How to melt honey: we make the candied product liquid correctly, without loss of quality at home

Everyone should know how to melt honey so that it does not lose its benefits. It should be borne in mind that the mass cannot be heated to high temperatures. Otherwise, bee nectar will lose valuable components. Everyone knows that after pumping, honey retains its beneficial properties for only a few months. After that, the natural process of crystallization begins.

Main causes of honey product hardening

Honey is a bee product that contains a lot of sugars. When storing the mass at a temperature of + 4-28 degrees, the excess sugar becomes solid. This process is called crystallization.

Its flow is affected by the ratio of fructose and glucose in the product. An increased amount of fructose leads to the dissolution of glucose crystals in it. In such a situation, bee nectar candied more slowly. The predominance of glucose leads to faster crystallization. Excess of this substance precipitates in the form of white sheets.

Sugaring, which is accompanied by the formation of small crystals, is called fat-like. In the formation of larger elements, we are talking about fine-grained crystallization. If large and coarse crystals form in the bee nectar, the candied is considered coarse.

Acacia, cherry, chestnut honey includes a lot of fructose. Therefore, these products remain liquid for a long time. At the same time, the predominant number of varieties is characterized by rapid sugaring. Rapeseed crystallizes within a week, and sunflower - in 14 days.

So, the following factors influence the rate of crystallization:

1. The place where bees collect nectar.
2. Component products. The high pollen content speeds up the candying process significantly.
3. Moisture content. The more water present in the product, the later crystallization occurs. At the same time, dense mature honey candied much faster.
4. Storage conditions. At elevated temperatures and frequent stirring, the crystallization process slows down.

To keep honey as long as possible and not crystallize ahead of time, you should follow these rules:

1. Keep the bee product at a low temperature - about +4 degrees. In this case, the crystallization process will be much slower.
2. Stir the honey often. In this case, crystallization centers do not appear.
3. Add water to the composition. Perhaps this method is considered not the best, but very effective.
4. Buy low glucose varieties.

It is also worth considering that a solid product is also tasty and he althy, and its crystallization is considered an important indicator of quality.

Basic heating rules

To get a liquid product, it is important to think about how to melt the candied mass and at the same time retain its benefits. Experts advise to adhere to the following rules:

1. The easiest way is to melt honey in small portions. To do this, it is recommended to collect the right amount of honey in the jar. In this case, the remaining product should be postponed until the next time.
2. Dissolution of glucose crystals is observed at a temperature of +40 degrees. Therefore, honey needs to be heated to such parameters or slightly higher.However, it is impossible to exceed the mark of +50 degrees. This will lead to the loss of useful properties and flavors. Heating honey to more than +60 degrees will lead to a loss of enzyme activity. At the same time, exceeding the mark of +80 degrees provokes the destruction of fructose.
3. Honey is characterized by low thermal conductivity. To speed up the process, it is recommended to periodically stir the mass, which is heated.
4. Don't try to get a transparent texture or make the honey look fresh. It is enough to soften it to such a consistency that it can be poured.
5. After the process is completed, it is recommended to immediately cool the container with the heated mass.

Methods of melting honey in a jar

Today there are quite a few ways to melt honey. In order for the product to retain maximum useful properties, you should strictly follow the instructions and do not exceed the recommended temperature.

In a water bath

The easiest way to make honey liquid is a water bath. To organize the process, you should take 2 pans of different diameters, water, a thermometer. First, pour water into a larger container, and then place a second pan on top. It is important to ensure that they do not touch. After that, you need to pour water into the second container and place a jar of honey.

With the help of a thermometer, it is required to control the water in a smaller container. It is important that it is no more than +55 degrees. After heating the water, the stove must be turned off for half an hour. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated. To melt 300 grams of honey, you need to heat it for 40-50 minutes.

To speed up the process, you can not pour water into the second container. In this case, the jar should be installed in one pan with water. In this case, it is important to provide for the use of a stand.This will help prevent overheating of the mass from a hot day. Since the mass heats up quickly, it is important to carefully monitor the temperature of the water.

