I was made aware of an issue with last year’s honey from my Lincoln apiary, and I wanted to make everyone aware of it.
For reasons unknown to me, the honey from Lincoln seems to be more susceptible to crytallization, and when it crystallizes, it tends to gain some volume and as a result may leak out of its container.
To re-liquify crystallized honey, the age-old sure method is to heat it. I usually set my oven to its lowest settings (170 F), and leave the honey in it (which can be done inside a pot with some water to prevent any sort of overheating). A few hours later the honey is fully liquid (caution: do not tighten to lids on the honey when the lid and jar are hot, as it will become too tight when it cools down). When you re-liquify the honey from Lincoln, it leaves a foamy white residue on top. That residue is perfectly safe to consume, it’s some very fine wax floating on top.
I’m not sure why this happens with the Lincoln honey or how it is different from honey from other hives, but that’s what I observed. To know where your honey is from, look at the dot on the lid of the container, if the dot is orange, the honey is from Lincoln.
My suggestion is to keep that honey in warm areas so it will not crystallize, and generally eat it first before the winter comes.
If you experienced any issues and would like my help to re-liquify it or to replace the honey, please contact me.
Tal