Erratum.  I posted:

'Dyce (who first invented a reliable process for producing set
honey) suggested 'conditioning' honey by warming the jars to 84F for 3 days
so that the honey could relax'.  I must apologise as this was incorrect.

Eva Crane describes the Dyce process in 'Honey' and in section 10.67
'Conditioning honey after it is granulated' states: 'If a honey is too hard
for table use, it should be left at a temperature of 30C (85F) until it is
'conditioned', or soft enough to spread.'  It is not clear whether this is
part of the Dyce process, or whether the temperature was determined by
someone else.

In the same section she describes 'frosting' (i.e. where set honey pulls
away from the side of the jar giving an unattractive appearance) and states:
'McDonald [Further studies on Honey Crystallization, Cornell University,
M.Sc. thesis] found that if the processed honey is removed from the
refrigerator at the end of five days and conditioned or softened a little at
a temperature of about 32C (90F for three days, this difficulty is not
experienced.'

Personally, I have not found this softening process to be effective in
preventing frosting, whereas allowing the honey to almost set in the tank
and creaming it to break the crystal structure before bottling seems to work
every time.

Peter Edwards
[log in to unmask]
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/

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