honey stirring.
Some honeys crystallize faster than others. Honeys with a high glucose content will crystallize more quickly. This is the case for spring (dandelion) and autumn (aster, goldenrod, eupatorium) honeys in Quebec. In France, sunflower honey and rapeseed honey crystallize rapidly.
A bee colony maintains a temperature of around 36°C inside the hive. At this temperature, a state of equilibrium exists between sugar and water, the homeostatic state. This equilibrium is broken when the honey is extracted, jarred and placed in our pantry.
In contrast, honeys with a high fructose content, such as linden honey or honeydew honey, will not crystallize as quickly, if at all. Fructose is much more water-soluble than glucose.
The speed at which honey crystallizes varies from a few weeks to several months, depending on the floral origin. Temperature plays an important role in crystallization speed and crystal structure.
Ideally, honey should be stored at around 20°C. To make our creamy honey, we lower the temperature to 14°C and churn it for a week. These optimal conditions produce the fine crystals that make honey creamy. If you haven't tried it yet, our creamed honey is famed!
Crystallization: a reversible phenomenon
Crystallization is a reversible phenomenon. Through the action of heat, honey can become liquid again. For practical purposes, you can place your jar of honey in a bain-marie or oven to liquefy it. A temperature of 45°C is ideal to avoid pasteurizing the honey.
In short, honey crystallization is natural and does not change the honey's properties. Honey that has become solid is just as good as ever. You'll discover it in a different form. Let's embrace crystallization!
