Want to try making creamed honey — is the Dyce method doable at home without special gear?
Second year in İzmir. I have about 15 kg of this year's honey and some of last year's pine honey that crystallised quite fine and smooth. A customer at work asked if I sell 'whipped honey' and now I'm down the rabbit hole.
From what I've read, the Dyce method is basically: take liquid honey, blend in finely crystallised honey as seed, and hold it cool so it sets with the seed's fine crystal structure instead of forming big gritty crystals on its own. Questions:
- What's the right seed ratio? I've seen everything from 5% to 20%.
- How cool is 'cool'? My apartment is 28°C right now, which I suspect is a problem.
- Does the seed crystal texture really determine the final texture, or does any crystallised honey work?
Is this realistic in an İzmir summer or should I wait until autumn?
#creamed-honey#dyce-method#processing
▲ 12 votes💬 4 replies✅ Solved
4 replies
SkaneBees · Jul 31, 2026 · ✅ Accepted answer
Creamed honey is the default in Sweden so I can answer all three. Ratio: ~10% seed is standard and forgiving — 5% just sets slower, 20% is wasteful. Temperature is the real constraint: crystallisation is fastest around 14°C (57°F); at 28°C it will barely set and may separate. And yes, the seed's texture is destiny — new crystals copy the seed's structure, so use the smoothest crystallised honey you have. Verdict: it needs a 14°C-ish home (wine fridge, cool cellar) or wait for autumn.
AlpineCarnica · Aug 1, 2026
To add: stir the seed in slowly and thoroughly but avoid whipping air into it, or you get foam and white streaks on top of the jars. A few gentle stirring sessions over the first day or two, then leave it alone at temperature for 1-2 weeks. And grind your seed honey with a spoon through a sieve if it's not perfectly fine — cheap trick, big difference.
QuebecBees · Aug 1, 2026
Quebec perspective: our creamed honey sells for noticeably more than liquid at market, so your customer instinct is right. Label tip for later — it's still 100% honey, nothing added, and customers constantly ask, so put 'only honey, finely crystallised' right on the jar.
elif_arici · Aug 1, 2026
Thank you! My parents' cellar in the village sits around 15-16°C even now, so the jars are going there. Seeding 10% with the smoothest of the pine honey, sieved as AlpineCarnica says. Will bring a jar to work in two weeks and report.