In the sun

To melt honey without losing its beneficial properties, it is recommended to leave the container in the sun. In this case, the mass may even be in a plastic container. To achieve the desired results, you should regularly rotate the jar. This will ensure even heating of the contents. The duration of such a procedure can take from 8 hours to several days - it all depends on temperature indicators.

The sun helps to heat the container up to +45-50 degrees. However, this option is only suitable for those people who live in a sunny area and can leave the container for a long time in direct sunlight.

Near the battery

This method is considered the simplest. It is important to ensure that there is enough free space between the can and the battery.This will require 10-40 centimeters. The distance depends on the temperature of the battery. The stronger it is heated, the further the container with the product should be. In this case, you can melt honey even in a three-liter jar. To achieve faster results, it is recommended to transfer the product to a smaller container.

The advantage of this method is that it allows you to save the maximum number of useful properties. At the same time, the disadvantage of the procedure is its protracted nature.

In warm water

To restore the liquid consistency, it is recommended to fill any suitable container with hot water, immerse the jar there and wait for the honey to melt. At the same time, it is important to maintain optimal temperature indicators. This procedure is simple, but takes approximately 6-8 hours. From time to time it is worth adding hot water to increase the temperature.

Microwave

To melt candied honey in the microwave, it is recommended to set the power of the device at 500-600 watts. After that, you need to pour honey into a refractory mold and put it in the oven. Every half a minute, the container must be removed and the mass mixed. It is recommended to continue the process until it reaches the desired consistency.

In the slow cooker

To quickly and effectively melt honey, you should use a slow cooker. At the same time, it is important that the device has a multi-cook function with a processing temperature of no more than + 40-50 degrees. The product will melt fairly quickly. Therefore, it is worth monitoring the process every 1-2 minutes.

In the bath

You can also warm up honey in the bath. In such a room it is convenient to melt the mass in large cans. To do this, you need to heat the bath and wait for a slight decrease in temperature.Then you need to bring in the cans and leave them until the room cools down. It is not worth counting on the fact that the mass will completely melt. However, it will become much softer.

With the help of a lemon

If the honey has thickened, it will be possible to give it a liquid consistency with the help of a lemon. To do this, add 1 slice of lemon per spoon to the jar. As a result, the honey will begin to melt and mix with the juice. The resulting composition is very useful. It can be used for colds. Also, the mass is suitable for making smoothies, cocktails, tea.

Using a decrystallizer

This is a special device that is designed to heat bee products. Beekeepers buy this device to give the nectar a presentation. Liquid mass looks more attractive. Plus, it's easier to pour. At the same time, the device is usually not used at home.

The decrystallizer can melt the product and retain the maximum of its useful properties. The device has a solid surface. Due to this, the nectar is evenly melted. The device has a sensor that indicates the completion of the process. If the signal is ignored and the product is further heated, the bee nectar will lose its usefulness.

If 3-4 months have passed since the honey was pumped out, and the product retains a liquid texture, it is worth asking what this is connected with. This will help determine if the product is natural and has lost its benefits. The fact is that unscrupulous sellers often use ordinary heating to increase sales.

Heating honey in combs

Sometimes there is a situation that bee nectar is candied directly in the combs. In this case, getting it out of there can be quite problematic. To keep the maximum benefit, it is recommended to cut the honeycombs into small pieces and use instead of sweets.Chewed honeycombs should be spit out or swallowed.

To melt the thickened product, it is recommended to place the combs with honey in warm water. At the same time, its temperature should be +40 degrees. The honey will melt little by little and flow straight into the water. Of course, this option allows you to get not the highest quality product. However, sugar water can be used in various cooking recipes.

What not to do

In order for honey to bring the maximum benefit to the body, you should follow these rules:

1. It is not recommended to drink bee nectar with hot drinks - tea, milk, cocoa. Also, do not add honey to them. In this case, the drink will be completely useless or even harmful.
2. It is not recommended to heat honey in the microwave. Despite the high speed of this method, there is a risk of losing the main part of the useful properties. This is due to structural changes in the composition of the product.

Today, a large number of effective ways of honey recrystallization are known. Melting thickened nectar is easy. At the same time, it is important to strictly adhere to the rules of the procedure. Thanks to this, the nectar will acquire a liquid form and a pleasant viscosity without losing its beneficial properties.

Recommended