The Properties of Honey

The Properties Of Honey

Honey Storage

The bees prevent the fermentation of honey by sealing fully ripened honey in the honey comb with a thin layer of beeswax.  When honey is harvested, we can leave it in the comb or extract it from the comb and seal it in jars.  At a moisture level of approximately 18 percent or below, and with a pH of 3-4, the honey is very stable and can last literally for centuries. (Honey was found in Egyptian tombs still in eatable condition) As long as it is protected from moisture, nothing harmful to humans (e.g. mold, bacteria, botulism, etc.) can grow in honey.  Fully ripened honey may become hard and lumpy, but it will never become moldy or rancid.  While stored honey will naturally darken over time, this does not adversely effect its ability to be eaten and enjoyed.

When first extracted from the hive, honey is typically in its liquid form.  Over time most kinds of honey will naturally start to crystallize and become opaque.  The crystallization process is a natural one and does not spoil the honey in any way other than to make it less runny by giving the honey the consistency of butter.  To extend the shelf life of honey in its liquid form, most honey processors will heat crystallized honey to melt the sugar crystals and reliquify the honey.  Unfortunately this cooking process destroys the enzymes found in raw honey and ruins the delicate flavor of the honey.  When in its liquid form, honey is translucent.  This allows the small bits and pieces of pollen, beeswax and propolis that enter the honey during the extraction process to become visible.  Since most folks don’t want things floating around in their honey, the pollen, beeswax and propolis are filtered out, seriously degrading the nutritional quality of the honey that remains.

Honey does not need to be refrigerated.  Cool temperatures will simply make crystallized honey harder.  When stored in a warm environment, honey will soften.  If kept for extended periods in temperatures between 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit or more, honey will tend to liquefy as the sugar crystals slowly melt.  Liquid or comb honey can be kept frozen, which will retard the crystallization process.  Unfortunately, once thawed out, the liquid honey will tend to crystallize faster than it would normally.