Learn · 3 min read
Does honey go off? How to store it properly
You often hear that honey “never goes off”. There is some truth in that, but only half: stored well, honey keeps its quality for years, but if it takes on moisture it can start to ferment. The good news is that storing it properly is very simple.
Why does it keep so long?
Bees evaporate the nectar until its water content falls below 20% – above that, honey can ferment. Under EU rules, the water content of honey may generally be no more than 20%. Besides its low water content, honey is also acidic (its pH is roughly between 3 and 4.5), and the two together make it so long-lasting.
According to the food waste guide of Nébih, Hungary’s food chain safety authority, honey can still be eaten for 12 months after its best-before date, and it does not need refrigerating.
What can spoil it?
Honey can absorb moisture even from the air. If the jar is left open, or a wet spoon goes into it, the water content at the surface can rise, and fermentation can start there. Prolonged warmth and long storage slowly change its taste and colour.
How to store honey
A few simple rules are all you need:
- Keep it at room temperature, in a dark place – it doesn’t need the fridge.
- Always close the jar again.
- Take honey out with a dry, clean spoon; a Honey dispenser or a Honey dipper helps with this too.
- If it has crystallised, it hasn’t gone off: here is how to make it runny again.
- The exception is Royal jelly: that must be kept in the fridge.
One important safety rule
Babies under one year old must not be given honey in any form – not spread on a dummy, and not baked into food either. Nébih asks for this because of the risk of infant botulism, and it applies whatever the origin of the honey.
Our honeys mentioned here
Acacia honey
Wildflower honey
Honey dispenser
Honey dipper
Royal jellyTerms from the glossary
Sources
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