Can honey be stored in plastic containers? What is the best way to store honey? Can honey be stored in the refrigerator?

Nature has given people a unique delicacy - bee honey. If a person takes care of his health, he stocks up on this healing product for a whole year. For months, jars of honey have been patiently waiting for their turn. But with improper storage, honey can lose its beneficial properties in a short time. And vice versa: if the storage conditions are fully met, the product does not lose its value for several years.

Honey is stored in liquid form or in honeycombs. The photo shows a special spoon-spindle for honey.

Storage conditions

Storage. In order for honey to please the taste for a long time and retain its beneficial properties, it must be stored in the right place. The product is adversely affected by direct sunlight, dampness, odors, and elevated temperature. The best option is a dark and dry place away from radiators and stoves.

Closed cabinets in the kitchen, pantry, cellar are perfect. Neighborhood with fragrant products should be avoided. The recommended storage temperature is from 6 to 20 °C.

Dishes. The choice of container depends on the expected shelf life. For long-term storage, it is better to give preference to glass, ceramic, wooden containers made of beech, birch, linden or stainless steel containers of the highest quality.

Honey is stored for the longest time in tinted glass containers. A prerequisite for storage is a tightly closed lid. Copper, aluminum and galvanized containers are strictly prohibited. Containers made of wood rich in essential oils should also not be used. Before filling, the container should be cleaned with baking soda, rinsed with running water and dried thoroughly.

For long-term storage, use glass jars with tinted glass

How long can honey be stored?

Many are interested in the answer to the question, how long is honey stored at home? Subject to the correct regime of temperature, humidity and lighting, this period reaches a year. In extreme cases, honey can be consumed after two years, but it will not bring significant benefits.

If honey has been in unsuitable conditions for several weeks, its shelf life is significantly reduced.

Honey can be stored in plastic containers for up to several weeks. After standing on a brightly lit balcony for a couple of hot days, the healing product will turn into a useless sweet mass. There will be no harm from it, as well as good.

Can honey be stored in the refrigerator?

Storage in the refrigerator does not deprive honey of useful properties, however, at a low temperature, it candied faster, becomes more solid, absorbs moisture and odors. But if there is no other way to place honey in a cool, dark place, then a dry-freeze refrigerator and hermetically sealed glass containers can save the situation.

How to store honey in combs?

There are clear recommendations on how to store combs. In sterilized glass jars with a tightly closed lid, the product retains its properties for up to a year. The storage location must be dry and dark. You can increase this period to 2-3 years by filling the honeycomb with fresh honey and sealing the jar with melted wax. The temperature range should be 3-10 ° C, the humidity level should not exceed 60%. Sudden temperature changes should be avoided. Suitable places for storing honey in combs are a basement, a cellar or a refrigerator.

Honeycombs are stored in sealed jars for up to a year.

Video

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Text: Olga Kovalenko

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Honey is one of the most useful products that is effective in treating not only colds, but also many other ailments. In addition, it retains its beneficial properties for a long period of time. That is why there are stocks of a sweet golden bee product in almost every home. Nevertheless, not everyone knows how to properly store honey in an apartment. As a result, its quality may deteriorate significantly.

Storage period

Before you figure out how to properly store honey in an apartment, you should designate the allowable periods. There is an opinion among the people that stocks should be used up within a year, otherwise there will be no benefit from this product. Moreover, many argue that after 12 months, honey ceases to be a medicine, but can be harmful to health.

In fact, this is nothing more than a myth. Of course, after a year, the color, texture and aroma will change. However, if you know how to properly store honey in an apartment, even after 2 or more years, it will retain its properties. This can be confirmed by the fact that during one of the archaeological excavations an ancient vessel with a viscous golden liquid was found. After appropriate analyzes, it turned out that this was honey, which, after several centuries, was still usable.

Thus, the most important thing is to know how to store honey properly at home. The shelf life of the product will be practically unlimited if you strictly follow the rules.

