How To Soften Honey In a Plastic Bottle? A Step by Step Guide

You are making yourself a super healthy beverage, and as a finishing touch, you need a little bit of honey. However, you find that the honey is all crystalized, and no matter how hard you squeeze the bottle, not a single drop of honey comes out. What would you do if that happened to you?

If you know how to soften honey in a plastic bottle, you will not even need to think about adding sugar or other unhealthy sweeteners. Follow this guide to learn the easiest way to de-crystallize honey!

Why Does Honey Crystallize?

Before anything else, we would like to give you an idea regarding why honey crystallizes in the first place. The main reason it gets concentrated is that it is a super-saturated sugar solution.

There are different types of sugar molecules available in honey. It only contains glucose and fructose. The composition of the sugar molecules will depend on what the bees are eating and what time of the year it is. For example, if honey primarily has a raspberry component, it will crystalize faster.

However, that is not the only reason why honey crystalizes. If the honey is not stored correctly, it will take a crystal form. Likewise, if the harvester is not filtering the honey properly while harvesting, there is a reasonably high chance of the honey crystallizing rapidly.

How To Soften Honey In Plastic Bottle? Two Easy Methods Explained

Some brands will sell their honey in plastic containers. And unlike glass jars, it is not easy to work with honey that comes in plastic containers. Things get complex when the honey gets crystallized. Nonetheless, if you are stuck with crystalized honey in a plastic bottle, follow these steps:

Step 1: Transfer the honey into a glass jar (optional)

First and foremost, get all the honey out of the plastic bottle. Yes, you can work with plastic bottles, but the container will melt if it cannot withstand the heat. Use a knife or a spoon to scoop all the honey from the plastic bottle and transfer them.

That said, if the plastic bottle is rated for extreme heat, you can keep the honey inside it.

Step 2: Fill a bowl with hot water and place the jar

Next, fill a bowl with reasonably hot water. Water that is close to or is boiling will work like a charm. Place the glass jar in the bowl. This heat is why we recommended transferring the honey from the plastic container to the glass jar.

Step 3: Wait for the honey to liquefy

You will need to be patient and wait for the honey to de-crystalize. The required time will depend on how much honey is in the jar. And the overall size will also dictate how much time it will take for the entire honey to de-crystalize.

Step 4: Get the jar/bottle out of the bowl

When the honey inside the glass jar or bottle liquefies, you will need to take it out of the bowl. Wipe the exterior with a clean cloth, and then enjoy the liquified honey.

Alternative Method to Crystallized Honey

As you can see, the hot water method will take a reasonable amount of time if you have a lot of honey to crystallize. There is a backup method that can hasten things up. And for that method, you will need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Transfer the honey to a microwave-safe glass bowl

First of all, you will need to transfer the honey to a glass jar or bowl that is microwave safe. Again, you cannot use plastic containers here because the microwave can degrade the plastic. And not all the plastics are microwave-safe.

Step 2: Place the bowl into the microwave oven

Next, you should place the honey in the microwave oven. Turn it on for thirty seconds. Stir the honey a little bit and check if it is still hard. Is it still hard? Microwave again for fifteen seconds! Also, stir the honey again after taking it out.

Step 3: Remove the bowl from the microwave

Once the honey liquefies, you will need to remove the bowl from the microwave. Place it on a cloth pad or dish towel and let it cool. It might take about a couple of minutes to get to room temperature.

Step 4: Use the liquefied honey in your recipe

After the honey reaches room temperature, all that would be left for you to do is to use the honey for your recipe.

Caution That You Should Take While Softening Honey

There are a couple of things that you should bear in mind when you soften honey. First of all, if you cannot find a way to transfer the crystalized honey from the plastic bottle, you can put the plastic bottle inside the warm water. This trick might work, but not all the plastics can withstand boiling temperatures.

So, before you put the bottle inside the near-boiling water, check whether the bottle can withstand the heat. Secondly, take extra caution when taking the honey from the hot water bowl. If you hold the jar or the bottle with your hand, you will burn your fingers.

The same thing applies when you are taking the bowl out. Use mittens to protect your hands. On that note, when using the microwave, do not boil the honey. When you simmer honey, its quality will deteriorate. It will even lose all of the essential nutrients and enzymes  Honey Mustard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should you store honey?

The way you store the honey can dictate whether you will find the honey crystallized or not. When storing honey, you should keep it enclosed, away from sunlight, and in an environment where the temperature is around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Does honey degrade when it crystalizes?

Not really. It is normal for honey to crystalize. No matter how high-grade honey you have in your hand, if you do not store it right or if the sugar molecule composition is high, it will crystalize.

What happens when honey crystallizes?

When honey crystallizes, it will lose its color. It will become white. Also, the texture will be very different. It might even be a bit grainy and will taste comparatively less sweet.

Final Words

Honey crystallizes for natural causes. But that does not mean that you need to settle with crystalized honey! And learning how to soften crystallized honey in plastic bottles is not a challenging task. So, instead of using the grainy, less sweet, and white honey, de-crystallize it and enjoy it to its fullest!

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