Is Crystallized Honey Safe to Eat?

If you’ve ever opened a jar of honey and found it grainy or even solid, don’t worry! What you’re seeing is crystallization, a completely natural process that happens to all raw honey over time.

Most commercial honeys in the United States are heated and ultra-filtered so that they stay liquid longer on the shelf. Raw honey, like Hyper Local Honey from Mary Bee Honey Co., is unfiltered and never heated meaning that it still contains natural pollen grains, tiny bits of wax, and good enzymes from the bees. Over time sugar crystals will start to form around the pollen and wax bits, causing it to crystalize and eventually giving the honey a spreadable, sometimes creamy texture.

What Impacts Honey Crystallization?

The speed at which honey crystallizes depends on its makeup and how it's stored. Factors include:

• The balance of glucose and fructose: In the process of making honey, bees take sucrose from plants (nectar) and break it down into simpler sugars, fructose and glucose. This process is what makes honey easier for humans to digest than refined sugar. If the honey has more glucose than fructose, it is going to crystalize faster.
• The amount of pollen present: Honey that crystalizes very quickly often has a higher amount of pollen in it. This is because sugar crystals need something on which to build and tiny pollen grains make a great foundation!
• How the honey is stored: Honey is completely shelf-stable and will last literally forever without refrigeration. If you store your honey in the fridge or another cold place, it will likely crystalize quickly and may take on a strange visual pattern and texture, although it will still be safe to eat.

Is Crystallized Honey Safe?

Yes! Crystallized honey is perfectly safe to eat. Many people even prefer the texture because it spreads easily on toast or pairs beautifully with cheese. You can also stir a spoonful into your tea or coffee and it will melt right in.

Can You “De-Crystallize” Honey?

If you prefer honey in liquid form, you can gently warm crystalized honey to return it to its golden flow. Here’s how:

1. Transfer your honey into a glass jar (if it isn’t already).
2. Partially fill a saucepan with water and place over low heat.
3. Remove the lid from your honey jar and set it in the water before it heats up.
4. Slowly warm the honey until the crystals dissolve, keeping the water below 110°F.

This low-and-slow method preserves honey’s natural enzymes and antimicrobial properties while restoring its liquid texture.

The Sweet Truth

Whether you enjoy it crystallized or smooth, raw honey is delicious, safe, and full of natural benefits. Hyper Local Honey from Mary Bee Honey Co. comes directly from colonies in southeast Baltimore and crystallization is just one more reminder that what’s in your jar is pure, raw, and unprocessed!