In this article:
Does Honey Go Bad or Expire?
When stored correctly, honey is one of the only foods that never expires.
But don’t just take my word for it.
When modern archeologists dug out ancient Egyptian tombs, they found something rather surprising:
3,000-year-old honey.
Yes, you read that right.
In ancient Egypt, honey jars were left in tombs as offerings to the dead, allowing them to eat in the afterlife. In fact, archeologists found honey in King Tut’s tomb which was over 3,300 years old.(1, 2)
And when they tasted it?
It was still perfectly good honey. Just like the honey you’d buy from a farmer’s market.
But here’s the thing:
Honey tends to darken or solidify over time. It’s a perfectly natural process, and that doesn’t mean your honey has gone bad. It’s called crystallization, and it tends to happen faster at lower temperatures, like when your honey is stored in the fridge.
But thankfully?
Learning how to decrystallize honey is simple and only takes a few minutes.
Now you might be asking:
Well, how come honey doesn’t go bad?
For a few reasons:
- Honey is high in sugar and low in moisture. Honey has about an 80% sugar content, which helps prevent bacteria and fungus. And since honey is thick, oxygen can’t easily dissolve into it. This, once again, prevents the growth and reproduction of germs.(3, 4)
- Honey is acidic. Honey has an average pH of 3.9, making it acidic. An acidic environment hinders the growth for certain bacteria like Salmonella, C. diphtheriae, E.coli, and Streptococcus.(3, 4)
- Honeybees have special enzymes that suppress bacteria. Bees secrete the enzyme glucose oxidase into the honey while making it. As the honey ripens, glucose oxidase produces hydrogen peroxide which helps make honey antibacterial.(4, 5, 6)
And finally?
Honey contains various compounds such as flavonoids, methylglyoxal, polyphenols, and other antibacterial agents, which contribute to its eternal shelflife.
Now here’s the million-dollar question…
If honey doesn’t expire, then why does it have a date on the bottle?
Let’s talk about that next.
Why Does Honey Have an Expiration Date on the Bottle?
Here’s the thing:
Most bottles of honey include a “sell by” date on their bottle – not an expiration date.
But regardless of if your honey has a sell by, best by, or expiration date, it doesn’t mean it’ll go bad.
Instead, these dates help stores rotate stock. If there were no dates, it’d be hard to ensure that the oldest product was leaving the shelves first.
The good news?
Most bottles of honey sell way before the date on the bottle. But, don’t worry if you pick up a bottle close to the “sell by” date. Your honey will be safe (and delicious) to eat as long as it’s been sealed tightly.
But keep in mind:
Stores like to sell more products. So, if you throw out “old” honey without realizing that it doesn’t expire, the stores won’t object.
That brings me to our next point:
How Do You Store Honey After Opening It?
The best place to store your honey is in a cabinet at room temperature. Make sure the lid is screwed on tight so no excess air can creep in.
And besides that?
Just make sure you only dip into the honey with clean utensils. This prevents the risk of contaminating your honey with bacteria.
And that’s it.
That’s how you properly store honey.
That said, let me address a question you might have:
Is it okay to refrigerate or freeze honey?
Sure, you can. But there’s absolutely no reason to because it’ll just take up extra space in your fridge or freezer. Plus, honey begins to crystallize (solidify) at cooler temperatures below 50ºF (10ºC).
Of course, crystallized honey isn’t bad for you. It’s simply just honey in solid form. You can easily decrystallize honey with some warm water and a spoon.
But the question is…
Why would you want to if you don’t have to?
You can just store your honey in the kitchen cabinet. That way, it’ll stay at room temperature and be less likely to crystallize.
FAQs on “Does Honey Go Bad or Expire?”
- Can bacteria grow in honey?
- Will fermented honey make you sick?
- How long can honey last?
- Should you refrigerate honey?
- Can honey last 3,000 years?
- Why does honey have a sell by date?
- How do you sterilize honey?
- Why is my raw honey cloudy?
- Does honey go bad at room temperature?
- Does honey go bad in the fridge?
Can bacteria grow in honey?
Yes, in cases when honey isn’t stored properly, it can become contaminated.
We often get asked numerous questions like:
How can you tell if honey is bad? What does expired honey look like? Can old honey make you sick? What can you do with old honey? Can honey go bad and make you sick? How to tell if honey is bad?
Remember:
Keep your honey in an airtight container with the lid closed tightly. Then place it in a cabinet at room temperature. Only dip into your honey using clean utensils. As long as you follow this advice, your honey won’t go bad, and you won’t have to worry about getting sick.
If your honey hasn’t been stored properly, then go ahead and throw it out. It’s better safe than sorry.
But with that in mind, what are some ways that honey can go bad?
Here are a few:
- It’s contaminated. In some rare cases, honey can contain spores of C. botulinum. These spores are typically harmless for adults, but babies under 12 months shouldn’t eat honey. These spores can lead to infant botulism which can cause nervous system damage, paralysis, and respiratory failure.
- It’s overly processed. Artificial sweeteners are often added to store-bought honey to make it cheaper to produce. Honey can also be harvested before it’s ripe, resulting in higher water content. To reduce this, make sure you buy raw and unfiltered honey so it can maintain all the key nutrients that make honey a superfood.