Temperature regime

When answering the question of how to properly store honey in an apartment, it is important to determine the maximum allowable temperature. It is 40 degrees. Then chemical processes and reactions can begin, which are accompanied by the release of toxic substances.

It is clear that a city apartment does not warm up to such critical temperatures, but the standard 20-30 degrees does not provide the product with long-term preservation. Within a few months, honey will begin to exfoliate and lose a significant part of its beneficial properties.

The optimal temperature regime ranges from 6 degrees below zero to +10. Under these conditions, honey practically does not change its physical and chemical properties. With a strong drop in temperature, the product may harden, which is also not very good.

Choice of location: private house

To understand how to properly store honey in a house and a city apartment, it is important to know the optimal characteristics of the room. With temperature, everything is already clear. Also, direct sunlight should not penetrate into it, and the humidity should be at a minimum level (if the container is hermetically sealed, then the last characteristic can be ignored).

Those who are lucky enough to live in their own home most often have to store food in the cellar. In terms of light and temperature conditions, this is just an ideal place. Nevertheless, high humidity makes it necessary to look for ways to seal the container. If the house has an unheated veranda, honey can be stored here in the winter. It is enough to protect it with a thick cloth from the sun's rays.

Location choice: city apartment

When wondering how to properly store honey at home, immediately exclude the kitchen, where the temperature is high at any time of the year. In winter, heated residential premises are not recommended.

The layout of many city apartments (the so-called Khrushchevs) provides for storage rooms. In small rooms without windows and batteries, sometimes the conditions are ideal to store honey for a long time.

If you don't have a pantry, the fridge is the perfect place to store your honey. Here the product is not afraid of temperature changes, humidity or sunlight. It is better to take the lower shelves for honey (away from the freezer).

As for the balcony or loggia, this is perhaps the most vulnerable place in the apartment (even if there is glazing). Too hot in summer and too cold in winter. In addition, when the seasonal rains begin, the level of humidity rises sharply.

How to store honey and what should it contain?

Properly chosen container is the most important condition for long-term storage of honey with the preservation of its beneficial properties and taste. So, the following options are allowed:

• for short-term storage (up to 3 months), a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid is suitable;
• glass jars are ideal, because the material does not enter into any chemical reactions with the product itself (it is recommended to sterilize the container before use, and also take care of sealing);
• wooden or clay barrels will help preserve the properties of honey and give it an unusual aroma (the main thing is that the material is not treated with aggressive chemicals).

Never store honey in copper or galvanized containers. After a short time, the product and the metal enter into a chemical reaction, as a result of which toxic substances are released. Even when buying honey, be careful if it is poured from a metal container (ask what alloy it is made of).

in honeycombs

Buying a frame with fresh honey is a real success, because in this way you can be 100% sure of the freshness and high quality of the product. Many people pour honey into jars on their own, but some people prefer to keep it in its original form. This is not an easy task.

The whole frame must be wrapped with polyethylene, and on top with an opaque cloth. But be careful not to get moths. In addition, you need to carefully monitor because if there is a product with a pungent odor next to the frame, then the wax will absorb it.

The ideal option is to separate the honeycombs from the frame and store them in a tightly closed container. So you save the maximum of useful properties and save yourself from unnecessary trouble.

Benefits of storing honey in combs

There are many opinions about how to store honey at home correctly. The methods are quite numerous. But any beekeeper will tell you that the best way to store honey is in combs. There are several reasons:

• a large amount of vitamins are retained, which can be neutralized during the pumping process;
• wax itself contains many useful substances;
• sealed honeycombs are absolutely sterile, and therefore you can be completely sure that there are no bacteria and microbes (by the way, thanks to this, honey is stored longer);
• foundation can be chewed periodically, thereby beneficially affecting the health of the oral cavity, as well as the gastrointestinal tract.

How to avoid sugaring?

