Mats told us that honey sold in Sweden is almost solely what we could call "creamed", with the consistency of butter, and asks how we produce liquid honey.

Mats, if our honey (in this part of the United States) were not treated it would be "hard as a rock" by October/November, particularly if stored in unheated rooms.  We call this crystallized.  The honey that is sold in Sweden, Denmark, and many other European countries is what we call "creamed", which is an intermediate form of crystallization.  Such honey is not very popular in the United States, but has a very loyal following among those who use it.

To keep honey liquid one must do two things:

1.  Remove all foreign solids.
2.  Dissolve any crystals that may have all ready formed.

When carried to an extreme, producers do this by heating honey to 180 degrees (82 C) and forcing the honey through very fine filters with pumps.  This is practiced by some packers in the US and by producers in countries such as Argentina and China.  The result is honey without any solids (including pollen) and honey without any taste!  In the worse cases, the honey can even have a "burnt" taste.  However, this honey will not granulate for 2-3 years, which is what is desired by stores and packers.

More responsible producers and packers in the US will settle for honey that will not granulate for 6-9 months, so process the honey in a way that removes "most but not all" solids and crystals.  My procedure is to heat the honey to 120 degrees and then strain it (by gravity) through material that is similar to that used for making curtains.  That removes all large solids, but not all the pollen.  Then I heat it (in a double walled tank with water on the outside, so that no heat is applied directly to the honey) to 135 degrees for just 15 minutes.  (Then I remove the hot water and immediately replace it with cold water.)  That will dissolve most of the crystals.

My honey will stay liquid in a room heated to roughly 65 degrees (18 C) until about the following May/June.  Hopefully, by then it is sold.  If not, it will crystallize and needs to be re-heated to about 100 degrees (38 C) to re-liquefy.

I have always been told that Liquid honey will not sell in Sweden.  Perhaps you will prove people wrong.    

Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner of Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturer of round comb honey equipment and Sundance pollen traps