What is the crystallization of honey?
What is the crystallization of honey?
Before introducing the phenomenon of crystallization
We must agree that natural honey is rich in therapeutic and nutritional properties in both its liquid and frozen states if it is kept away from the causes of honey spoilage, which are sun, heat and humidity.
The crystallization of honey (granularity, freezing, sugaring, curdling): It is a natural change in liquid honey as a result of many factors, where honey is a viscous liquid when it is ripe, then it takes crystallization gradually until it solidifies, and here many questions arise about this crystallization, curdling, or sugaring. It may be decided by many people that this honey is adulterated and unnatural, but these opinions are certainly incorrect and not based on scientific logic and scientific experience, as every natural pure honey can crystallize.
Bee honey is a super-saturated sugar solution, meaning that the solids are more present than the liquid in the solution. Here we must remember that bee honey contains only about 20% water, and as we know, the basic sugars in bee honey are glucose, fructose, sucrose, and sugar. What crystallizes is glucose sugar, while fructose and sucrose remain dissolved in the solution. Crystallized honey is honey that has been filtered in a natural state and left at a temperature of less than 22 °C. A thin, white, granular film whose thickness gradually increases. This is a result of the crystallization of glucose sugar, and the fructose sugar remains dissolved in the water that is still present between the glucose crystals. Soon, the granular structure gradually invades the entire mass of honey.
Some types of honey crystallize more than other types, and there are some types that do not crystallize, and crystallization occurs when glucose crystals separate from the liquid solution and become in a solid state, and some people believe that this is considered spoiled honey SpoiledHoney, but this is not true, as damage occurs only if it occurs Fermentation of honey.
Honeys that contain a high percentage of fructose crystallize slowly, while honeys that contain a high percentage of glucose crystallize quickly.
Accordingly, it is clear that there are some honeys that do not crystallize at all, while others crystallize within a few days after sorting, or even while they are inside the waxy discs.
Some people may understand this case as a kind of fraud, and this is a misconception. Experiments have shown that the size of the crystals and the speed of their formation depend on several factors, the most important of which is the number of primary crystals of glucose present in the honey during its sorting. It crystallizes quickly and turns into a fine-grained mass, like frozen fat, due to the presence of a large number of primary sugar crystals in it. As for honey extracted from new waxy tablets, it is slow to crystallize, and there is a direct relationship between temperature and the speed of crystallization, as sugar crystals form very quickly when keeping honey in a warm place because its viscosity decreases. The aggregates of crystals or granules are accumulated at the bottom in the form of a sediment, but if the honey is kept in a cold place, its viscosity increases and the sedimentation process slows down. Thus, the granules have enough time to grow and unite before they settle and the hardening of the honey begins with the formation of granules that hold together and lead to its crystallization. The shape and color of crystallized granules in honey varies according to the source and location of the nectar (some honeys crystallize homogeneously, while others may appear liquid at the top and crystals settle at the bottom). The speed of crystallization varies from one type to another. Some types of honey crystallize immediately after its production, such as tamarisk honey and spring honey, while others may persist in the form of a liquid for several years.