How to store honey at home so that it does not get candied? Such a method, perhaps, has not yet been invented. Considering how much sugar is contained in honey, after a while crystals will begin to form in it. However, if you want it to stay liquid for as long as possible, buy the product in honeycomb. Cut them up, arrange them in jars and enjoy fresh honey.

The rate of sugaring of honey largely depends on the conditions of its storage. If all requirements are met and the temperature remains constant, you will be able to enjoy a transparent and liquid bee product for a long time. However, this way you can only delay sugaring, but not avoid it.

You can periodically heat jars of honey. For this, a water bath is best suited (the main thing is that the surface of the container does not have direct contact with fire). In this case, the temperature of honey should not exceed 35-40 degrees. In addition, heat treatment significantly reduces useful properties.

Common Problems

Honey is important to store properly. However, even compliance with all conditions does not guarantee that after a while the product will not have problems. So, the most common of them is stratification. If you see that the thick part of the honey has settled, and the liquid part has remained at the top, this does not mean that the reason is in the temperature regime. Most likely, honey was pumped out of the honeycombs without waiting for it to ripen. But this will not affect the taste and medicinal properties of the product. Feel free to mix honey and eat.

A much more serious problem is the appearance of white foam on the surface of honey. If such a nuisance occurred shortly after the purchase of honey, then most likely it was not filtered thoroughly enough. This product does not pose any health hazard. What's more, this alert-raising foam is incredibly healthy.

The situation is completely different with honey, which is stored for a long period of time. Most likely, you did not close the container tightly enough, and moisture got into it. In this case, the foam indicates fermentation, and therefore it is forbidden to eat such a product. However, in order not to throw it away, you can use such honey to add a pleasant aroma to baked goods.

conclusions

Honey is delicious and healthy. No wonder people want to always have a supply of this delicacy at home. Nevertheless, not everyone knows how to properly store honey in an apartment. The tips are so numerous that you can get lost in them. Based on the foregoing, the following theses can be distinguished:

• the optimal storage temperature of this product ranges from -6 to +10 degrees;
• in a city apartment, honey is best stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in the pantry, and if we are talking about a private house - in the cellar;
• ideal containers are clean sterile glass jars tightly closed with a lid;
• to avoid rapid sugaring, it is recommended to store honey in combs (it can be a whole frame or fragments of honeycomb, laid out in jars).

Honey is a rather capricious product in storage. Violation of the norms and rules of storage can lead not only to the loss of taste and useful qualities, but even to the production of toxic substances. Therefore, if you are not sure about your knowledge of how to properly store honey at home, purchase it in small quantities that will be used up quickly.

Honey is one of the most delicious and healthy sweets in the world. Since childhood, we have known this medicine, which was given to us by grandmothers and mothers along with hot tea. Its value is undeniable, however, to obtain additional beneficial properties, honey must be natural and of high quality.

honeycomb

The difficulty in buying a bee product is that we cannot be sure of the naturalness of the product. Naturally, one should not expect even the smallest part of usefulness from a fake, but it is sometimes extremely difficult to identify it. Therefore, if it is possible to purchase honey directly from beekeepers, do not neglect this.

But everything is not so simple. Even when choosing honey in combs, there is a chance to purchase low-quality goods. Some beekeepers intentionally feed bees with sugar syrup, the resulting honey contains a huge amount of harmful carbohydrates, but it will not contain such valuable enzymes and other unique substances.

The natural product was appreciated by our distant ancestors. Now it has become permissible to extract honey in combs without serious damage to the hives, so this method of distribution has become even more popular and simple.

In view of all of the above, a natural question arises from how to store honey in combs at home?

So, comb honey is a product of bee production that has not been extracted from wax cells. Its consistency depends on temperature and weather conditions, and the aroma and taste are determined by the species composition of the plants from which the pollen was collected.

The peculiarity of this honey is that it contains many useful substances, as well as additional components in the form of propolis, wax and bee bread. Considering that the product has undergone, as it were, natural conservation, all healing properties are not only preserved, but also increased. And most importantly, this honey is 100% natural.

honeycomb

You can consume honey in combs completely, for example, with black bread or chew it thoroughly, and then spit out the remaining wax. Wax has a beneficial effect on the oral cavity, providing a healing effect. It also helps whiten teeth and strengthen enamel.

A similar effect is achieved by the fact that the wax contains components such as vitamin C and B, monosaccharides, vitamins PP, B9, B5 and organic acids (methane, ethanoic and butanedioic).

The healing properties of honey itself depend entirely on the pollinated plants. Honey strengthens the immune system, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Promotes healing of wounds, relieves inflammation, reduces pain.

It perfectly fights viruses and microbes, is useful for leukemia and protects against radiation. It also helps in the fight against fungi and has an antiseptic effect. Well suited for the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis and eye diseases.

With the help of honey, diseases of the genitourinary, cardiovascular and nervous systems are treated. Used for insomnia and migraine, to raise the tone of the body. Honey increases efficiency, promotes an increase in mental activity and restores strength after active physical exertion.

Small amounts of honey will also be useful for people suffering from diabetes mellitus, it is able to improve metabolism and regulate blood cholesterol levels.

No less widely used is the product of bee production in cosmetics, due to its exfoliating and rejuvenating effect. It is part of all kinds of masks, creams and shampoos.

But, it is necessary to strictly observe the dosage, since honey is a very strong allergen. Contraindicated in people with hypersensitivity to bee products. Although only a few percent of people around the world are sensitive to it, it will not be superfluous to check yourself before use in order to avoid conditions that are dangerous to health and life.

What can spoil honey?

Propolis, which is part of comb honey, is a natural preservative, which ensures the safety of the product and prevents the ingress of pathogenic microorganisms. And the peculiar caps make honey almost completely sterile.

Storage of honey

But they are not as terrible for honeycombs as moisture. Wax has the ability to absorb moisture and various vapors, and therefore if the honeycombs get into a too humid place, souring and even fermentation is possible.

The sun also contributes to damage. The sun's rays contribute to the destruction of the chemical structure, which makes honey completely unusable. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid both direct sunlight and high air temperature. It is important to make sure that beekeepers store the frames in a dry and dark place.

Insects, various beetles, and especially the main pest of bees, the wax moth, are no less dangerous for frames with honey. It takes only five days for the full maturation of an adult. Especially these insects love the hot period and actively breed at this moment.

Therefore, as a preventive measure for the appearance and protection of the product of bee production, it is necessary to ensure good circulation of fresh air, low temperatures (below 10 ° C) can also prevent the appearance of this unpleasant pest. Insects not only damage the wax, but can also introduce dangerous viruses and bacteria into honey, which can subsequently adversely affect the body.

The last enemy of the honeycomb product of bee production is mold. Its appearance is facilitated by very low humidity, and getting rid of it is extremely difficult, almost impossible. If it does appear, then the product is not usable.

Important! Some people scrape off a layer of mold and think they got rid of it. But her disputes penetrate much deeper and can do harm.

Conditions for storing honeycombs at home

Storage of honey in honeycombs at home, in principle, is not much different from how the product of bee production is stored in jars. However, some features still exist and require compliance with a few simple rules:

Storage of honey in combs

1. Initially, you need to take care of stabilizing the temperature regime in the range from three to ten degrees. If there are sharp jumps in air temperature, then the shelf life will be significantly reduced. A cellar or basement is quite suitable for this purpose, however, the room should be well ventilated, and the humidity level should be no more than 50-60%;
2. If maintaining humidity is not a big problem, then maintaining a low temperature is difficult and is achieved using a refrigerator. For these purposes, if possible, it is better to purchase a small separate refrigerator;
3. The container must be hermetically sealed to avoid the appearance of foreign odors. This is due to the fact that the wax itself and the product of bee production absorb various aromas and substances well, it is also worthwhile to trace the absence of various dangerous and toxic substances in its vicinity. If open cells were kept close to pesticides, then it is strictly forbidden to use it, because there is a danger of poisoning;
4. Glass, earthenware or enamelware is suitable as a storage container. It is impossible to store a product of bee production in a metal container, because toxic substances can be formed during chemical reactions. It is optimal to use special plastic containers that will ensure complete tightness. It is better to keep the layers separately from each other in a shallow container;
5. In no case should you freeze, and then sharply heat the honeycomb. Usually, freezing preserves food and practically does not affect the content of vitamins, but in this case it will lead to a violation of the tightness of the wax and crystallization of the bee product. Because air penetrates into the formed cracks, violating the internal environment, providing protection and sterility of honey. Ultimately, honeycombs with a bee product will simply deteriorate.

Honeycomb shelf life

In a honeycomb state, honey retains a liquid consistency for almost three years. If you approach the storage conditions of the product responsibly, then you can store it for decades. However, it is worth considering that every year the properties of honey decrease by about 20%, so the optimal shelf life is about two to three years.

Important! An interesting fact is a find made by archaeologists in Egypt. The honey found there was several thousand years old, but experts recognized that it was quite usable.

If some storage conditions have been violated, then it is better to use such honey within one year. At room temperature, the period is reduced to only six months. This is not a problem, especially if the amount of honey stored is small.

Storage conditions for honey

At the moment, the presentation of honeycombs is almost ideal due to the introduction of plastic frames. With such a framework, honeycombs with honey are smooth without visible flaws. The product should not smell of foreign matter, as odorless tree varieties are always used. This is worth paying attention to because honeycombs can be damaged, for example, by a fungus or pests.

Unfortunately, if the bees were fed with sugar, then it is impossible to recognize such honey. In color, smell and taste, it is no different from natural, and a fake is detected only during storage. Such a product can lead to unpleasant consequences.

It is better to buy honeycomb from trusted suppliers who guarantee the naturalness of the product and its quality. The shelf life is quite long, and the harvesting process itself is simple. Stocks are perfect during periods of exacerbation of colds, to maintain health and as a remedy.

Pay attention to how much honey you have stored in the combs. This information will allow you to use only a fresh and healthy product of bee production.

Honey is one of the most useful natural products. But in order for it to be useful, it must be properly stored.

From our article you will learn everything about storing honey: the right container, the optimal temperature and the period that will help preserve all the benefits of the product for a long time.

Storing honey at home

Natural honey can retain its appearance, taste and useful properties for years, subject to simple rules.

Temperature

The optimum temperature is from -6 to +20 degrees (Figure 1). In other words, room temperature is not very conducive to the preservation of this useful product. After all, with a long stay at a temperature above 20 degrees, its vitamin composition is disturbed. And when heated to more than 40 degrees, part of the nutrients and vitamins are immediately lost. Low temperatures do not have such a detrimental effect: at temperatures below 0, it simply hardens. Ideally, if the minus temperature does not fall below -6.

Figure 1. Product storage temperature

It is important to know that the temperature regime must remain stable. With temperature differences, uneven crystallization occurs.

You will find the basic storage rules in the video.

Shelf life

Storing honey at home at room temperature (i.e. above +20) will definitely not benefit this sweet product. Indeed, under such conditions, it will lose some of the vitamins and begin to exfoliate (Figure 2).

It is better if the temperature regime does not exceed +10. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to choose between a cold and warm room, choose a cold one. So you will not have any questions why the product is stratified or candied quickly.

Figure 2. Features of storage at home

storage utensils

Storage containers can be varied: glass, enamelled, ceramic, etc. It is strictly forbidden to leave this beekeeping product in iron and galvanized dishes. When in contact with zinc, copper and lead, it becomes toxic and oxidizes with iron, acquiring an unpleasant taste. For the same reason, it is not recommended to collect nectar with an iron spoon and leave it in a bowl. Examples of suitable containers are shown in Figure 3.

Note: Whichever container you choose, it must be absolutely clean and dry, without residues of last year's product on the bottom. Therefore, it is better to use laundry soap for washing containers, rather than liquid products. Washed dishes must be rinsed with plenty of water.

Containers made of aluminum, stainless steel or glass are best suited; enamel, ceramic and earthenware are also allowed. Special plastic containers are also suitable, but the shelf life in this case is limited and is about 1 year. Any container must have a tight lid to avoid foreign odors and moisture from entering the product.

Clay

For storage, you can use processed earthenware or ceramic containers coated with glaze from the inside. The container must be clean, odorless, hermetically sealed. In this case, the use of rubber gaskets is allowed.

Wooden

If we talk about wooden barrels, then containers made of oak and coniferous trees are absolutely not suitable here, since the substance darkens in a container made of oak, and in barrels made of coniferous trees it acquires the smell of resin.

You can use barrels made of wood with a moisture content of not more than 16%. Such conditions are met by beech, birch, willow, cedar, linden, plane tree, aspen, alder.

glass

Hermetically sealed glassware is ideal because glass is chemically neutral and does not react in any way. The only drawback of glass containers is the inability to protect the product from exposure to sunlight. However, this drawback is easy to eliminate, you just need to put the jars in a dark place, or cover them with opaque materials.

Figure 3. Types of storage containers

The shelf life in glass containers is quite long, so after purchase it is better to immediately pour the product into jars.

plastic

Long-term storage of nectar in a plastic container is not the best option, since you can keep it in it for no longer than one year. In addition, plastic containers should be designed specifically for food products and have a tight lid.

Cell storage

Honey in its natural packaging - honeycombs - retains the maximum of its beneficial properties. There are some rules for its storage (Figure 4):

1. The temperature and humidity levels remain the same as during normal storage.
2. A whole frame of honeycomb can be left in the refrigerator by wrapping it in an opaque wrapper.
3. It is much more convenient to cut the honeycombs into small pieces and put them in a glass container and close them tightly. The honeycomb container can also be left in the refrigerator.

Figure 4. Storage of honey in combs

Why honey separates during storage

Delamination is the separation into two parts that differ in color and consistency. This phenomenon is caused by a number of reasons (Figure 5):

• premature collection;
• overheat;
• storage at high humidity;
• adding other substances to the natural product;
• mixing different varieties;
• natural processes.

With premature collection of nectar, a dark liquid appears on its surface. This is caused by an excess of moisture in the product, which the bees did not have time to eliminate. As a result, such a bee product acquires a sour taste and begins to ferment and exfoliate. Therefore, prematurely collected nectar should be consumed as soon as possible. If you put it in the refrigerator, you can extend the period of use. In this case, the fermentation process will stop, however, the stratification will continue.

Figure 5. Causes of honey separation

Overheating can provoke stratification, that is, this process begins at a temperature of +35 - 36, which means it can begin during normal transportation in the heat.

Note: The appearance of a layer of liquid on the surface can be caused by being in a humid room, provided that the container is not tightly closed. As you know, honey has good hygroscopic properties, that is, it has the ability to absorb moisture.

Quite often, stratification occurs due to mixing different varieties. . For this reason, the varieties begin to be torn away from each other, thus forming layers. However, this does not mean at all that the product is unsuitable for consumption.

Stratification may indicate mixing it with various substances , such as: water, starch, flour, chalk, sugar syrup. This is done by unscrupulous manufacturers in order to increase the volume of this useful product.

There are also natural causes of the stratification process. The thing is that nectar contains glucose and fructose. Glucose leads to crystallization, so a few months after collection, it begins to thicken and change color. Fructose, on the contrary, dilutes it. Therefore, a product containing a larger amount of glucose is prone to crystallization, and containing approximately equal amounts of fructose and glucose, to stratification. This is explained by the fact that glucose sinks to the bottom, and fructose, respectively, rises, creating a second layer.

Why honey doesn't dry out

It is rather difficult to answer the question of how to prevent honey from being candied during storage, since this process is natural and occurs with any natural product at different times (Figure 6). It depends on the variety and quality of the product.

Figure 6. Candied honey

However, it is possible to delay the onset of crystallization by keeping the nectar at a constant temperature. Under such conditions, crystallization will occur, but will proceed more evenly.

Why does honey foam

Foam on the surface of honey is an alarm that should alert you when eating or buying this dessert. After all, you can not use it, because the foam is a product of fermentation. What are the reasons why the nectar begins to ferment?

This process is caused by the presence of a specific type of yeast in the composition. They promote the appearance of enzymes that release a small amount of alcohol and carbon dioxide. When there is more alcohol, acetic acid begins to form, provoking fermentation.

Note: With repeated transfusion into different containers, foaming can also begin. Heather, buckwheat, honeydew varieties of nectar are most susceptible to this.

There are the following reasons that explain why honey foams during storage(picture 7):

• Poor quality filtration
• Immaturity of the product;
• Dilution with sugar syrup;
• Multiple transfusion.

A poorly filtered product contains a large amount of various impurities: wax, pollen, bee bread, which form a white layer on the surface of the product. Such a white coating can be easily removed with a spoon, then mix the nectar and send it to a cold place, such as a cellar or refrigerator.

If additives are not visible in the composition of a homogeneous white foam, and it itself resembles soap in its appearance, this means that the bee product has deteriorated and should not be consumed, since this can lead to serious poisoning.

Figure 7. Why honey foams

Unripe nectar begins to ferment rapidly without foaming. It increases in mass, can lift the lid of the container in which it is located. You can stop this process by heating the bee product at a temperature of +65 degrees for half an hour. However, such a product will not have useful properties.

Diluted honey can be used in cooking, and later, when acquiring such a desired and useful product, you should pay attention to such points:

1. If you turn the spoon over, then the natural product will not drain. Otherwise, it is immature and cannot be stored.
2. If natural nectar is dissolved in water, then a precipitate will appear in the container.
3. If white foam is visible due to damaged caps, this product should not be purchased.
4. If foam appears on the surface in winter, this means that the beekeeping product contains various chemical additives, and therefore is of low grade. It is not recommended to use it.
5. If the foam appears unexpectedly, it can be removed and used for the preparation of medicines, since such nectar contains a significant amount of pollen, bee bread and wax.
6. Natural products are well purified, have a sweet taste and a pleasant aroma.

So, summing up, we can say that foam does not always indicate that the product is spoiled. However, most often it is evidence of a poor-quality product.

Shelf life of honey in glass containers at room temperature

A glass container with a tight-fitting lid is ideal for storage, provided the container is darkened or kept in a dark room. However, at room temperature (above 20 degrees), the shelf life is quite short. Therefore, it is still better to store this wonderful and healthy product at a temperature not exceeding 10 degrees Celsius in a dark and cool place in a hermetically sealed container.

The author of the video will tell you how to properly store honey so that it retains its beneficial properties.

Useful properties of honey are known to almost all consumers. But in order for all the useful substances to continue their action for a long time, it must be properly stored.

Then the shelf life of natural honey will be quite long.

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What is the shelf life of honey according to GOST?

Honey contains special bactericidal substances that prevent spoilage of the product.

In natural conditions, in honeycombs, the product can be stored for quite a long time.

As soon as the honeycombs are opened, and the honey is poured into a glass container, oxygen and harmful substances from the environment enter it.

Does honey have a shelf life? Certainly. Shelf life at room temperature is limited to two years. According to GOST, the shelf life of honey is limited to one year, and under certain storage conditions it is reduced to 8 months. The same GOST allows storage of the product in sealed containers up to two years.

