UNseparating honey (solution found)

[ChrisGreaves]

So I've had this plastic bottle of liquid honey for three months; I use perhaps a tablespoon at a time.
Suddenly the honey separates into a pale sugary residue and The Rest.

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I tried resting it (The Rest", geddid?) on its side and rotating it every few hours in the hopes that I could get the constituent parts together again.
Nope.

Next I added a couple of spoons of hot water, (later: Do NOT do this!) hoping that a little extra liquid might do the trick. Shook it vigorously, returned to the old rotate-every-few-hours ploy.
Nope.

Finally it dawned on me that I should have asked here before doing anything.

So what's the trick, honey?

P.S. I could guzzle it in bed tonight while reading a book, but that would make me break out in a terrible sweat atop my head.

[HansV]

The trick is to heat the honey.

Transfer the honey to a glass jar that has ample capacity for it. Don't put a lid on the jar or put it on very loosely.
Place the jar in a saucepan filled with water to just above the level of the honey.
Heat slowly; try to keep the water from boiling.
After a while, the sugar should start to dissolve into the honey again by the warmth. You may stir the honey once in a while.
When the sugar has dissolved completely, take the jar out of the saucepan and let it cool.

Note: some loss of quality is inevitable.

[ChrisGreaves]

The trick is to heat the honey.Note: some loss of quality is inevitable.

Thanks for the recipe. I'll try it now.

I just want to make sure, though, that you didn't mean "The trick is to eat the honey.Note: some loss of quantity is inevitable."

[ChrisGreaves]

The trick is to heat the honey.

Brill!
I knew I should have asked here first.
I now have a jar of very liquid honey; still and all, it's better than the granular-separated mess I had.
Next time ...

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Thanks again, Hans!(I as near typed "Thanks, Honey"!)

[garbsmj]

Also store the honey out of the light. Works for me.

[ChrisGreaves]

Also store the honey out of the light. Works for me.

Hmmm.
I have held it in a cupboard above the stove; dark, but maybe a slow-drying-out process.
A kitchen cupboard ought to do.

Why is light considered harmful to honey?

[StuartR]

For what it is worth, I have achieved the same result using the lowest setting on a microwave oven for about 15 seconds. This is more risky but much easier, so long as you remember to remove the metal lid.

[garbsmj]

I used to have trouble with it when a)I stored it on the counter or b)put it in the fridge. But reallly as long as you can get it back to a usable state (and don't accidentally turn it into mead) you should be okay.

[StuartR]

...accidentally turn it into mead...

[Skitterbug]

Also store the honey out of the light. Works for me.

.
Why is light considered harmful to honey?

Bees me!

But I do know that honey doesn't like to be cold either. Cold causes honey to crystalize more quickly!

[ChrisGreaves]

But I do know that honey doesn't like to be cold either. Cold causes honey to crystalize more quickly!

Oh that's good to hear. Up until now I thought the only thing you knew about was bumping my pages of private messages from 1 to 2





I suspect now that "liquid honey" is a super-cooled liquid, and that at normal room temperature (whatever a normal room is) it remains liquid, but that at temperatures near-freezing it happily crystallizes.

[ChrisGreaves]

... microwave oven for about 15 seconds. ...

Thanks Stuart.
I don't have time to play around with my microwave (grin), so I'm going to leave the jar, lid loose, on my mug-warmer overnight.
The adhesive label is present to let me see if there is any change in volume, I having left my marker pen in the next room ...

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[ChrisGreaves]

...accidentally turn it into mead...

Sounds fishy to me.

Oh, no.
That's "One man's mead is another man's poisson"

[HansV]

I don't have time to play around with my microwave (grin), so I'm going to leave the jar, lid loose, on my mug-warmer overnight.

Although honey crystallizes at low temperatures, keeping it warm for extended periods of time will have a negative impact on its flavor.

[ChrisGreaves]

... keeping it warm for extended periods of time will have a negative impact on its flavor.

Right.
That does it.
Off the mug-warmer and into an experimental batch of oatmeal&raisin cookies .....