Yes, natural honey that has been left unprocessed crystallizes. Crystallization is a normal and random process.

No, the crystallization of honey helps to protect the taste and consistency of your honey. Honey that has crystallized has a richer flavor. When honey gets crystallized, it takes longer for it to melt on your palate, which allows all of your taste buds to activate and scoop up on subtleties.

So, you can tell the difference between real and fake honey by following simple test tricks at home.

Thumb test

Apply a small amount of honey to your thumb and see if it spills like some other liquid. If it does, it is not real honey.

Water Test

Put a spoonful of honey in a glass of water. Fake or adulterated honey dissolves in water, while pure honey, which has a more dense texture, settles as lumps at the bottom of the glass.

Vinegar Test

Combine a tablespoon of sugar, a little water, and 2-3 drops of vinegar essence in a small mixing bowl. If this mixture foams up, there’s a good chance the honey has been compromised.

The Heat Test

When pure honey is heated, it caramelizes easily and does not foam. Impure honey, on the other hand, does not caramelize and becomes bubbly when heated.

The Flame Test

Pure honey is inflammable. Dip a dry matchstick in the honey and strike it against the matchbox. Your honey is pure if it lights up and if it doesn’t light, it is likely adulterated.

Honey contains natural sugars (fructose and glucose) and water and there’s simply not enough water in honey to keep all of its sugars dissolved permanently.

While fructose tends to remain dissolved, glucose has a much lower solubility which makes honey crystalize naturally.

The crystallization of various types of honey will vary based on the nectar used to make it. The more glucose, the faster it crystallizes.

Raw Honey procured directly from honeycombs is the healthiest.

Place the glass bottle/jar of honey in a pot of hot water, reduce the heat to a minimum, and swirl until the crystals dissolve. You may even leave the container in a pot of hot water until it liquefies on its own.

Do not put your honey in the microwave as the food does not cook uniformly in the microwave. Microwaving can harm your raw honey.

Fortunately, honey does not become poisonous as a result of the heat. However, when honey is heated the taste and color change, and the ingredients are weakened and made ineffective. Enzymes, nutrients, vitamins, and other elements are all affected by heat. Remember that the higher the heat, the more nutritious value of honey is lost.

Honey is unquestionably the superior option. A small amount of honey (1 gm.) is more effective than the same amount of sugar.
Sugar is devoid of proteins, hormones, and vitamins. Honey, on the other hand, is a pure sugar that keeps the nutrients.