"This beekeeper has been informed that honey extracted from his hives some months back and stored by the extracting company has fermented and is worthless. It has been stated that the honey has candied."

Assuming that 'candied' means crystallised, sometimes during this process the crystals use less liquid than the fluid honey leaving a watery substance between the crystals which, being less dense than them, rises to the top. As most of the sugars are now in the crystals, there is less osmotic pressure exerted to prevent yeasts, bacteria etc from multiplying and so fermentation of the upper stratum may occur. Different flowering sources produce nectars with different types of sugars in varying proportions and so crystals may be formed large/small, early/late.

Additionally or alternatively, if the honey has been exposed to the air for too long, being hydroscopic it will draw moisture from the atmosphere with the same result.

Nearly all honey will crystallise in time (ling is an exception and forms a thixotropic gel) and storage conditions can accelerate or delay the process. The closer it is stored to 57 degrees Fahrenheit the faster it will crystallise, so the extracting company should keep it warmer or cooler than that if it doesn't want crystals to form.

Fermented honey is not worthless: think of mead, honey beer, metheglin, cyser (my favourite!).  It seems to me that it is your extracting company that is worthless!  Find another or do your own processing and marketing or form a co-operative with your neighbours.

Chris







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