Honey when added to a variety of food items, makes it even more delicious but in case your favorite honey which was bought a few months ago, has become hard and crystalline, there is no need to worry about it. It is perfectly usable and has not spoiled.
The honey has crystallized and is a completely natural process by which the flavor or aroma of honey does not change at all.
Some people use crystallized honey on fruit or cereal and eat it as a snack. But if you want to have gooey, liquid honey always, you can still convert the hard, crystalized honey back into its original state.
Apart from the traditional water bath method, you can also soften honey in the microwave with ease. It takes very little time and is hassle-free as well.
To soften honey in the microwave, follow the steps mentioned below:
- If the honey is in a mason glass jar, take off the lid of the jar. Most of the lids of the jars are metal and these cannot be put in the microwave.
- Put the jar in the microwave. If the jar is of plastic, do not put it in the microwave as the plastic can warp and can begin to melt causing the leaching of chemicals in the honey. In this case, transfer the honey to a microwave-safe bowl and then put it in the microwave.
- The power of the microwave should be set at low. Check the settings of the microwave and lower the power percentage. If there is no particular setting for this, select “medium” power level. In case the power is not lowered, there will be overheating of the honey.
- Run the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the honey with a spoon and check if the crystals are gone. If crystals are still present and the honey is hard, reheat for 20 seconds more.
Most of the time, a jar of honey softens in less than 1 minute in the microwave. Try not to overheat honey in the microwave. This may kill the beneficial properties present in it.
Can you microwave honey?
Yes, you can microwave honey. It is an easy and time-saving method and in less than 1 minute, you can soften honey.
Even though most of us practice the microwave method when the honey gets crystallized, it is not the recommended method of heating honey. It should be done by the traditional water bath method or slow cooker method.
When honey is de-crystallized in the microwave, it will usually start crystallizing again quickly even before you put the jar back into the pantry. This is because it is hard to control temperatures in a microwave and therefore, there is uneven heating of the honey.
Another reason for avoiding heating honey in the microwave is that microwaves generated during the operation cause the water inside the honey to boil causing drastic changes in the taste and texture of the honey.
Apart from these, microwaves also destroy the beneficial enzymes and vitamins present in the honey which are responsible for its nutritional benefits.
How to microwave honey bun?
Honeybun, a sweet and flavourful snack, is soft, golden, and tasty. It is made up with hints of cinnamon and a touch of honey.
The honey bun can be eaten directly from the package but you can warm it in the microwave to make it even more delicious.
To microwave a honey bun, you just need a microwave and store bought honey bun package:
- Take a microwave-safe dish and place a honey bun on it after removing the packaging.
- Microwave it for 15 seconds.
- Viola, you are done and ready to eat a warm delicious honey bun.
You can make a honey bun even tastier by putting a slice of cheese on it while heating in the microwave. For this, the honey bun with a slice of cheese has to be heated for about 45 seconds or until the cheese melts.
How to cook honey gold potatoes in microwave?
Honey gold potatoes when cooked in the microwave are crispy on the outside and soft from the inside which makes it a perfect side dish.
Since honey gold potatoes are brightly colored with the crisp skin intact, cooking them with simple Italian seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper gives the potatoes a different taste.
To cook honey gold potatoes in the microwave, follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Take honey gold potatoes and rinse them properly.
- Cut the potatoes in half and pierce each half with a fork.
- Transfer the potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl.
- If you want to add flavor, prepare the seasoning by mixing all the ingredients. Add this seasoning to the potatoes and stir them well.
- Microwave the potatoes on high for about 10 minutes or until they become tender.
- In the middle, toss the potatoes once.
Does heating up honey make it toxic?
No, heating up honey does not make it toxic or harmful. The constitution of the honey can get changed when it is heated and this can also weaken or destroy enzymes, minerals, vitamins, etc present in it.
But surely it will not cause any horrible disease or toxins in your body. Heating honey up to 95 degrees is fine as it can reach this temperature inside the beehive as well. Once crystallized, honey can be softened again by warming it but it should not be done at high temperature.
The method to soften the honey is already mentioned above in this post. It can be done easily in the microwave but ensure to lower the power of the microwave to 50%.
Does putting honey in hot tea destroy benefits?
Honey has been used in tea for a long time and acts as an energizing sweetener for the tea. There are two different types of honey, raw and pasteurized.
If raw honey is put in hot tea, it will destroy its flavor and nutrients but if pasteurized honey is added to a hot tea, no change will occur. Nutrients and flavor will be intact.
Honey is pasteurized by subjecting it to heat so that its texture becomes more palatable to the consumers. With this process, honey becomes smooth and spreadable.
Processed honey by this method kills certain nutrients and when pasteurized honey is added to tea, it will not impact its benefits further.
You must also take care while adding honey to the tea. If it is added immediately after the tea is boiled, the flavor and benefits of honey get destroyed. But if it is added once the water of the tea has cooled down considerably, the sweet taste and health benefits of honey will be retained.
Conclusion
Softening of honey is not a complicated task and it can be done even easier with a microwave. If the honey has become crystallized, which is a natural process, you can soften it by just keeping the glass jar of honey in the microwave without the lid and running the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power.
So, what are you waiting for? All the instructions are given above in detail. Please go ahead and soften your favorite delicious honey in just no time.