Crystalized Honey

I just made my cherry melomel, using about a pound of honey out of a five pound plastic jug. My husband comes behind me, needing another pound for his honey brown ale. Except that it is all crystallized. I some how got all the fluid honey off and left a solid glob!

I used a pan of water and put the jug in it, tipped sort of sideways, and kept rotating it. It kind of worked. Once we got out what he needed, I kept at it a little bit longer, but then got tired (it is 8pm on a Sunday).

What is the best way to deal with crystallized honey, and do you bother to de-crystallize all of it?

gently heat it in some water: put a towel in a sauce pan or whatever sized pan it fits in. heat to say 100* (too hot and you drive off the good stuff) and let sit until it liquefies again. i only do it when my honey gets really bad... since it usually goes on/in something hot and is not an issue.

I have a large 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup - I spoon in the crystalized honey and use the defrost mode on the microwave. A brewbelt around the plastic honey container also works.

I think it can also have to do with too much water in the honey (put there either by the bees, processors, or a wet spoon.)

If the container will fit, I just nuke it in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time till it's liquid enough to pour out of the container. Regards, GF.