Where to keep honey: Expert tips for preserving its quality

Honey is a tasty and healthy product suitable for long-term storage, but not every place is appropriate. Beekeeper advises on where to keep honey to retain its properties.

Many people keep honey in kitchen cabinets, not realising that this is not the best place for it. A beekeeper shares his knowledge about the best conditions for storing this sweet treat and whether it is indeed an indestructible product.

The Beekeeper explains whether storing honey at room temperature is a good idea. The optimal temperature for honey is under 18°C, and this information is often found on product labels. Therefore, the refrigerator door, pantry, and basement are better places to store honey than a typical kitchen cabinet or countertop.

Placing a jar of honey in a cabinet near a heat source (such as the stove) is not a good idea. The cabinet can heat up from the steam of cooking dishes, directly affecting the quality of the honey stored in such a cabinet. Additionally, honey such as rape, goldenrod, early, and multi floral are best kept in the refrigerator. These products can ferment when kept at room temperature. The lower temperature in the fridge prevents fermentation.

Honey can spoil, but it happens only in two cases. The first is when a beekeeper centrifuges the honey too early, and it contains too much water, leading to fermentation, the formation of foam, and an alcohol smell. The second is the long-term storage of honey in warm conditions. In such a situation, hydroxymethylfurfural forms in the honey, a substance that can harm health.

The beekeeper also notes that honey is a dry product (its water content is about 20 percent), so it absorbs water and various scents from its surroundings. To enjoy tasty honey for as long as possible, always store the jar well-sealed and never store open honey.