Honey is a natural ingredient, and there are certain rules for storing it. A cool and dark place ensures that beekeeping products retain their beneficial and tasty properties for a long time. We will give you some advice: at what temperature, where to keep it, and whether honey can be stored in a kitchen cabinet or refrigerator. Following the recommendations will help preserve the benefits and exceptional taste of the product for a long time.
Exposure to low temperatures
Honey has a very long shelf life, but it is important to keep it in the right conditions, since its beneficial properties depend on this. Place the jar in a shaded place, such as a closed cabinet. Try to hide the mass away from sunlight.
Temperature is a very important factor here. It’s good if the storage location is from 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. When the temperature reaches 17-18 degrees, then honey begins to turn into granules; the lower it is, the longer it can be stored. The best place is a cool pantry or cellar. Of course, a little product for consumption in the near future can be stored in a cupboard at a higher temperature, it will not crystallize too quickly. But in both cases we protect it from sunlight.
What happens if you freeze
If we want to store honey for longer than a few months, it can be frozen. But this will affect its beneficial properties. A frozen product lasts longer than one stored in a jar in a dark place. In the freezer it will remain usable for several years, as the crystallization process stops.
Note! Honey crystallization is a natural and inevitable process. Glucose is converted faster, while fructose remains in the surrounding syrup. The mass crystallizes depending on the type. In some species this happens all at once, in others it occurs more slowly, starting, for example, from the lower layers.
If it is below 0, the process stops, but if you leave the mass at a temperature of 25-35 degrees, it becomes liquid.
Best before date
The official shelf life of bee products is 3 years.
Please note that not all varieties of honey have such a long shelf life. For example, nectar collected by bees during dry summer or late autumn has a shorter shelf life. Some varieties are susceptible to yeast growth and gradual fermentation. Also, a product that has various additives can be stored for about a year hermetically sealed, and 2 months if you opened it.
- At room temperature (in a closet, in a pantry) the shelf life is six months.
- If you store the product in the freezer, the shelf life is extended to a year.
- In a cool basement with a temperature no higher than 8 degrees, honey is perfectly stored for three years.
What to store in
Honey should be stored in glass jars or porcelain containers. The vast majority of products on the market meet this condition. Only a few beekeepers offer their goods in plastic buckets. According to manufacturers of plastic containers, honey can be stored in them for up to 6 months.
Beekeeping products can easily and quickly absorb foreign odors, so you should not leave them near strong aromas. Also, do not store it in metal containers, as this may cause it to have a metallic taste.
In addition to its tendency to absorb odors, honey also has hygroscopic properties and easily absorbs water and water vapor. If it is stored in unsealed packaging, its top layer will become diluted. Because of this, yeast can form, which causes the fermentation process. As a result, the taste of honey changes and it becomes unsuitable for consumption.
A big mistake we often make is choosing liquid honey.If you find such a product in winter, it is either counterfeit and has been imported, or it has simply been overheated to keep its liquid form longer.
How long can you keep in the refrigerator?
The best place to store honey is in the refrigerator. If you have a lot of space in it, store it in the refrigerator. Low temperature will increase the shelf life to three years and prevent crystallization of the product. Do not forget to very carefully seal the mass stored in the refrigerator so that it does not absorb foreign odors. For this, it is better to use airtight glass containers.
Honey easily absorbs moisture and odor from the environment. It must always be tightly closed in the jar, otherwise the product will simply ferment after a few months.
Important! You should not put a spoon once licked into a jar of honey again. Enzymes contained in human saliva lead to product spoilage.
Try to sweeten tea and other drinks when they are cooled below 40 degrees C. If the product is overheated, it loses a lot of beneficial properties.
