Granulation (Crystallization)
Lexikon
Granulation is the everyday term for the natural crystallization of honey, in which the dissolved glucose separates out in the form of solid crystals and the honey changes from a liquid to a firm or creamy consistency.
Granulation is the everyday term for the natural crystallization of honey, in which the dissolved glucose separates out in the form of solid crystals and the honey changes from a liquid to a firm or creamy consistency. This process is entirely natural and, according to experts, is even a sign of quality in untreated, genuine honey, since only heavily heated or filtered honey stays permanently liquid.
How quickly and how finely a honey granulates depends mainly on the ratio of the two main sugars, glucose and fructose, and on the water content. Honeys with a high glucose content, such as rapeseed honey, granulate especially quickly and tend towards fine crystallization, while fructose-rich honeys such as acacia honey often stay liquid for months. The crystals grow fastest at cool storage temperatures of around 14 degrees, while they barely form at refrigerator temperatures and melt again from around 25 to 30 degrees.
A common misunderstanding among customers is to mistake granulated honey for spoiled honey or honey adulterated with sugar, when in fact the opposite is true. For beekeepers, granulation mainly means catching the right moment for bottling and, depending on the desired consistency, deliberately seeding or stirring the honey before it hardens on its own into coarse crystals.