Creamed honey vs runny honey: what the difference actually is

What is the difference between creamed honey and runny honey?

Only the texture. Creamed honey is ordinary honey that has been encouraged to crystallise into very small, smooth crystals, so it spreads like butter instead of running. Nothing is added. Runny honey is the same honey before it sets, or a type that is slow to set. Clover, rātā and pōhutukawa cream best; honeydew and rewarewa stay runny longest.

Creamed honey is controlled crystallisation

All honey holds more sugar than it can keep dissolved, and in time the glucose comes out as crystals. Left alone, that happens unevenly and the crystals can be large and gritty. Creaming steers it: a little finely set honey is stirred through liquid honey as a “seed”, then the batch is held cool and stirred until it sets evenly to a fine grain. Why honey crystallises covers the chemistry.

Is anything added to creamed honey?

No. The seed is honey too. A jar labelled creamed honey should list honey and nothing else. If there is any other ingredient, it is a honey spread, not creamed honey, and the label has to say so.

Which New Zealand honeys cream best?

Clover: the classic creamed honey, white and firm.
Rātā and blue borage: pale, fine and very smooth.
Pōhutukawa: sets almost white, sometimes sold creamed by default.
Kāmahi: creams to a buttery, golden spread.

Which stay runny?

High-fructose honeys resist setting. Beech honeydew can stay liquid for a very long time, and rewarewa sets slowly and coarsely. That is why they are usually sold runny, and why a set honeydew is uncommon.

Which should you buy?

For toast and crumpets: creamed. It stays where you put it.
For drizzling, dressings and drinks: runny.
For baking: either. Creamed honey melts back as soon as it is warmed in the mix.

Can you cream your own honey?

Yes. Stir a spoonful of a creamed honey you like into a jar of runny honey of a similar type, mix well, and keep it somewhere cool, stirring once a day for a few days until it sets. It works best with a high-glucose honey such as clover. Keep it cool afterwards; warmth will slowly undo the texture.

My creamed honey has gone runny on top

That is warmth. A creamed jar left in a warm kitchen can soften and separate a little. It is still fine to eat. Stir it back together and store it somewhere cooler. How to store honey.

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