That golden honey bear bottle has been sitting in your pantry untouched for months (or years). So is that honey still good to eat? With its incredibly long shelf life, it can be tricky to determine if your honey has gone bad.
This guide covers everything you need to know about spotting bad honey, including:
- How proper honey storage extends shelf life
- Common signs of spoiled honey
- Tests for appearance, smell, and taste
- What to do if your honey goes bad
- Tips for keeping honey fresh for longer
Follow these techniques to become an expert at identifying bad honey. You’ll avoid wasting this “liquid gold” bee product and know exactly when it’s time to toss it.
An Overview of Honey and Its Long Shelf Life
Before we dive into signs of spoiled honey, let’s touch on what gives honey its extraordinarily long shelf life.
Honey is an ultra-concentrated sugar produced by honey bees from flower nectar. Its unique chemical composition is dominated by the sugars glucose and fructose, which comprise about 70% of its weight.
This incredibly high sugar content means very little moisture is available in raw honey to allow microbial growth. Most spoilage microorganisms cannot survive in such a sugar-rich, low moisture environment.
In addition, bees add enzymes like glucose oxidase to honey. This produces low levels of hydrogen peroxide, an antimicrobial that preserves the honey.
The result is that properly stored honey stays edible for decades, sometimes centuries! Archeologists have found still-consumable honey in ancient Egyptian tombs.
So under ideal storage conditions, honey has an almost indefinite shelf life. But certain signs can still indicate your honey has taken a turn for the worse.
How to Store Honey for Maximum Freshness
To get the most lifespan out of your honey, proper storage is key. Here are tips:
- Keep honey in an airtight container at all times. Mason jars work very well.
- Store in a cool, dry place like a pantry. Avoid heat and moisture.
- Keep in a dark place out of direct light. Light accelerates color changes.
- Refrigeration can extend shelf life slightly but is not required. Freezing is not recommended.
- If honey crystallizes, simply restore by placing the jar in warm water until it liquifies.
Follow those conditions and your honey can last for decades! But even with ideal storage, honey can eventually show signs of spoilage.
Common Signs Your Honey Has Gone Bad
Here are the most common indicators that your honey may be past its prime:
1. Changes in Appearance and Texture
Darkening color – Honey naturally darkens with age but should still appear yellowish to amber. Deep brown or black coloring likely means its spoiled.
Crystallization – Natural and safe but impacts texture. See the crystallization section below for ways to re-liquefy.
Mold – Spotting blue, green, white, or black mold is a sure sign of bad honey. Discard immediately if you see any mold.
Bubbles or foam – Small air bubbles from the initial bottling process are normal. But foaming, rising bubbles indicate fermentation.
Separation – Normal honey should be uniform. Separation of watery layers signals potential spoilage.
2. Strange Smell
Vinegar or wine-like smell – The honey has undergone fermentation and alcohol production. This gives it a slightly acidic, winy odor.
Rotten smell – A truly rancid, decomposing odor means honey is spoiled. Trust your nose!
3. Unpleasant Flavors
Along with smell, taste can also detect bad honey. Common off tastes are:
- Vinegary or acidic flavor
- Sharp bitter taste
- Metallic taste
- Soapy flavor
- Chemically flavors like paint or gasoline
So be on the lookout for changes in the honey’s look, smell, or taste. But what if you’re still unsure if your honey has expired? Here are a few extra tests:
What To Do If You Think Your Honey Is Bad
The Paper Towel Test
Place a drop of the suspicious honey on a white paper towel. Pure honey will be easily absorbed. Spoiled honey will leave a greasy stain.
The Water Test
Stir a few tablespoons of the honey into a glass of room temperature water. Bad honey will make the mixture foamy and cloudy.
Ask Another’s Opinion
Have someone else smell and taste the honey. A second opinion helps if you’re uncertain.
When in doubt, remember this old adage: “If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to the bees!” Better to be safe and throw it out.
So what do you do if your tests conclusively indicate the honey has spoiled?
What To Do If Your Honey Has Gone Bad
If you confirm your honey has gone bad, you’ll need to safely dispose of it. Here are your options:
1. Throw it in the trash
Simply tossing the honey jar in the bin is the easiest option. Make sure to seal it tightly so it does not leak liquid.
2. Compost it
You can add small amounts of rancid honey to your compost pile. It provides beneficial sugars. Just be sure to bury it deeply so animals are not attracted.
3. Use it for animal feed
Some beekeepers feed bad honey to their livestock (chickens, pigs). Only do this if the honey has simply crystallized but is not truly rancid.
4. Toss it onto a fire
Bad honey can help ignite briquettes or wood in a firepit or fireplace. The sugar content allows it to burn.
No matter the disposal method, do not attempt to consume honey once it has spoiled. The toxins from fermented honey can cause nasty gastric distress.
Now let’s talk about one common honey “problem” that is completely natural and harmless: crystallization.
What To Do About Crystallized Honey
It’s inevitable that any honey will crystallize over time. This is a totally natural process where the glucose spontaneously forms grains or crystals, turning the honey from liquid into a thick, grainy texture.
There are a few ways to fix crystallized honey:
1. Place the jar in warm water – Let the honey jar sit in hot water from the tap, slowly heating the honey until it turns back into liquid form.
2. Microwave briefly – Microwave the honey in short 10 second bursts, stirring between each. Take care not to overheat.
3. Use a heat lamp or hair dryer – Position a heat lamp or hair dryer a safe distance above the jar to gently warm and loosen the crystals.
4. Store at room temperature – Allowing crystallized honey to sit at room temp for a week may help liquefy any small crystals.
Once decrystallized, you can reuse or consume the honey just as you normally would. Crystallization poses no safety issues.
Having trouble telling if your honey is truly bad or just crystallized? When in doubt, try reliquefying. If the taste or aroma seems off afterwards, then it’s likely gone bad.
Storing Honey to Keep It Fresher Longer
To maximize honey’s shelf life, be sure to:
- Choose raw, unpasteurized honey – Pasteurization kills beneficial enzymes that protect honey against spoilage.
- Buy local honey in season – Honey that hasn’t travelled far has higher antimicrobial activity.
- Avoid exposing honey to excess moisture – Water content introduces the risk of fermentation.
- Always reseal the jar tightly – Oxygen exposure speeds deterioration.
- Store in a cool, dark place around 60-70°F – Fluctuating temps and light accelerate honey’s breakdown.
Follow those conditions and even opened honey can stay perfectly preserved for many months or years!
Conclusion
Identifying bad honey isn’t always straightforward given its incredibly long shelf life. But with this guide’s tips, you can accurately spot the signs of spoiled honey:
- Check the appearance for mold growth, excessive foaming, separation, or crystallization
- Take a cautious whiff to detect fermented or rotten odors
- Taste a tiny sample to experience any unpleasant flavors
- Conduct secondary tests like the water test or paper towel test
By understanding what makes honey prone to spoilage, and how to store it for maximum freshness, you can avoid most issues with your honey going bad prematurely.
Keep an eye out for the indicators covered here. Then you can catch deteriorated honey early and replace it, letting you fully enjoy honey’s sweetness and benefits.