- It’s stored incorrectly. Honey can degrade or become contaminated if it isn’t sealed properly. This can also cause the water content to rise, which increases the risk of fermentation.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Will fermented honey make you sick?
While fermented honey doesn’t exactly taste good, it’s generally safe to eat.
Fermented honey (also known as baker’s honey) has a greater moisture content than most types of honey. This gives the natural yeasts and enzymes the ability to begin fermenting.
That said, while fermentation from the natural presence of yeast doesn’t make honey unsafe to eat, other bacteria or microorganisms could.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
How long can honey last?
People regularly wonder, “How long does honey keep in a jar?” and “Does honey go bad after opening?”
The answer is:
Honey doesn’t go bad as long as it’s stored properly. It needs to be sealed tightly so no air or moisture can creep in.
So why doesn’t honey go bad?
Because honey’s low moisture content prevents bacterial growth. Honey only contains about 17-18% water and 80% fructose and glucose.
Honey will not spoil if bacteria aren’t at work. Honey is also acidic enough to keep germs and bacteria away.
Furthermore, the bees add their own enzymes to honey, which adds hydrogen peroxide to it. Yes, that’s the same antiseptic we use to treat cuts and sores.
Since it is naturally antimicrobial, honey has been used throughout history to treat wounds and other illnesses.
In the past, doctors on the battlefield would spread honey into soldiers’ wounds to prevent bacteria from growing. Honey has also been used in hospitals to treat strains of drug-resistant bacteria.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Should you refrigerate honey?
You can, but it’s unnecessary and will just take up extra space in your fridge.
People often ask, “How long does honey last in the fridge?” and the answer is that honey never expires. That is, as long as you keep the lid on tight.
But, honey actually does better stored at room temperature because it will crystallize at cold temperatures. While crystallized honey is still safe to eat, it’s more convenient just to keep it in the cabinet. This keeps it in liquid form.
So my suggestion?
You’ll make your life easier by keeping your honey at room temperature. That way, you won’t have to decrystallize it as much as you would if you put it in the fridge.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Can honey last 3,000 years?
Yes, it can, and the proof is in the pudding:
In 2015, archaeologists discovered 3,000-year-old honey while excavating tombs in Egypt. They tasted it, and it was perfectly fine.(1, 2)
Honey’s resistance to spoiling is due to its unique characteristics: it’s low in water and high in sugar, making it unsuitable for bacteria to grow on.
Honey was also discovered in King Tut’s tomb which is over 3,300 years old. Honey jars were left in Egyptian tombs as offerings to the dead, allowing the dead to eat from them in the afterlife.(1, 2)
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Why does honey have a “sell by” date? Can you eat honey after the “best before” date?
A “sell by” date doesn’t signify an expiration date on honey bottles. Instead, it’s a date by which the honey should be sold. It doesn’t matter whether your honey has a sell by, best by, or expiration date. As long as your honey is stored properly, it won’t expire.
“Sell by” dates help stores rotate their inventory. If there were no dates, it would be difficult to ensure that the oldest product was removed first.
Honey is often sold out long before the “sell by” date on the container. However, if you obtain a bottle near the “sell by” date, don’t worry. Your honey will be safe to eat as long as it’s been tightly sealed.
But keep in mind:
Retailers want to sell more goods. So, if you discard “old” honey without realizing it doesn’t go bad, the retailers won’t mind.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
- Acacia Honey: The Taste, Health Benefits, & Risks
- Sourwood Honey: What Does it Taste Like?
- The 3 Most Popular Types of Honey
How do you sterilize honey?
Honey doesn’t need to be sterilized.
The only “exception” is if you’re a beekeeper going through the honey harvesting process. You might filter the honey to remove any wax or excess pollen. But, this isn’t considered sterilizing. It’s considered filtering and it’s a natural part of honey harvesting.
If you feel your honey needs to be sterilized because it tastes “off”, then you should double-check that you were storing it correctly. If the jar hasn’t been closed tightly and excess moisture/air has gotten in, then throw the honey away.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Why is my raw honey cloudy?
When your honey is cloudy, it can mean two things:
1) The honey has been creamed to make it have a smoother texture, or 2) the honey has crystallized.
Both ways are completely safe to eat. Some people even prefer creamed or crystallized honey.
You can learn how to decrystallize honey here.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Does honey go bad at room temperature?
Nope! As long as your honey lid is sealed tight and you use clean utensils to dip into the honey, your honey won’t expire or get contaminated.
Here’s the thing:
Honey has a long shelf life because bacteria can’t thrive in it. This essentially extends its shelf life indefinitely.
Honey should be stored at room temperature. This will slow down the process of crystallization. Once honey crystallizes, you can learn how to decrystallize it in a few simple steps.
—> Go back to the FAQs on “Does honey go bad or expire?”
More to Explore:
Does honey go bad in the fridge? Does honey expire in the fridge?
No, it will only make the honey crystallize fast. But, some people prefer crystallized honey because it’s a chewy sweet snack.
If you prefer to keep your honey liquid, just store it at room temperature.
