Oh, Honey!

It's probably time I start looking for recipes to use up my honey supply.  My last purchase of honey was from Costco, and given the events of the last two and a half years, that purchase was most likely made before February 2014!  Honey never spoils.  But it does darken...and crystallize. Being one who hates wasting anything still good, I set about to return it to liquid honey.

Crystallized jug of honey.

Once it crystallizes, it is impossible to get out of that plastic jug with the very narrow spout.  I wasn't comfortable putting the jug directly into a pan over a flame, so used the steamer pan.

Dirty steamer pan with hard-water evaporation line.

The steamer pan didn't provide much depth, but I'd hoped it would still work.  It didn't help much.

Partially liquefied.

You may be able to see in the above photo, there's a lower level that appears to have liquefied while the upper portion is still very much crystallized.  I tried to stick a long-bladed sharp knife in through the spout but that proved fruitless.  All I could get out was that little bit in the jar.

Ready to cut.

 The solution!  Said sharp knife is very good at slicing through that plastic.

The top of the jug and the knife!

Crystallized honey.

The honey was very crystallized.  I dug out large spoon and scooped it into a pan.

I set the pan of crystallized honey on the diffuser over a low flame, keeping it uncovered as I didn't want any water from steam to drip into it.  I discovered burner flame doesn't show up in photos.  Weird, huh?

After quite awhile, and stirring to make sure all the crystals had dissolved, and letting it cool off, I took some pint jars and their lids, sterilized them and poured the now liquid honey into them.  Now, even if the honey should crystallize again, which it likely will, it will be easy to get out of the jars to be used.  I would also feel more comfortable setting a glass jar directly into a pan of water than the plastic jug, or it can go into the microwave to liquefy.

Does anyone else find it odd that liquid is spelled with two i's, but liquefy, changes the second i  into an e ?  The English language!