Why Does Honey Crystallise?

Honey is a supersaturated solution

Honey holds far more sugar than water can normally dissolve — it is a supercooled solution held well beyond its saturation point. That state is not stable forever. Given time, glucose comes out of solution and forms crystals.

Nothing has been added, nothing has degraded, and the honey has not fermented.

The glucose-to-fructose ratio decides the speed

The main factor is the ratio between the two principal sugars. Honey is roughly 41% fructose and 36% glucose by weight, but the balance shifts with the nectar source.

High-glucose honeys, such as those from brassica, can crystallise almost immediately after harvest. Low-glucose honeys like chestnut and tupelo may never crystallise at all. Our acacia sits at the slow end; our wildflower sets within about two months.

Temperature matters more than most people expect

Crystals grow fastest between 13 and 17 °C. Below 5 °C honey will not crystallise at all, which is why deep freezing preserves the original texture indefinitely.

This is exactly why we ask you not to refrigerate honey. A domestic fridge sits close to the fastest-setting range, so the fridge is the worst place you can put it. Room temperature is better.

How to bring it back

Stand the jar in warm water — not boiling — and leave it until the crystals dissolve. Crystallised honey melts between roughly 40 and 50 °C.

Avoid the microwave and avoid direct heat. Overheating will loosen the honey but cost you the aroma and the enzymes, which is the whole reason for buying raw honey in the first place.

Many people skip this entirely. Set honey is easier to spread and does not run off toast.