Tuesday Tip: How to Fix Crystalized Honey

I did not like honey in my youth, but every few years, your taste buds change.  Typically, the older you get, the more bitter foods that you like.  Anyway, now that I have come to my senses, I keep a bottle of local honey in my cabinets at all times; sometimes even with the honeycomb in it because the hubby likes to chew on the beeswax (he is a strange creature).  I use it to sweeten hot teas, to bake, and in my beauty routine.  I go through quite a bit of honey a month (about 2 quarts), but my mom does not.  She had some honey that had crystalized (turned back into solid sugar); this happens because the temperature it is being stored at is too cool or has been sitting for too long.  Don't throw it out though!!!  You can turn the honey back into a liquid in a very easy process!

{See how the honey is solid at the bottom?  That's because it's crystalized!}

{Bottom view of the bottle}

{Simply heat a pot with water--you want the water just beginning to steam.  Don't boil!}

{Place the bottle in the warm water, being careful not to let the plastic bottle touch the bottom of th pan}

{Check the honey every minute or so until the honey has returned to a liquid state.  This bottle took about one minute--the more crystalization you have, the longer it will take!}

And that's it!  Pretty simple right?  How many bottles of honey have you thrown away because you thought it was hard?  I won't lie--I've thrown out a few in my time, but my grandfather told me about this method.  Now no honey goes to waste!  Especially since the poor honeybees are getting lower and lower in number not only in America but other places too.  In fact, Europe just banned the use of three pesticides to allow reserachers to see if they are affecting the honeybee population.

I love honey and all the cool stuff it does.  It's a natural antibiotic and helps sore throats.  During my illness in mid-April, I drank honey and lemon with hot water and sometimes would take a tablespoon, straight, when my throat was unbearable.  Hmmm--maybe it should be my next Spice It UP spotlight....

If you want to find out more about honey head over to the National Honey Board.

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