Storage and Shelf Life

Honey has one of the longest-if not the longest- shelf lives of any food! As a matter of fact, honey has been found in Egyptian tombs and pyramids that is thousands of years old and is still good! Wow! How cool is that?! As long as moisture levels stay somewhere around or below 18%, honey will not spoil.  If moisture levels are too high the honey will ferment. Honey can crystalize, but crystalized honey is not spoiled honey. Honey crystallization depends on the particular nectar source and the composition of sugars in that nectar.  Some honeys may crystalize very rapidly (Clover) and others may take a very long time or never crystalize (Sourwood).  It all depends on the nectar source. See how to decrystallize honey below.

Honey can be decrystallized by gently warming and stirring honey. Gentle is key- You do not want to microwave or boil honey as it destroys all the great properties of the honey. Heat a pan of water to a temperature of 95-110 degrees. Place the container of crystallized honey in the heated water until all crystals have dissolved. Stirring the honey as it is warmed will help speed up the process.  Be sure all crystals have dissolved. If any crystals remain after warming, the honey will rapidly recrystallize. You may need to do this a couple times to dissolve all the crystals.