| How to Decrystallize Honey Posted: 24 Mar 2020 01:00 AM PDT Honey can last for many years, and there's no need to toss it out if it crystallizes. This process is actually perfectly natural and helps preserve flavor in your honey![1] You still need to decrystallize it to make it easier to get it out of the bottle. You can return the honey back to its non-crystallized state using faucet water, boiling water, or a crockpot depending on the original container for your honey. [Edit]Decrystallizing Honey in a Plastic Bottle with Faucet Water - Fill up a pot with hot water from your faucet. Turn the faucet(s) to full hot with no cold water being mixed in. You do not need to boil or microwave any water (this would melt the plastic); simply use the hottest setting your sink offers.
- Plastic begins to warp at temperatures above , but thankfully most residential water heaters will not keep water this hot.
- Place the plastic honey bottle upright in the water. Make sure the top of the honey container is peeking out from over the water so it does not flood with water. Do not lay the plastic bottle down on its side as this might allow water to leak into the honey.
- Remove the bottle of honey from the sink once the water cools. When the water cools to near room temperature (which you can test with your finger), remove the honey and check for crystals. You can tilt the jar back and forth, checking to see if the honey moves easily. Or, try to squeeze the honey into a mug. If it doesn't come out easily, there are probably still crystals in it.
- Repeat the process as needed until the honey is no longer crystallized. Check again after each iteration to see if honey will move around easily and come out of the bottle when you squeeze it. Once the crystals are gone, you can use the honey and store it back in a more consistently warm area in your kitchen.
- If your honey is not recrystallizing in the sink, you may need to try using boiling water.
[Edit]Soaking a Glass Jar in Boiling Water - Transfer your honey into a glass jar with a spoon. If your honey is stored in a plastic bottle, as most honey is today, twist the cap off of the honey and squeeze or spoon it into the glass jar (a mason jar will work well here). If the honey is too hard, try running the bottle under hot water from the faucet to soften the honey before squeezing the bottle again.
- Most plastic has a temperature limit of 140 degrees, and it will begin to deform if placed in close contact with boiling water.
- Water from the faucet, however, will not be hot enough to deform the plastic.
- Boil a pot of water on the stove. Fill a pot halfway with water and turn the heat up to high. Let it sit until the water reaches a rolling boil.[2]
- Alternatively, you could boil water in an electric kettle and then transfer that water to a pot.
- Remove the pot from the heat and place the honey jar into the pot. Once the pot is off the stove, add the jar of honey to the pot standing straight up, so that the water does not cover it.
- The water level should be close to the top of the honey jar, but it does not need to be submerged. If necessary, pour some of the water out of the pot so that it doesn't cover the honey jar.
- Check the honey for crystals after 5 minutes and repeat the process if needed. Pull the jar out of the pot and move it side to side, with the cap on. Look for chunks of honey that don't appear to move when the honey is dripping back down the walls of the jar. If in doubt, repeat the process of boiling the water and heating the honey.
- Dry off and store your honey in a place that's consistently warm. Set the honey in a cabinet that tends to keep warmer. Avoid keeping honey in areas that fluctuate between warm and cool often, near window sills or appliances with heating elements, for example.[3]
[Edit]Using a Crock Pot to Decrystallize Honey - Fill your crockpot partially with water. It's a good idea to fill the crockpot to ¾ of the height of the honey jar, so that the water will not fully cover the honey jar. This will protect your honey from getting water into it.
- Set the crockpot on low and check the crockpot's temperature. Put a thermometer in the water to check the water temperature, or check your crockpot's manual to see what temperature the lowest setting is. If the crockpot's lowest setting is below , you can simply put a plastic jar of honey right into the crockpot. Otherwise, you need to transfer the honey to a glass jar.
- Most crockpots' lowest settings will be somewhere around , so you should be ok with a plastic jar of honey in most cases.
- Putting a plastic bottle in water that is over could melt the plastic.
- Put the honey jar into the crockpot and let it sit for 8 hours. You do not need to completely submerge the honey, just fill the crockpot near the top of the jar. Check back in every couple of hours to make sure the water has not exceeded 140 degrees. If it has, turn the crockpot off and let it cool, then turn it back on and continue heating.
- Check on the honey after 8 hours and continue heating if necessary. Making sure the jar is not too hot (use gloves if you need to), remove the jar from the crockpot. Turn the jar side to side and look for any crystals or chunks that don't move as well as the rest. If there are still crystals in the jar, continue heating in the crockpot and come back to check in another hour.
- Time will vary depending on how many jars of honey you are decrystallizing and how bad the crystallization was.
