The visual manifestations of honey are very diverse. In general, we distinguish between liquid, creamy and solid resp. crystallized honey.

All honey crystallizes over time, some types within a few weeks, others only after a few years. This is a completely natural, positive process and an indication that the honey has not been overheated or microfiltered. In department stores you can sometimes find honeys that have been heat treated or filtered to keep them liquid for as long as possible - however, these honeys have lost most of their valuable ingredients through the treatment.

How fast does honey solidify? crystallizes, depends primarily on its fructose and glucose content. With a predominant fructose content, such as acacia honey, the honey only crystallizes after a very long time; where there is a high glucose content, such as in rapeseed honey, crystallization takes place within a few weeks.

Caution: If a liquid layer forms on the surface of the honey, the honey should be consumed quickly because the high water content of this layer could cause fermentation. A curved lid and a hissing sound when opening the jar indicate that the honey has already fermented, which fortunately is extremely rare. These honeys should no longer be consumed.

On the other hand, you can count yourself lucky if white spots appear in the crystallized honey (see pictures below of a Bernese Oberland honey that is less than a year old). This so-called "flower formation" shows that the honey has a very low water content, i.e. it was harvested very carefully by the beekeeper and can therefore be kept for many years without any problems.