In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is Honey?Does It Go Bad?What If It’s Crystallized?Why Does It Have an Expiration Date?Special PropertiesStorage Tips
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is Honey?
Does It Go Bad?
What If It’s Crystallized?
Why Does It Have an Expiration Date?
Special Properties
Storage Tips
Honey is a pantry staple that can be found in most people’s homes. It’s a versatile ingredient that you can use to make everything fromdrinksand baked goods tosavory dishes. But a little goes a long way, and one jar can last months if not years. Is that, well, OK? Can honey go bad? If so, when and how do you know if your honey is bad? Here are all the details about the golden sweetener and whether it ever expires.
How to Soften Honey
Getty Images / Lauren Burke / Ekaterina Goncharova / cgdeaw
Does Honey Go Bad?
Not really. Honey is made up of about 80% sugar and 18% water. That small amount of water makes it inhospitable to bacteria and mold. Honey is also very thick, which stops oxygen from easily penetrating it (bacteria need oxygen to thrive). Finally, the presence of gluconic acid gives honey a slightly acidic pH level—another barrier to microbial growth according to research.,
In general, honey doesn’t spoil. However, it can go bad if it’s contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or “off,” then it’s time to toss it.
What If Honey Is Crystallized?
It’s natural for honey to crystallize over time. This doesn’t mean that the honey has gone bad, only that some of the sugar has separated from the water and transformed into crystals. According to research, honey with more glucose or less water gets solid faster, while honey with more fructose or more water stays liquid longer.
Crystallized honey can be eaten, but if you prefer it in its liquid state, you can gently heat the honey in a water bath over low heat. Make sure the water and honey don’t come to a boil, as high temperatures will kill the good yeast and enzymes in the honey.
Then Why Does Honey Have an Expiration Date?
With that said, the quality of the honey could change over time. According to the USDA, while honey remains safe to eat after 12 months, the quality may not be as good.
What Special Properties Does Honey Have?
Many people assume that honey is good for a cough based purely on anecdotal evidence, but studies have found that honey can be an effective cough suppressant for those more than 1 year old (honey shouldn’t be given to children under age 1).There’s a reason it’s common to drink tea and honey when you’re feeling under the weather. (Learn more about the health benefits of honey.)
How to Store Honey
Here are a few tips for storing honey:
Store Honey in an Airtight Container
It’s important to tightly close the lid of your honey container to prevent contamination from environmental microbes. This also prevents your honey from absorbing additional moisture. More moisture means more water, which makes it easier for bacterial growth to happen.
Keep in a Dry and Cool Area
Honey can be stored in the refrigerator, but this will cause it to crystallize faster. Crystallization isn’t a bad thing, but most of us find it easier to use honey when it’s liquid. To prevent this from happening, it’s best to keep your honey in a cool spot like a cupboard or pantry.
Avoid Cross-Contamination and Water
Never use dirty or wet utensils to spoon honey out of the jar. This can invite unwanted bacteria and mold to grow.
The Bottom Line
Honey won’t go bad as long as it’s stored properly and protected from external contamination. Crystallized honey is not an indicator of spoilage but rather a sign of aging. To prevent honey from solidifying, keep your honey in an airtight container and place it in a cool, dark spot.
