Honey is a pantry staple that can be found in most people's homes. It's a versatile ingredient that you can use to make everything from drinks and baked goods to savory dishes. But a little goes a long way, and one jar can last months, if not years. Is that, well, OK? Can honey go bad? If so, when and how do you know if your honey is bad? Here are all the details about the golden sweetener and whether it ever expires.
What Is Honey?
Honey is a thick, sweet liquid produced by bees from plant nectar. There are hundreds of different types of honey produced in the world, and each has its own distinct flavor profile. The color and flavor of the honey depend on which plant the nectar came from. In general, the darker the honey the stronger the flavor. The most common variety produced in the U.S. is clover honey.
Not really. Honey is made up of about 80% sugar and 18% water. That small amount of water makes it inhospitable to bacteria and mold. Honey is also very thick, which stops oxygen from easily penetrating it (bacteria needs oxygen to thrive). Finally, the presence of gluconic acid gives honey a slightly acidic pH level—another barrier to microbial growth.
In general, honey doesn't spoil. However, it can go bad if it's contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or "off," then it's time to toss it.
What If Honey Is Crystallized?
It's natural for honey to crystallize over time. This doesn't mean that the honey has gone bad, only that some of the sugar has separated from the water and transformed into crystals.
Crystallized honey can be eaten, but if you prefer it in its liquid state, you can gently heat the honey in a water bath over low heat. Make sure the water and honey don't come to a boil, as high temperatures will kill the good yeast and enzymes in the honey.
In general, expiration dates and sell-by dates are guidelines for inventory management. The dates help stores keep the freshest products on their shelves. Honey that's nearing its expiration date merely indicates that it's been sitting in the shop for a while. As long as the seal hasn't been tampered with, the honey should be good for many more years to come.
What Special Properties Does Honey Have?
Honey is mostly made up of sugar and is not a nutrient-dense food. However, honey naturally produces hydrogen peroxide, the same antiseptic we use to treat minor scrapes, cuts and burns. In the past, honey was used as medicine by doctors to treat the ill and wounded. Today, medical-grade honey is used by some physicians to treat certain drug-resistant infections.
Many people assume that honey is good for a cough based purely on anecdotal evidence, but studies have found that honey can be an effective cough suppressant for those more than 1 year old (honey shouldn't be given to children under age 1). There's a reason it's common to drink tea and honey when you're feeling under the weather. (Learn more about the health benefits of honey.)
It's important to tightly close the lid of your honey container to prevent contamination from environmental microbes. This also prevents your honey from absorbing additional moisture. More moisture means more water, which makes it easier for bacterial growth to happen.
Keep in a Dry and Cool Area
Honey can be stored in the refrigerator, but this will cause it to crystallize faster. Crystallization isn't a bad thing, but most of us find it easier to use honey when it's liquid. To prevent this from happening, it's best to keep your honey in a cool spot like a cupboard or pantry.
Avoid Cross-Contamination and Water
Never use dirty or wet utensils to spoon honey out of the jar. This can invite unwanted bacteria and mold to grow.
Bottom Line
Honey won't go bad as long as it's stored properly and protected from external contamination. Crystallized honey is not an indicator of spoilage, but rather a sign of aging. To prevent honey from solidifying, keep your honey in an airtight container and place it in a cool, dark spot.
Even though honey doesn't have an expiration date, it can still undergo natural changes. The National Honey Board says that over time honey may “darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize,” depending on changes in temperature.
“Honey does not spoil, however for best quality, the USDA recommends storing honey for up to 12 months,” Amidor says. “After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. If the honey becomes cloudy, crystallized or solidified this is not a food safety concern.”
The answer is no! Honey is one of the very few foods that when stored properly, can last forever. Archaeologists excavating Egyptian tombs have found pots of honey 3000 years old, still well preserved.
Well, honey doesn't actually expire. Look for a bad smell, changed taste, or color difference that might suggest it has turned bad. How long after expiration can you eat Honey? Due to its long-lasting nature, as long as honey appears and smells fine and is stored well, you can eat it.
It can change color from pale to dark. It can start clear and become cloudy. And, most peskily, its texture can change from smooth and thin to thick and grainy in a process called crystallization. Thankfully, none of these changes make the honey bad or unsafe to eat!
Natural, properly preserved honey will not expire. In fact, archeologists found honey thousands of years old in ancient Egyptian tombs, and it was still good! While most of us don't need to worry about honey that old, their discovery proves that if properly contained, real honey can last for a very, very long time.
For best quality, store honey for up to 12 months. After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. Honey can become cloudy, crystallized or solidified but this is not a safety concern. The honey can be microwaved or heated in a pan of hot water to clarify or melt it.
Honey is one of the few foods that can last for centuries without spoiling because of its high sugar content and low moisture levels. It is not uncommon for honey to be discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs that are thousands of years old, and still safe to eat.
Due to its high sugar and low water content, as well as its low pH value and antimicrobial properties, honey may stay fresh for years, decades or even longer.
Just think, these honeys can still be eaten today because antimicrobial honey never goes bad. The world's oldest known references to collecting honey are from the 8,000 year old ancient Araña cave paintings in Valencia, Spain.
Finally, the presence of gluconic acid gives honey a slightly acidic pH level—another barrier to microbial growth. In general, honey doesn't spoil. However, it can go bad if it's contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or "off," then it's time to toss it.
Most bacteria and other microbes cannot grow or reproduce in honey i.e. they are dormant and this is due to antibacterial activity of honey. Various bacteria have been inoculated into aseptically collected honey held at 20°C. The result showed loss of bacterial viability within 8–24 days 27.
Opened peanut butter will generally go bad after about nine months in the fridge. While it should stay good longer in the fridge as opposed to stored in the pantry, it will go bad eventually. Once you refrigerate peanut butter, don't forget about it indefinitely.
According to the USDA, honey can typically be stored for 12 months before its quality begins to degrade. But if your honey has become cloudy, crystallized or solid, don't worry – it's still safe to eat.
The study revealed that heated honey (>140°C) mixed with ghee produces HMF which may produce deleterious effects and act as a poison in due course (Ushnam cha samagrutham madhu marayati).
Ideally, honey should be stored at room temperature, so keep it away from stoves and other kitchen appliances that generate heat. You should also refrain from putting it in the fridge, as this can cause it to thicken and change its texture.
Many people believe that once their honey has crystallized, it is spoiled and is no longer safe to eat. This is false, as natural honey is one of the only foods that never expires (if sealed properly). Crystallized honey is completely edible- in fact, you can use it in the same ways you use liquid honey!
It might look spoiled because of the chunky texture and cloudy color, but don't toss it out! According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, crystallized honey is safe to eat. It's actually normal for honey to crystallize—all honey crystallizes eventually, according to the experts at the National Honey Board.
If you're considering throwing it away, think again. You don't have to toss that honey! Even if honey had been sitting on your shelf for 2,000 years, that honey would still be as good as the day you opened it. In a nutshell, well-stored honey never expires or spoils, even if it's been previously opened.
Fill the bowl with hot water from the tap without submerging the honey jar. Allow the bowl and honey to sit for 10-15 minutes to warm up. After this amount of time, remove the honey jar from the bowl and open it. Use a spoon to stir the honey to break up any remaining crystals and evenly distribute the heat.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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