# Question for the board about storing honey



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

It's generally recognized that honey can last indefinitely if it is in a sealed container. I understand that the low water content of honey prevents mold and bacteria from growing. Edible honey has been found in Egyptian tombs.

I recently read that processed honey, which is the kind available in grocery stores, does not have the properties needed for long storage life. Only raw honey does. 

Is processed honey pasteurized or otherwise different from raw honey? Does anyone know if this is true?


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I believe that raw local honey is the best for long term storage but I'll admit we have some store bought honey on the shelf that's at least 5 years old.


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## PCH5150 (Jun 15, 2015)

I know I've read that raw local honey is better, especially for allergies (sort of like a vaccine for indigenous plants?) but I don't know how or if the grocery store variety is worse for storage. I have some in my SHTF food stash.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

There are a host of reason why honey inhibits bacterial growth, and they aren't related to water content: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Antimicrobial_Effects_of_Honey#Mechanisms_of_Action
You would store it just as any other food. Tight lid, cool dry place, no direct sunlight. Eventually it will crystallize, but this can be reversed with a little bit of heat.
For the differences in raw vs. pasteurized honey, I found this handy graphic:


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## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

I only buy raw local honey. but I do believe all real honey does not ever spoil ...here is a excerpt from an online article discussing the chemistry behind why it does not spoil.

"Once suitable breakdown has been achieved, the house bee deposits the nectar into the honeycomb in the hive. Then another important step in the process begins. Nectar can be up to 70% water, and this water must be evaporated in order to produce the consistency of honey that we're all familiar with. The bees achieve this by fanning the honeycomb with their wings in order to encourage rapid evaporation of the water from the nectar mixture. Eventually, the water content of the solution will drop to around 17%, vastly reduced from the content of the original nectar. The conversion of the watery nectar to syrupy honey takes between 1-3 days.

The water content of honey is a key factor in why it doesn't spoil. At 17%, its water content is much lower than that of bacteria or fungi. Honey also has a low water activity; this is a measure of the amount of water in a substance that is available to support microbial growth. Water activity is on a scale of 0 to 1, with most moulds and bacteria being unable to grow under a water activity of 0.75. Honey has a water activity of 0.6. This, combined with the fact that its low water content dehydrates bacteria, makes it resistant to spoiling.

Another factor that helps honey avoid spoiling is its acidity. Its average pH is around 4; this acidity is contributed to by a number of acids, including formic acid and citric acid, but the dominant acid is gluconic acid, produced by the action of bee enzymes on some of the glucose molecules in the honey. This further boosts honey's antibacterial properties, as many bacteria thrive in neutral rather than acidic conditions. Hydrogen peroxide is also produce by the production of gluconic acid - this too can inhibit the growth of bacteria. Honey's antibacterial properties are actually potent enough for it to be effective as an impromptu wound dressing.

On a final note, you might also notice that, over time, honey tends to crystallise and solidify. Because honey's water content is so low, it can be considered to be a super-saturated solution of the various sugars; a solution is considered saturated when as much solid as is possible has been dissolved in it. Over time, glucose will precipitate out of the solution, forming solid crystals. The honey is still perfectly fine to eat, and this doesn't constitute spoilage - to revert it back to its liquid form, all that's required is immersion in warm water for a few minutes."

This part in quotations is from Compound Interest - Why Doesn?t Honey Spoil? ? The Chemistry of Honey

here is another quick read from a trustworthy source on the subject. The Science Behind Honey?s Eternal Shelf Life | Science | Smithsonian


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> There are a host of reason why honey inhibits bacterial growth, and they aren't related to water content: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Antimicrobial_Effects_of_Honey#Mechanisms_of_Action
> You would store it just as any other food. Tight lid, cool dry place, no direct sunlight. Eventually it will crystallize, but this can be reversed with a little bit of heat.
> For the differences in raw vs. pasteurized honey, I found this handy graphic:
> View attachment 11661


Wow. So many of the beneficial properties of raw honey are not present in store-bought honey. This is good to know.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I've always used honey in tea, but think I'll start using in my morning coffee. Thanks Kauboy!! Never thought about it till now, would work good with homemade bbq sauce.


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

For my coffee I switched from processed sugar to processed honey and then to local unprocessed honey some time ago. Looks like it was a good move and the local stuff is half the price as well.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

That list isn't factual.
Think about it... How does pasteurizing honey add cholesterol or corn syrup?
Anything that is listed as pure honey is fine.

