2.7 Preparing and Bottling Granulated, soft set and seeded Honey

Question 1

Granulation Facts

Answer 1

> 40 degrees none
<10 degrees slow
<4.5 degrees stops
Glucose to fructose - higher ratio faster granulation (GG)- e.g. Brasica napus
Glucose to water - higher ratio faster granulation
Viscosity inhibits granulation - molecules cannot move easily
Presence of nuclei around which crystals form (dust, pollen, small crystals)
Stirring breaks up crystals and distributes evenly (creamy texture)
Faster granulation= small crystals, smooth honey
Slow granulation=large course crystals

Question 2

Granulated honey

Answer 2

Has a high percentage of glucose. It can be strained and bottled directly from the settling tank. It will
set hard. The surface is difficult to penetrate with a spoon

Question 3

Soft set honey

Answer 3

Has a fine crystal that has been allowed to set, been warmed,
stirred, rebottled and allowed to set. When spooned out the honey should spread easily
but the cut shape in the jar should remain firm.

Question 4

Seeded honey

Answer 4

If the crystals of a soft set honey are still too coarse, the honey is heated again and about
10% by weight of a honey with the required crystallisation is warmed, added and blended
with the liquified honey. The result should be a soft set, fine grained seeded honey.

Question 5

How to prepare seeded honey

Answer 5

Liquefy the honey to be seeded by heating to 50℃ and allowed to cool to 35℃
• Honey with the appropriate fine crystal size is heated to 35℃ and 10% by weight, or more if desired, is added to the honey to be seeded and stirred in carefully.
• Allow to settle. Remove scum on surface with clingfilm.
• Bottle into pre-warmed jars
• Store at 14℃

Question 6

Section C Question:
Starting with a 14kg (30lb) bucket of granulated mixed summer flower honey describe
the process to hygienically produce a seeded soft set honey for sale in jars.

Answer 6

• Turn on the warming cabinet and set the thermostat to 35℃.
• Take the bucket of granulated honey and scrape the top surface to remove any foreign or unwanted materials.
• Heat the bucket at around 35℃, which might take 8 to 12 hours, possibly more. The aim is to reach a state where the honey can be poured into another 14kg bucket. It is then left to settle so that air bubbles and any remaining unwanted materials rise to the
surface. This material can then be cleaned with clingfilm and the bucket stored at 14℃.
• In this case the honey still sets with an unsatisfactory granulation. The honey can now be heated to 35℃ and on this occasion it is stirred carefully so as not to break the surface and introduce air bubbles. It should now set as Soft Set honey in that it can be spread like butter but when a section is taken from the jar, the cut out shape remains firm.
• On this occasion, while soft set, the crystallisation is still too coarse. It is heated to 50℃ then allowed to cool to 35℃. Meanwhile take 1.5kg (approx 10% by weight of the honey to be seeded) of honey that has the desired crystallisation and heat that to 35℃.
• When both honey and the seed are at 35℃ the seed can be added and blended with the liquefied honey, allowed to settle and jarred when it reaches 25℃. The jars having been washed and dried and allowed to warm also to approximately 25℃.
• Activities should take place in the honey room whenever any step in this process requires the honey to be exposed to the elements. Those handling the
honey should wear clean coats or aprons plus hats/hair nets. The surfaces should be clean, windows closed and all utensils, buckets, strainers, jars etc of food handling quality.
• The filled jars should be checked for weight then stored at 14℃ in a cool, dark, dry place to allow the honey to set as soft set honey.
• Record the batch details and add a label prior to sale.

Question 7

Preparing liquid honey from crystal

Answer 7

Scrape and replace lid
Heat to 32°C for 2-3 days
Settle for 12 hours in warm room
Cling film top to remove scum
Clean jars and new lids
Bottle in warm jars in odourless warm room. Weigh
Heat to 60°C for 45 mins to delay formation of crystals and increase shelf life
Keep in warm room for 24 hours and then store at 10°C
Heat fermented honey to 94C to sell as bakers