- Dry and store your honey somewhere warm if possible. Avoid having the same problem happen soon after by storing your honey somewhere where it is likely to stay warmer, if such a place is available. Don't opt for the window sill or near the oven, where the temperature is likely to oscillate.[4]
- Keep honey in higher cabinets in your kitchen for additional warmth, as heat rises.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Pot
- Stove
- Mason jar
- Crockpot
- Spoon
- If the honey is still not decrystallizing easily in boiling water or in the crockpot, you can stir the honey while it is heating (in either method) to aid the process.
[Edit]Warnings - Some sites recommend microwaving the honey, but do not use this method if you want your honey to maintain its good stuff. Microwaving the honey will destroy many of the beneficial enzymes and essential properties of the honey.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Keep Rings from Sliding Posted: 23 Mar 2020 05:00 PM PDT Rings often slide around on your finger if the ring is a little too big. If you'd like to make sure your ring stays put on your finger, there are lots of simple fixes that will help keep it in place. If you have materials at home like hot glue, tape, or string, you can make your own solution with just a few minutes of time. While taking your ring to a jeweler for a more permanent fix will take a little longer, it's a great way to keep your ring from sliding around on your finger too. [Edit]Doing a Quick Fix - Cover the inside of the band with hot glue and let it cool to downsize the ring. For a precise fit, squirt out a thin line of hot glue in the inside of your ring's band and let it dry completely before putting it on your finger. If your ring is way too big for your finger and needs more than a thin layer of glue, squirt out a small pile of hot glue on a paper or plastic plate. Dip the bottom of your ring's band into the hot glue, moving it back and forth until you build up a thick layer. Wipe off the excess hot glue and let the ring dry.[1]
- Use your fingers to pop the hot glue right off of the ring if you decide you'd like to remove it.
- Make sure the hot glue is completely dry before you put it on your finger to avoid burning your skin.
- Wrap clear Scotch tape around your ring's band to make it feel smaller. Pull off a piece of tape that's roughly long. Start at one end of the tape and begin rolling it in a circle on top of itself, leaving enough length at the end to wrap around your ring's band. Once the tape is in a small ball, flatten the ball and place it inside your ring on the bottom of the band. Use the extra length of tape that isn't in a ball to secure it to the band.[2]
- Use clear tape if possible so it's not as noticeable when you put the tape on your ring.
- Apply a quick-drying clear nail polish on the inside of the ring for an invisible fix. Shake up a bottle of clear top coat nail polish and use the applicator brush to swipe a clear coat onto the inside of your ring's band. Apply the nail polish in a thin layer on the bottom of the band and try to avoid getting any on the outside of the ring. Wait a few minutes for the nail polish to dry before putting on your ring to make sure it doesn't smear.[3]
- If your ring is still sliding around on your finger, apply another clear coat layer on top of the first layer to give it more height.
- Use your fingers to wipe away any excess nail polish that gets on the sides of your ring, if necessary.
- If you need to remove the top coat from the ring, soak a cotton ball in acetone and dab the ring with it until the nail polish comes off.
- Attach a plastic ring guard to the band for a store-bought option. Plastic ring guards are transparent little tubes that slip onto your ring's band to help keep it from moving around on your finger. Pick out a plastic ring guard in a size right for your specific ring and place the plastic tube onto your band by slipping it through the slit in the ring guard.[4]
- Look for plastic ring guards at your local big box store or online.
- Loop clear fishing line around the ring to help keep it in place. Cut a strand of clear fishing line that's at least long. String the clear fishing line through the ring and tie a knot near the edge of the band to keep it secure. Begin wrapping the fishing line through the band to create loops and push the loops close together when they're on the band. Once you get to the other side of the band, tie another knot to secure the fishing line in place.[5]
- Pull the fishing line taut as you're looping it through the band to make sure it stays on the ring tightly. This will also help you push the loops together more easily.
- If you need to remove the fishing line from the ring, cut the knots at the band and unravel it carefully.
- Wrap a piece of cloth or string around the band for a comfortable solution. If you think the plastic or fishing line solutions might be uncomfortable on your finger, pick out a piece of soft string or a skinny piece of cloth that's at least long. Tie a knot onto the side of your band using the string or cloth and begin looping it through the band and pulling it tightly. This will create a soft cushion to help keep your ring from moving around.[6]
- Tie another knot at the other end of the band to keep the string or cloth in place.
- Use a soft cloth that's less than wide to make looping it easier.
- Use scissors to cut the string or cloth off of the ring, if necessary.
[Edit]Taking Your Ring to a Professional - Add sizing beads to your ring to change it about a half size. Sizing beads are made out of the same material as your ring and are added to the inside of the band to keep your ring from moving around on your finger. Two beads are soldered on in the lower left and lower right section of the band and can be smoothed out to be more comfortable.[7]
- Contact your local jeweler to find out how much sizing beads would cost for your specific type of ring.
- For example, if your ring was made out of 14K gold, the beads that are attached would be made of 14K gold as well to match.
