A phenomenon unique to raw, unprocessed honey that some new customers are often unaware of is that it will crystallize over time – and that’s a good thing! Crystallization is nature’s way of preserving the taste and quality of the honey over long periods of time. Crystallization is a spontaneous process where the natural sugars in honey (glucose and fructose) bind together and begin to form little crystals which can make your honey thicker and harder. Sometimes this change happens quickly, and sometimes it takes longer. Temperature, humidity, exposure to sunlight, and other factors all influence when the process begins and how long it will take. It’s still perfectly safe to eat once it crystallizes, but it’s not as easy to use once it hardens.

Thankfully, the honey can return to its liquid state with very little effort. Prepare a container of hot water and put your bottle of honey inside. In a short time, it will return to its liquid state. With time, the honey will crystallize again but reheating it with the same hot water bath technique will once again return it to liquid form.