# Honey, how long can it last or be used for human consumption??



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

A couple thousand years as long as it does not contain too much moisture. If in doubt send it to me! I will be happy to consume, I mean test the entire batch.


----------



## Buzzy Bee (Apr 18, 2011)

As far as i have heard it never goes bad.... unless it has too much moisture then it might go bad

Even if the honey has crystallized it is still edible... you might just have to use it for cooking instead of as a topping on toast


----------



## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Honey several thousand years old has reportedly been found in the tombs of the Pharoahs in Egypt and was still edible. Not sure about eating something with mummy dust on it, but 1986? Try it out.


----------



## djei5 (Apr 24, 2011)

Send me a jar, I will be your official taste tester!


----------



## pascopol (Apr 23, 2009)

Send it to me, I'll make mead out of it.


----------



## the kid (Nov 26, 2006)

Even if the honey has crystallized it is still edible... you might just have to use it for cooking instead of as a topping on toast 

if it crystallized all you have to do is put the jar in some real warm water , not boiling real warm ,, my self I like the crystallized stuff .. honey will not spoil but high moisture honey will ferment ,, when it dose ferment from high moisture , its not wine , it will taste sour .. and it will not make good mead ( honey wine ) ..


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

2500 year old honey may still be identifable as honey, but I don't know that anyone actually has eaten any of it.

I had the wife of a customer bring me a jar of honey she found in the back of the cupboards well after the death of her first husband. A 5 lb jar, which she claims had never been opened or heated, and which has a Black and White version of my 5 lb label, which means it is maybe 10 years old. The stuff looks black in the jar. I haven't opened it yet. I have plenty of newer honey if I want some to eat.

Stored honey does not always get better w/ age. Otherwise Packers would really buy up huge wearhouses of it when it was cheap and use it as they need it. But they don't, not like grain anyway.


----------



## Steve_G (Apr 24, 2011)

My uncle was a beekeeper who died back in 1985.
While cleaning out the house after my aunts death in 2006, I came across a 2 gallon jar of honey. I called the local bee inspector and was told that as long as it was in a sealed container to just to reheat the honey to 180F and it would be safe to eat. Both my sister and I split the honey and no ill effects to date.

Hope it helps

Steve


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

180? If you did, you burned it. Honey heated to 160 degrees for any length of time will caramelize the sugars in the honey. I hope that was a typo or a misunderstanding.

Heating it to 140 would be adequate and lower temps for longer would liquify it just fine.


----------



## Steve_G (Apr 24, 2011)

It could have been either?, I wasn't into beekeeping back in 2006, and only am going from memory. The only thing I do clearly remember was beign told to watch the temp and not to let it boil. It could have been 140, but 180 sticks in my mind.

Steve_G


----------



## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

Heating food to 180 for at least 15 seconds is a standard cooking temperature to make food safe. Not sure what it does to honey, but that's what they teach in every culinary school around.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Are you sure? 180 degreees F? Seems pretty extreme to me. Besides, how does it make honey food safe? And do you do that w/ dry sugar and maple syrup too? Not to mention corn syrup?

No wonder so many manufacturers of foods, such as cereals, use the worst Grade of honey they can find, since they are going to destroy it in their food prep processes anyway.


----------



## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

I agree that it would caramelize the honey. Here's link to what I was talking about. There are different temps for different foods, I always did the 180 trick just to be sure, with meat that is. I'd say the containers get hotter than that when manufacturers can things. They do in my kitchen anyways.

http://www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/fss/consumers/safe_food_temperatures.htm


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

There is a vast difference between meat and honey. You'd have to work pretty hard to contaminate honey w/ something that would make people sick, especially compared to how easy it can be done w/ meat products.


----------



## djei5 (Apr 24, 2011)

If the honey is capped, it is ok to eat, even if its a thousand years old! It even has antibacterial properties and is now being used in wound gels! 180 degrees and youve ruined it. If it doesnt smell fermented, enjoy!


----------