Now that you know about the shelf life of honey, put the singularingredient to good use, like in this energizing snack:Almond-Honey Power Bar. Or try it in a variety of quick, easy and healthy dinners likeHoney Walnut Shrimpor deliciousHoney-Garlic Salmon.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Kirimura, K., Honda, Y. and Hattori, T. (2011) ‘Gluconic and itaconic acids’,Comprehensive Biotechnology, pp. 143–147. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00175-6.Lindberg, T.et al.(2015) ‘A systematic review and meta-analysis of dressings used for wound healing: The efficiency of Honey compared to silver on Burns’,Contemporary Nurse, 51(2–3), pp. 121–134. doi:10.1080/10376178.2016.1171727.Ji, P.et al.(2023) ‘Natural crystallization properties of honey and seed crystals-induced crystallization process for honey performance enhancing’,Food Chemistry, 405, p. 134972. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134972.Sartore, S.et al.(2021) ‘Honey and its antimicrobial properties: A function of a single component, or the sum of its parts?’,Cureus[Preprint]. doi:10.7759/cureus.17718.Nolan VC, Harrison J, Wright JEE, Cox JAG. Clinical Significance of Manuka and Medical-Grade Honey for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections: A Systematic Review.Antibiotics (Basel). 2020;9(11):766. Published 2020 Oct 31. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9110766Abuelgasim, H., Albury, C. and Lee, J. (2020) ‘Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis’,BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 26(2), pp. 57–64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Kirimura, K., Honda, Y. and Hattori, T. (2011) ‘Gluconic and itaconic acids’,Comprehensive Biotechnology, pp. 143–147. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00175-6.Lindberg, T.et al.(2015) ‘A systematic review and meta-analysis of dressings used for wound healing: The efficiency of Honey compared to silver on Burns’,Contemporary Nurse, 51(2–3), pp. 121–134. doi:10.1080/10376178.2016.1171727.Ji, P.et al.(2023) ‘Natural crystallization properties of honey and seed crystals-induced crystallization process for honey performance enhancing’,Food Chemistry, 405, p. 134972. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134972.Sartore, S.et al.(2021) ‘Honey and its antimicrobial properties: A function of a single component, or the sum of its parts?’,Cureus[Preprint]. doi:10.7759/cureus.17718.Nolan VC, Harrison J, Wright JEE, Cox JAG. Clinical Significance of Manuka and Medical-Grade Honey for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections: A Systematic Review.Antibiotics (Basel). 2020;9(11):766. Published 2020 Oct 31. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9110766Abuelgasim, H., Albury, C. and Lee, J. (2020) ‘Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis’,BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 26(2), pp. 57–64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Kirimura, K., Honda, Y. and Hattori, T. (2011) ‘Gluconic and itaconic acids’,Comprehensive Biotechnology, pp. 143–147. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00175-6.Lindberg, T.et al.(2015) ‘A systematic review and meta-analysis of dressings used for wound healing: The efficiency of Honey compared to silver on Burns’,Contemporary Nurse, 51(2–3), pp. 121–134. doi:10.1080/10376178.2016.1171727.Ji, P.et al.(2023) ‘Natural crystallization properties of honey and seed crystals-induced crystallization process for honey performance enhancing’,Food Chemistry, 405, p. 134972. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134972.Sartore, S.et al.(2021) ‘Honey and its antimicrobial properties: A function of a single component, or the sum of its parts?’,Cureus[Preprint]. doi:10.7759/cureus.17718.Nolan VC, Harrison J, Wright JEE, Cox JAG. Clinical Significance of Manuka and Medical-Grade Honey for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections: A Systematic Review.Antibiotics (Basel). 2020;9(11):766. Published 2020 Oct 31. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9110766Abuelgasim, H., Albury, C. and Lee, J. (2020) ‘Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis’,BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 26(2), pp. 57–64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336.
Kirimura, K., Honda, Y. and Hattori, T. (2011) ‘Gluconic and itaconic acids’,Comprehensive Biotechnology, pp. 143–147. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00175-6.
Lindberg, T.et al.(2015) ‘A systematic review and meta-analysis of dressings used for wound healing: The efficiency of Honey compared to silver on Burns’,Contemporary Nurse, 51(2–3), pp. 121–134. doi:10.1080/10376178.2016.1171727.
Ji, P.et al.(2023) ‘Natural crystallization properties of honey and seed crystals-induced crystallization process for honey performance enhancing’,Food Chemistry, 405, p. 134972. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134972.
Sartore, S.et al.(2021) ‘Honey and its antimicrobial properties: A function of a single component, or the sum of its parts?’,Cureus[Preprint]. doi:10.7759/cureus.17718.
Nolan VC, Harrison J, Wright JEE, Cox JAG. Clinical Significance of Manuka and Medical-Grade Honey for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections: A Systematic Review.Antibiotics (Basel). 2020;9(11):766. Published 2020 Oct 31. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9110766
Abuelgasim, H., Albury, C. and Lee, J. (2020) ‘Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis’,BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 26(2), pp. 57–64. doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111336.
