Fresh honey is liquid and transparent, but over time this valuable beekeeping product gradually loses fluidity and thickens. Such a consistency is not always suitable for use for one or another purpose. This article talks about safe ways, with minimal impact on quality, to make this treat liquid again.
Why is sugar sugared?
Sugaring bee honey is a natural process that is inherent in the natural beekeeping product and speaks about its quality. Even sealed in honeycombs and left by beekeepers in the hives for the winter period to feed the bees, it also undergoes a crystallization process.
The physics of this process is quite simple. The liquid product is a saturated solution consisting of water and quick sugars - glucose and fructose. During the evaporation of water at a certain point, the solution becomes oversaturated, and glucose begins to crystallize.
Important! Unlike glucose, fructose does not crystallize, therefore, some varieties of honey (acacia, chestnut), in which this type of sugar predominates, retain fluidity for a long period of time.
Why melt it?
Typically, candied honey is melted for several reasons:
- Personal preferences. This means that the consumer prefers to use this natural delicacy in a liquid state. This is especially true for children.
- In recipes, honey is usually indicated in liquid form. Therefore, it must be melted.
- The preparation of therapeutic and cosmetic products at home almost always implies a liquid fraction.
- In beekeeping, for the feeding of bees in the winter season, a special candi dough is prepared, which includes melted honey and powdered sugar.
How to melt sugared honey in a water bath
You can “dissolve” a sweet product at home with the help of a device called a water bath. It is better to melt the delicacy in small portions.
Important! It is very important that the temperature of the water in the tank of a larger diameter at the entire stage of the decrystallization strictly in the range of +40° C up to + 50 ° С. It is advisable to use a special thermometer, since it is impossible to provide the desired temperature regime by eye.
To do this, you need:
- Put the right amount of sweet mass in a small pot or jar.
- Put a divider or a cotton cloth folded into several layers into the pan of a larger volume (as in the sterilization of cans with home preservation) and pour water.
- Immerse the container with the candied mass in a large pan so that there is no touching of the walls of the two vessels.
- Put the pots on the stove (gas, electric).
- In the process of heating, the contents must be mixed, since honey has low thermal conductivity.
Video: how to melt sugared honey
Other melting methods
In addition to a water bath, you can melt this product in other ways. Consider how to do it right.
With the help of the sun
The sun will help to obtain a sweet delicacy of the necessary consistency - for this you should put a container with honey in a zone of direct sunlight. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor that the temperature does not exceed + 50 ° C, otherwise the melted product will lose its healing properties.
Did you know? The use of honey 20 g per day within 4 months, significantly improves the state of short-term memory, which is especially useful for the elderly.
Using lemon
This method is quite effective, but it is time consuming. Lemons contain a large amount of citric and ascorbic acids, which act on sugars, turning them into a liquid state.
How to make a thickened bee product liquid again:
- washed large lemon cut into thin slices or slices;
- place slices in a container with a candied delicacy and leave for a while until the melting process begins;
- the top layer of the obtained flowing honey will be sour, but when mixed, the taste will “level out” and become sweet again.
This method allows you not to monitor the temperature during melting.
Softening in warm water
A glass jar with a sweet product should be placed in the sink, pre-corking the drain hole, and collect hot water. Using a thermometer, you must set the water temperature to not more than + 50 ° C.
As it cools, part of the water needs to be drained and hot added. Honey in the jar must be periodically mixed, thereby accelerating the process of decrystallization. You can also place a hermetically sealed jar under a stream of hot water of a given temperature and in such a simple way heat the treat to the desired consistency.
In the microwave
With this method of melting, a portion of the sweet product will turn into a liquid state within a few minutes. To do this, it is necessary to place the hardened mass in the glassware from the thermal glass, set the power to 600 W and the time from 2 minutes. After turning off the timer, the resulting substance must be moved to a cold container, while thoroughly mixing the formed layers to a homogeneous state.
How not to heat sugared honey
Whatever method is chosen during recrystallization, certain rules must be observed during its implementation:
- “To work” to take small portions, as the process of sugaring will occur again;
- do not exceed the melting point - + 50 ° C;
- do not mix different varieties of sweet treats before the liquefaction process;
- Prevent water from entering the product.
How many times can I drown?
There is always a risk that with the repeated process of recrystallization of honey its useful properties will be lost to one degree or another, therefore this manipulation should not be carried out twice.
Did you know? In ancient Egypt, honey was used as money - this product was very much appreciated and considered a divine gift.
Of course, it is best to use honey without additional manipulations, in which it is exposed to temperature or other effects and as a result turns into a sweet liquid. However, subject to simple rules, it is possible without loss of quality to obtain the product of the desired consistency.