- Sizing beads can also be removed later on by your jeweler, if needed.
- Pay a jeweler to add a metal spring insert to your ring for a comfortable fix. Spring inserts are 'U' shaped and attach to the inside of your ring's band. When you slide your finger into your ring, the metal 'U' shape will expand to hold your ring in place on your finger.[8]
- Many people find these to be the most comfortable option.
- The spring insert is usually silver, even if your ring is a different color or material.
- Get your ring professionally resized for a permanent solution. If your ring slides around constantly or is just clearly too large, the best thing to do is to get it resized. While this may be a little more expensive, resizing your ring will ensure that it's comfortable and permanently fixed. To resize the ring, your jeweler will likely cut out a small section of the ring and rejoin it so it's the right size.[9]
- Make sure you talk with your jeweler about how much smaller your ring needs to be and what your correct ring size is so they know exactly how to resize it.
[Edit]References |
| How to Store Vintage Champagne Posted: 23 Mar 2020 09:00 AM PDT Vintage champagne is made from the grapes of a single harvest, and is much higher quality than other champagnes. You can easily store your vintage champagne for many years by creating the right conditions and stacking them properly. Choose a dark, cool location and store the bottles on racks or shelves that can support their weight. Be sure to drink the vintage champagne before it goes flat after about 10 years! [Edit]Creating a Storage Location - Use a well-insulated area to keep a consistent temperature. Choose a room, closet, or another storage area that is insulated enough to prevent wild temperature fluctuations, which can spoil your vintage champagne. Look for a space that has insulated walls, ceilings, and floors.[1]
- Basements that aren't insulated are subject to drastic changes in temperature and shouldn't be used to store vintage champagne.
- If you plan to create a new storage space for your vintage champagne, be sure to insulate it well.
- Place window insulation film over any windows in the space you plan to use.
- Set the air-conditioning or cooling unit to . Install a portable cooling unit or use your air-conditioning system to keep the storage space nice and cool. Keep the room a consistent temperature and avoid wild temperature fluctuations.[2]
- The ideal temperature range for storing vintage champagne is between .
- Avoid storing your vintage champagne in a garage, shed, or kitchen, where the internal temperature can fluctuate.
- Keep the humidity at around 50%. If you live in a dry location, use a humidifier to increase the humidity levels in the space where you're storing your vintage champagne. To lower the humidity levels, use a dehumidifier so the storage space doesn't become too humid, which can prematurely age your vintage champagne.[3]
- Many humidifiers and dehumidifiers have sensors that will tell them to turn on and off to keep the humidity levels consistent in your storage area.
- Make the space dark to reduce the champagne's exposure to light. Close the blinds over any windows in the room to keep your vintage champagne protected from harmful UV rays. Use soft white bulbs, or LED bulbs designed for mood lighting, and keep them turned off when you aren't in the storage room. Keep the area as dark as you can to extend the storage life of your vintage champagne.[4]
- Soft white bulbs give off a more yellowish light and aren't as bright as other bulbs.
- Direct exposure to bright lighting can also damage your vintage champagne.
[Edit]Stacking the Vintage Champagne - Use a champagne rack or shelves to store your vintage champagne. Place a wine rack that's specially designed to hold champagne bottles into your storage space away from any direct light. You can also use a sturdy, all-purpose shelving unit for a more cost-effective storage option.
- Look for champagne racks at wine shops, interior design stores, home improvement stores, and online. Make sure the slots will fit your vintage champagne bottles.
- If you plan to use shelves, make sure they're sturdy enough to support the champagne bottles. Solid wood or metal shelves will do the trick.
- Stack the bottles on their sides to keep the corks moist. Place your vintage champagne bottles on their sides in your rack or on your shelves so they're stacked horizontally. The champagne inside of the bottles will keep the corks moist and prevent them from shrinking, which can cause the carbonation to leak out.[5]
- Make sure the bottles don't roll around while they're in storage so the carbonation doesn't build up inside of the bottle.
- Store your vintage champagne for up to 10 years. Keep your vintage champagne in storage for several years to age it well and open up subtle flavor notes. Vintage champagnes are higher quality than other types of champagnes or sparkling wines, but they will eventually lose their fizz, so don't store them longer than 10 years.[6]
- Old vintage champagne will be flat and taste like dried fruit, so open it up and enjoy it before it goes bad!
- Upcycle some vintage shelves to store your vintage champagne! Just make sure they're sturdy enough to support the weight of the bottles.
- If you have bottles of vintage champagne that are about to expire past 10 years, have a bottle opening party with your friends to enjoy it before it goes off.
[Edit]Warnings - Be careful not to shake the bottles of champagne when you're moving them around or the carbonation could build up and cause the corks to pop off.
[Edit]References |
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