Crystallized raw honey woes

[AwakenedMama]

How do you deal with crystallized raw honey? We get it from a local farm, and it comes in this mini-gallon containers that it is extremely hard to get out of (even after soaking in warm water). I put it in a honey jar, but it still crystallizes. This morning, I couldn't even stir in my yogurt.

I don't want to have to melt my honey every time I want a teaspoon.

The farm says it's "normal" to crystallize and that if it doesn't, it's not raw.

[wife2jason]

I buy gallons of raw honey (w/ that smallish spout) too. Never has mine crystalized. In the past, the only time I've had crystalized honey was if it hung around for a long time. My honey source said it's still good even once crystalized and recommended putting the gallon in the car where the sun could heat it up through the window. That was summer time when we had the conversation though.

So frustrating!

[Drummer's Wife]

I was just wondering about this, too. Mine is in a small glass jar and now that it's getting down to the last of it it's crystalizing and very hard to get out. (hard to open the jar as well.)

[sunnysandiegan]

My raw honey is in a wide mouth glass jar with a metal screw-top lid. It is pretty easy to get an iced tea spoon (long handle, small "bowl") all the way to the bottom and scrape out whatever is left and all the sides are easy access due to the cylinder shape of the jar. When the weather turned chilly is when it crystalized and the lid became harder and harder to remove. I have resorted to loosely (1/4 turn) capping the honey versus fully capping it (1/2 turn). The lid is on enough that it doesn't fall off when bumped, but it isn't so tight it requires hot water being poured over the lid and using the silicone hot pad and DH to get it open...

[rachelsmama]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

I was just wondering about this, too. Mine is in a small glass jar and now that it's getting down to the last of it it's crystalizing and very hard to get out. (hard to open the jar as well.)

The easiest way I know to get the last of the honey out of a jar is to make tea and instead of scooping the honey out to sweeten the tea, pour the tea into the honey jar. Of course, that only works when you've already gotten almost all of it out.

Originally Posted by AwakenedMama

The farm says it's "normal" to crystallize and that if it doesn't, it's not raw.

Originally Posted by wife2jason

I buy gallons of raw honey (w/ that smallish spout) too. Never has mine crystalized. In the past, the only time I've had crystalized honey was if it hung around for a long time.

The two of you probably buy honey made from different flowers' nectar. Some honey, such as aster honey, crystallises so fast it can crystallise in the comb, and some honeys crystallise much more slowly.

I like crystallised honey mixed with butter. Yummy!

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by rachelsmama

The easiest way I know to get the last of the honey out of a jar is to make tea and instead of scooping the honey out to sweeten the tea, pour the tea into the honey jar. Of course, that only works when you've already gotten almost all of it out.

genius! thanks

[nerdymom]

Maybe you can keep your honey in a slightly warmer place to keep it softer? Wrap the jar in paper or foil and set it in a window maybe? Even weak winter sun may keep it soft enough to scoop with a long spoon. Alternatively you could get some shallow, airtight widemouth crocks and transfer the honey into that, it would be easier to scrape. Something like this maybe. http://www.shopwiki.com/Airtight+Glass+Storage+JarBlack