You are not supposed to give honey to babies because it can carry salmonella to which they have no immunity yet.
Pasteurizing removes most of the salmonella.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

It's generally recognized that honey can last indefinitely if it is in a sealed container. So honey in the wild won't last?. I understand in cold climes it may or may not be good. I've always just kept mine on the shelf in the pantry, store bought and fresh, with whatever lids they came with. Am I doing this wrong?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

It's true that honey should not be fed to infants younger than 1 year old. Clostridium bacteria that causes infant botulism usually thrive in soil and dust. However, they can also contaminate certain foods - honey in particular.

C. botulinum spores: Welcome to the Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

When I was a kid, Honey bees invaded the wall of the house. My God-father, a bee keeper, came over and captured the hive. When My father opened the wall it was unbelievable. God father came over and took out honey comb to the point he had to make 3 trips. My folks were given 3-4 boxes of 1 qt. mason jars of it. When My mother finally decided to sell the house we found 20+ qts still in the cellar. Would have been 30+ years old by that time. The only processing my God-father would do is to spin it out of comb which was a bear. He had to make a wire mesh frame to hold the odd shaped comb.

Pasteurizing honey is a very different thing than pasteurizing milk or other dairy products, and it's done for very different reasons. Because of its low moisture content and high acidity, bacteria and other harmful organisms cannot live or reproduce in honey, so pasteurization is not done for that purpose. One of the few things that can live in honey is yeast, although if the moisture content is below 18% (as it normally is), the yeast cells cannot reproduce. All nectar (the source for all honey) contains osmophilic yeasts, which can reproduce in higher-moisture content honey and cause fermentation. While fermented honey does not necessarily pose any health risk, we try to discourage it, so Bee Maid pasteurizes its honey to kill any latent yeast cells that might be present and to remove any chance of fermentation.

*Another side benefit of pasteurizing honey is that it will slow down the granulation process. *Pasteurized honey will last longer in its liquid state than unpasteurized honey, which makes for a more appealing-looking product for both retailers and consumers.
Pasteurized Honey - Bee Maid Honey

We pasteurize our honey by a "flash heating" method, to minimize the amount of time that the honey is exposed to the heat and to reduce the risk of damaging or burning it. The honey is heated very quickly to about 160°F and then rapidly cooled, which will kill the yeast cells without damaging the product. This process is done on our production line during the packing procedure. 
Pasteurization Of Honey - Bee Maid Honey


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

I got the toxin wrong! that's what I get for trusting my memory....


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## just mike (Jun 25, 2014)

Local beekeeper here sells Wildflower Honey early in the spring and transitions to Tupelo in the summer. The Tupelo is great but I have never tasted anything like his Wildflower. It's not as sweet and is not as thick as the Tupelo but you can really taste/smell the wildflowers.

Yeast+honey+water+time= Mead (leave it to me to come up with something alcoholic):smile-new:


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

graynomad said:


> For my coffee I switched from processed sugar to processed honey and then to local unprocessed honey some time ago. Looks like it was a good move and the local stuff is half the price as well.


I do the the same thing! I learned it from an old timer and stuck with it. Haven't been sick in years. Coincidence?

I buy all my honey local. It comes in mason jars and I don't do anything special to store it. Just keep it in the cabinet. Every time I see the peddler I buy some. Space is running low...

Another thing that's great about honey is Sopapillas. Google it, it's a simple Mexican dessert. It's easy to make and freaking delicious. Any prepper would have the simple ingredients to make it in their pantry.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

We've (wife) started buying pecan honey from a local guy. Very dark, very thick. Wife says it the greatest she's ever tasted. A tad expensive (I think) $7 for 8 oz. but it lasts well over a month.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

honey has no expiration date dude it has natural antimicrobials already in it from the hive.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

A number of years ago, China got into the honey business big time, . . . flooded the market with dirt cheap honey, . . . ran a bunch of folks out of the business (so said my used to be brother in law, . . . a resident bee-keeper).

They also added corn syrup, . . . watering it down to make it stretch further, . . . getting more profit of course.

I buy my honey from local people, . . . but if I bought it out of a store, . . . I'd look for two things: ingredients, . . . and origin. If it lists anything but honey or if it comes anywhere but in the US, . . . I wouldn't buy it.

May God bless,
Dwight


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