> > As I understand it, 160 degrees F is the temperature to which
> > honey must be heated to permanently prevent crystalization.  It
> > may depend a bit on the specific nectar source, as the speed with
> > which unheated honey crystalizes certainly depends strongly on its
> > source.
<etc.>
 
> Question 1. Who knows from experience what the minimum
> temperature-time combination is that is  necessary to "permanently"
> prevent crystallisation?
 
Honey is not just one thing.  It is a category word like
'vehicle'.  There are many sources and compositions of honey and
generalization is futile and dangerous.
 
> Question 2. "The "benefits" of heating include ....... loss of
> flavor." !!!!! Benefit? What effect does such heat treatment
> actually have on the honey ie. how much of the various beneficial
> trace substances are destroyed / changed / reduced in quantity?
 
Depends how many are there to begin with.
 
> IMHO anyone who wants a tasteless sirup-like honey could just as
> well buy sirup! However, if we end up with a honey type that won't
> crystallise (Rose bay willow herb or bell heather for example) this
> is of course valued by us for use on ice-cream, fruit deserts etc.,
> but I am very doubtful about heating up our normal finely
> crystallised honey to obtain a source of liquid honey as I feel that
> such heat treatment must reduce the honey's health value -- am I
> wrong??
 
We have customers who buy honey for its medicinal properties - they
make an old German cure,  They insist on totally raw honey - straight
out of the extractor.  One time we accidentally sold him honey that
had been heated to 120 degrees F.  He came back and complained that
his remedy wasn't working and wanted more honey - but wanted
assurances that it had experienced no heat.
 
FWIW.
 
> cheers Tony
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Anthony N. Morgan (Tony)                 Fax: +47 73 89 62 86
> "Stavshagen"                          E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Midtsandan                               Sor-Trondelag College 7563
> MALVIK                              Elec. Eng. Department Norway
>                               7005 TRONDHEIM, Norway
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                    VE6CFK
Rural Route One, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada  T0M 1Y0
Honey. Bees, Art, & Futures <http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka>