Here's Why Your Honey Will Never Spoil

There's nothing worse than going to pull something from the fridge only to discover it has turned bad, ruining your plans for a tasty snack. When foods like cheese or yogurt have gone off, it is disappointing. Yet when something more expensive has passed its prime, the pain of tossing something has a particularly sharp sting. Thankfully, one pricey ingredient you won't ever have to worry about spoiling is honey.

Honey is a unique comestible that has been enjoyed for millennia. It was even consumed for medical purposes in ancient times and if you found a batch from those days, it might still be edible today. Because of its high sugar and low moisture content, honey isn't as prone to spoilage from bacteria as most other foods. It may be labeled with a "use-by" date on the packaging, but if it is a pure, unadulterated product, it won't strictly have an expiration date.

As anyone who has tasted the sweet nectar knows, it is also typically acidic. Gluconic acid (which is produced as the honey ripens) contributes to its antibacterial qualities, making it highly unlikely that the honey will ever spoil. Still, like anything else, if it is stored incorrectly and moisture infiltrates the batch, it can begin to harbor bacteria. However, what's more likely is that your honey might crystallize. This won't alter the safety of the product but will make it difficult to remove from its container.

If you notice a color change from golden amber to yellow or an off-white, this is an indicator that your honey has crystallized. This happens because the product contains more sugars than it can dissolve. While it is still perfectly safe to eat, attempting to do so will be problematic as it solidifies in the jar. Thankfully, there are a couple of simple solutions that will loosen the nectar so you can sweeten up your tea or toast.

Perhaps the easiest way to revert honey back to its thick, liquid form is to heat it in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between. However, you only want to do this with microwave-safe containers like glass, as there is no such thing as microwave-safe plastic. This means that if your nectar is inside a cute little honey bear, you will want to use an alternate method of loosening it up.

Another way to reform honey is to place the jar in a pan of water over the stove and slowly heat it until it melts. Again, it's vital to ensure the packaging it's in can handle the heat so you aren't melting the container, too. It might be a little bothersome to have to combat crystallization from time to time, but you can rest assured that once you do, the honey will almost certainly be just as safe to eat as the day it was made.