3 min read
How to Store Honey So It Stays Good (and Why It Hardens)
Honey is one of the few foods that keeps almost indefinitely when it is stored properly. The mistakes people make are small and easy to avoid.
Where to keep the jar
Honey likes a cupboard: dry, shaded and at normal room temperature.
- •Keep the lid tight. Honey pulls moisture out of the air, and moisture is what spoils it.
- •Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from the cooker.
- •Use a dry spoon every time. Water and crumbs are what start fermentation.
- •Do not refrigerate it. The fridge makes honey harden faster.
Why it hardens or turns grainy
Crystallisation is natural sugars in honey settling into crystals. It happens faster in cool rooms and with certain flower sources. It is a sign of real, unprocessed honey, not a sign of damage.
The taste is unchanged. Some people prefer it in that thicker, spreadable state.
How to soften it safely
Stand the closed jar in a bowl of warm, not boiling, water for five to ten minutes and stir. Repeat if needed. Avoid the microwave and avoid boiling: strong heat dulls the flavour and the natural qualities you paid for.
Does honey expire?
Stored dry and sealed, honey lasts for years. Throw it out only if it smells fermented or alcoholic, which almost always means water got in.
One note for parents: do not give honey to a baby under one year old.
Treat the jar well and the last spoon tastes like the first. When you need a refill, our 500g is KES 500 and the 1KG is KES 900.