Honey is considered a well-preserved product; if storage conditions are met, it can be preserved for a long time and not lose its beneficial properties. Let's consider whether honey can spoil, what conditions need to be created and maintained to preserve it, and harmful storage factors. How to properly preserve the product at home, is it possible to save spoiled honey.
How and for how long to store honey?
The minimum shelf life is 1 year, that is, until next summer, when the bees collect nectar again. But in general, the product can be kept at room temperature for 2 years if it is sealed with a lid under which air does not penetrate and the humidity does not change.
Honey can be stored in a wide range of temperatures - from -20 degrees to 40 degrees Celsius. The product retains its beneficial properties. But the best temperature for storage is considered to be from -6 to 20 degrees Celsius. If the place where the product is kept is warmer, the likelihood of product spoilage and destruction of vitamins increases. Sub-zero temperatures are not scary for honey. It hardens, but does not change properties and does not deteriorate.
To prevent crystallization longer, you need to avoid sudden changes in temperature during storage. You cannot move it from one room to another with a large temperature difference.
It is best to store in glass containers and preferably dark. In addition to glass, enamelware and ceramics are suitable materials. Plastic and especially metal containers are not suitable (the mass will oxidize in them). Before placing fresh honey in them, jars must be rinsed and dried. As for their capacity, you need to take a small volume - up to half a liter. This is due to the fact that when the lid is opened, air will get inside, which will not have the best effect on the condition of the product.
It is important that the humidity in the storage area is minimal, because a high percentage of it causes rapid spoilage of the product.
You also need to tightly close the jars with lids.
They need to be stored in a dark place away from direct sunlight. They destroy enzymes and vitamins. There should be no foreign odors in the storage area. The product may absorb them; in this case, it will not be possible to eat it.
What affects durability
If honey is collected no earlier than necessary and has had time to ferment, it should not go to waste if maintained correctly.Its carbohydrate and acid composition is balanced, it contains substances that prevent spoilage due to the development of bacteria.
Safety is affected by:
- temperature;
- humidity;
- lighting level;
- foreign odors.
It is advisable to store it in the cold, because over time at room temperature its quality will decrease. The ideal place in an apartment is a refrigerator or a cold pantry; in your own home, this is, of course, a cellar.
Of course, the humidity in the cellar is high, and there are odors from vegetables, but if you tightly close the jars with lids, problems can be avoided.
Storage tips
So, you need to store honey in a dark, dry and cool place. Such a room can be found in any house or apartment. It should be kept in small glass jars, preferably dark glass. Cover them tightly with lids. In this form, the mass can be stored not only for a year or two, but also for several years, without losing its taste, smell, color, and beneficial properties.
If honey has crystallized, it will be stored longer, but its beneficial properties will not change. To return it to a liquid consistency, you need to slightly warm the portion in a water bath, heating the honey to 25 degrees. It is impossible to raise the temperature too much during the process, this leads to the destruction of vitamins and a decrease in beneficial properties.
Is it possible to save honey that has gone bad?
Fermented honey must be heated for an hour in a water bath at a temperature of 60 degrees. Bacteria are destroyed and the fermentation process stops. But vitamins and other beneficial substances are also destroyed, so there is no longer any benefit from such a product.
You can store the heated mass in the same way as fresh. It is best used as a sweet, added to homemade baked goods. If you don’t want to bother with heating, you can find another use for it - from the fermented delicacy you can make a homemade low-alcohol drink - mead. It will be the best raw material for the drink.
If the mass has not only fermented, become covered with foam, but has an unpleasant odor and is bitter, it is best to throw it away, since harmful substances have appeared there. Eating it can be dangerous.
Bee honey can be stored at home for at least a year. If you need to preserve it longer, you should keep it in a dark, cool and dry place. If all conditions are met, it will be stored for years, and you can be sure that the beneficial and medicinal substances will not disappear. However, it is better to use it quickly - within a year, and then purchase a new portion of the tasty fragrant product.
