A tale you might have pick up goes like this : IE found a flock of ancient honey in an Egyptian pyramid , and it was in perfect experimental condition , unspoiled , after 3,000 years . Meanwhile , my blackberry bush honey crystallizes in my basement in the damp forests of North Carolina . So I wonder : What run amiss ? What you might not get laid is that some types of honey are more prone to crystallization , zymolysis or border than others , and that methods of honey storage make all the departure . Regardless of whether the story of the Egyptian dear is true ( National Geographic says it is ) , to a big extent , the way we store our honey has the greatest encroachment on its ability to remain comestible .
When stored decent , we experience honey can be revel almost indefinitely . In the beehive , dearest is rarely left untouched for more than a season ; it ’s either harvested by the beekeeper or eaten by the bees through the wintertime and supersede by novel nectar total spring . Here are a few tips to remember when consider love storage .
1. Choose the Right Container
Once harvest , dearest should be stored in a blank , dry , airtight container . Honey incorporate very little body of water contentedness ( less than 18 percentage moisture ) , so bacteria does not maturate very easily in it . This is one reason it has such a long ledge life . The idealistic container for recollective - terminus love storage is glass . Glass does not garble , does not percolate chemicals , and it ’s easy to keep airtight . A nutrient - grade plastic would be a second selection , but any plastic leaching chemical substance over time . Never put in beloved in alloy , as the fabric will cause the love to oxidize . And remember : reduce the palpebra to keep moisture out .
2. Maintain Consistent Temperature
Many the great unwashed conceive that room temperature is sufficient for honey storage , but what constitutes “ room temperature ” varies greatly between locating , individual homes and even rooms in the same house . Generally , a temperature between 65 and 80 degree Fahrenheit is a in effect range . All the good if you could keep the temperature from go far above or below that range . Also keep honey out of direct sunlight or near a stove or other appliance where it might be capable to utmost heating and chill often .
3. Avoid Inadvertent Contamination
Especially with tumid containers of love , practice proficient hygienics and heedfulness when manage or using honey . Never double - dip a spoon or utensil into a honey shock , particularly if it has touched another liquid . This might take place after a spoonful has been dunked into a mug of teatime ; doing so will re-introduce excess moisture ( the Camellia sinensis on the wet spoonful ) causing the dear to work and spoil over time . In modest jars of dear that are used very quickly , this might not be a problem . But if you go retentive menstruation between using your honey , it ’s good to be careful and nullify double dipping . The good word is that you may lick the love off oftwospoons now !
4. Don’t Worry if Honey Crystallizes?
If you reach for the dear jar and regain sparkly , golden watch glass , do n’t worry . crystallisation ( also called “ granulation ” ) is a natural process that go on over time with almost all honey . Even properly stored honey may crystallize over time . The undecomposed news ? It ’s still edible ( as long as it has n’t work ) and will easily devolve to its more liquid body politic when warm . you may expend crystallized honey as it is , or you cangently warm it over a very , very low heatto come back it to its liquid state . Either way , the beloved is tremendous .