After this time, the product, most likely, will not deteriorate, but the beneficial properties in it under the influence of the external environment will be lost.

Separate GOSTs are used to determine shelf life of honey with additives. You can store it in an airtight container for no more than a year, and after opening no more than two months.

IMPORTANT. The shelf life may vary depending on the composition of the product, which is influenced by the time of collection of the substance by the bees and the plant from which the nectar was collected. Worst of all, honey collected by insects in late autumn or in a dry summer is stored.

Storage at home

The maximum amount of time the product can be stored if ideal conditions are created for it. It is not always possible to create such storage conditions at home, and benefits disappear., vitamins begin to break down, and consequently, the product deteriorates.

Many factors affect the shelf life:

• Content temperature above plus 20 degrees;
• Exposure of the product to direct sunlight when stored in a transparent container;
• Storage in an open container;
• Air humidity above 75%. For this reason, it is not recommended to store the product in the refrigerator, where condensation forms inside the container and it begins to ferment.

IMPORTANT. Crystallization of natural honey is not a sign of its spoilage. On the contrary, if the product does not crystallize and thicken for a long time, then it is not natural.

Mandatory conditions of detention

Does storage capacity, space and temperature matter? Only the creation of ideal conditions for natural honey can guarantee not only its suitability for consumption, but also the preservation of all useful qualities. The ideal place is a dry cellar or basement.

To maximize shelf life, the following rules must be followed:

1. Use only glass containers. If you purchased a large amount of product in a plastic container, transfer it to glass containers. And it is better to take small dishes. This is important because every time you open the jar and remove the product from it, you let in air and harmful bacteria. This shortens the shelf life.
2. Limit light access to the product. The storage location must be dark. Dark dishes can serve as additional protection.
3. Ensure the storage temperature is 8 to 15 degrees Celsius. The temperature must be stable, sudden changes will lead to the formation of condensate in the container, which will spoil the contents.
4. Do not allow foreign odors to enter the container because honey actively absorbs them.

Except dark glass suitable enameled, ceramic, nickel-plated dishes with a tight-fitting lid. You can store it in wooden barrels.

Just don't use softwood barrels. Such wood contains resin, which will spoil the smell of honey.

The product may darken in an oak barrel., but this will not affect its quality./p>

Water should not get into the jar, the product will immediately begin to turn sour. You need to collect it from the jar only with a dry spoon.

ATTENTION. Do not store honey in iron, copper or galvanized dishes. Oxidation processes will begin in them, and harmful chemicals will enter the product.

Does comb honey have an expiration date?

in natural conditions, in a hive, honey can be stored for a very long time without losing its beneficial qualities. It's all about hermetically sealed honeycomb cells.

These are the ideal product containers with waxy walls, through which harmful microorganisms cannot penetrate. Additional protection is the lack of oxygen in the cells, due to which fermentation inside does not begin.

This natural packaging helps keep all the healing properties of the product for the maximum amount of time. Therefore, if you keep it in the combs, without releasing the cells from the wax caps. Besides wax enhances the bactericidal effect. But you need to keep honeycombs under certain conditions.

Honeycombs are placed in dry glass or ceramic containers.. Containers are installed in a cool place with a humidity level of not more than 60%. Honeycomb storage temperature 3-10 degrees Celsius. Do not allow light to hit the honeycombs.

The shelf life of the product in such conditions reaches 10, and under ideal conditions up to 15 years.

IMPORTANT. Honey in combs not only can be stored longer than pumped out of them. Due to the content of wax, propolis and zabrus in it, the healing properties increase. Traditional medicine uses this remedy in the treatment of many diseases, increasing immunity, stimulating appetite.

Proper storage of honey is a guarantee of the safety of all its healing properties.. This product deserves special treatment and efforts to store it.

How to store honey? We watch a video clip about the quality of various honey, as well as about storage rules: