How To Soften Honey In 5 Different Methods

There’s nothing sweeter than a drizzle of golden honey as a fruit or cheese topper, toasty drink sweetener, or folded into a recipe. But what happens when you reach for the honey, only to find it hardened into the container?

Fear not: It’s still safe to eat, and you can successfully revive hardened honey using a variety of different methods and containers. For example, you can soften honey by dipping your jar in warm water, leaving it in the sun, or putting it in a sous vide or the microwave. Here's everything you need to know about how to soften honey, how to store it, and how to cook it for the most delicious results.

Why Does Honey Harden?

Honey naturally hardens over time in a process called crystallization. Made by bees, the sweet syrupy substance is made up of water and sugars, like fructose and glucose. During crystallization, those sugars separate from the water to form little crystals, which causes the honey to harden. Honeys with higher sugar content will harden faster.

How To Soften Honey

There are several methods you can use to de-crystalize your hardened honey. Here's what to do:

How To Soften Honey In Warm Water

If you have the time, you can soften honey in a plastic or glass vessel by placing the container into a bowl of hot—but not boiling—water (around 110°). The water level should be at least halfway up to the level of the honey in the jar. As the water cools, you will have to replace it with warm or hot water continually until the honey is fully softened. This method is easy and effective, but it requires some patience and time, generally around 20 minutes.

How To Soften Honey In Warm Water Quickly

Alternatively, heat water inside a saucepan; then remove the saucepan from heat. Now, place the jar of honey inside a saucepan with the hot—but not boiling—water (around 110°) up to the level of the honey in the jar. Do not let any water get inside the honey container. Using this method, you can soften honey in about 15 minutes.

How To Soften Honey In A Sous Vide

Similarly, you can use a sous vide machine or slow cooker with the same result: Set the temperature to 110°, and place the container of honey (or just the portion size you need to be softened in a bag) inside the water bath.

How To Soften Honey In The Microwave

If you need your honey softened in a hurry, you can use the microwave method.  It’s better to transfer honey into a glass or ceramic vessel first. Microwave the hard honey for about 30 seconds. Then stir it, and microwave in additional 15-second increments as needed, until all the honey is liquified.

How To Soften Honey In The Sun

If you have three-to-four days to spare, you can place your jar or bottle of honey in direct sunlight, like on a windowsill, and let the sun's heat do its thing. Though the longest method, this is perhaps the most passive way to de-crystalize your honey.

Can I Soften Honey In A Plastic Container?

You can use a heat-safe plastic container to soften honey using the warm water methods. However, you should avoid microwaving plastic if possible. Doing so in a non-microwave-safe container can cause some of the chemicals and toxins in the plastic to contaminate the honey.

Does Honey Expire?

If you find your honey has hardened, darkened, and/or crystallized over time, you needn't be concerned about the safety of consuming it. In short, honey does not expire. Because there are more sugars than water in honey, it is an inhospitable host for bacteria. As long as it stays free from added moisture or foreign materials (don't dip your spoon in the jar after whirling it in your teacup, for example), it can exist indefinitely without spoiling.

How To Store Honey

To help slow down the crystallization process, store your honey in an airtight container at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. You may, however, need to use the warm water or microwave method to soften the honey and return it to a liquid state before use.

Note: Do not store honey in the refrigerator. Instead of slowing down the process of crystallization and hardening, this will only speed it up. (The same goes for storage in a very cold pantry or garage.)

How To Use Honey

Ideally, you’ll reserve enough time to allow the honey to come down to room temperature before serving it or using it in a recipe. It makes a great, healthier substitution for sugar. See some of our favorite recipes below:

• Hot Honey
  
• Salted Honey Pie
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin And Fall Harvest Salad
• Honey Barbecue Sauce
• Honey-Balsamic Fig Compote
  
• Hot Toddy
• Honey-Soy Glazed Pork Chops