Has your honey gotten crystallized before you could eat it all? Don’t worry, while it may be harder to get out of the bottle now, it hasn’t gone bad. Honey is one of the only foods that can never spoil, or mold. (Source) If you’ve ever thrown away honey, don’t sweat it. You didn’t know. Now you do!

How to De-Crystallize Honey

A hot water bath is the safest way to de-crystallize, and the best method for repeated at home reheating. Use hot, but not boiling water, and keep your honey in its glass container. Plastic can melt in this hot water bath and leech into your honey. Too much heat can harm the flavors of the honey, so make sure you keep an eye on the honey while heating it up, and stir occasionally. This is a slow process, but you will be rewarded with beautiful liquid honey again.

How to Store Your Honey

Crystallization is a natural and inevitable process. However if stored properly, you can delay crystallization as long as possible. Store honey in a room temperature (60-75 F), dark, dry cabinet or storage area. Keep in an airtight glass container and use dry utensils.

Want to know more? Why does crystallization happen? What is fermented honey and is it OK to eat? Click here to learn more.