Do you leave HONEY like this? The mistake half of the people make. Honey becomes worthless!

Real honey is an irreplaceable natural sweetener.

It is a real treasure trove of vitamins and microelements valuable for the body.

Unfortunately, due to incorrect storage, the properties of this product may be irretrievably lost.

The newsy.gotujmy portal revealed what you should look for when storing honey.

Honey is a pleasure that is not only ideal for spreading on bread.

It is the perfect complement to sweet breakfasts, such as oatmeal, millet, yogurt with fruits and nuts, and even French toast.

It is also used to prepare sauces, marinades for meats and cakes.

It is appreciated for its sweet and distinctive flavor, as well as its beneficial effect on the body.

At what temperature should honey be stored?

The key to proper honey storage is proper thermal conditions.

This product feels best at temperatures of 8 to 18 °C.

This temperature allows it to maintain its full value and proper consistency.

However, if the temperature is too low, the honey will solidify like a stone.

On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, it will lose its healing properties.

Therefore, this should be strictly avoided.

Where to store honey at home?

Given the temperature conditions for storage, honey should not be stored in the refrigerator or near heat sources such as radiators or stoves.

Therefore, this product is best stored in dry, cool, shaded places, such as a pantry or dark cupboard.

Hermetically sealed glass containers and porcelain containers are suitable containers for storing this valuable product.

In this case, forget about plastic containers.

How long can honey be stored?

Honey that has been harvested at the right time and stored in tightly sealed containers under optimal conditions can stay on the shelves almost… forever.

In fact, natural honey does not have an expiration date.

This reminds us of ancient Egypt, where crystallized honey was supposedly found in tombs, which not only retained its flavor and aroma, but was still suitable for consumption.

How to recognize fermented honey?

Properly collected and stored honey should not spoil.

However, if any of these factors are not met, the product loses its value or undergoes fermentation.

Fermented honey is the result of harvesting too early and introducing moisture and bacteria into the honey, such as by scooping it up with a spoon and licking it.

How to tell if there is something wrong with honey?

The process begins with a change in flavor, which takes on a slight beer aroma due to the yeast.

The colour of the honey also changes and a foam-like yeast-smelling mixture appears on its surface.

This honey is only suitable for homemade tinctures.

How to distinguish authentic honey from fake honey?

Beekeepers are the best at distinguishing between real honey and fake honey, which is far from being genuine honey. That’s why we asked Filip Grgula directly how to do it.

Simple advice

Whether it is real honey or fake, you can easily tell in the store.

“First of all, you need to study the label properly. If the label says ‘mixture of EU and non-EU honey’, it is a mixture whose quality no one can guarantee. Of course, even if the honey is not from Slovakia, it does not mean that it cannot be of quality, but you should always be able to trace its origin through a contact. If you want to be sure and have authentic honey at home, look on the label for the name, address and contact details of the company or beekeeper. And then it is simply a matter of trust between you and the beekeeper or company from whom you buy honey,” Filip Grgula advised Dobré noviny.

Signs of authentic honey

Real honey is also distinguished from fake honey by its characteristics.

“One indication of the authenticity of honey can be the so-called crystallisation in the jars; mixed floral honeys, rapeseed, clover or sunflower crystallise very quickly, even within a few days or weeks. But be careful, for example, agate honey crystallises very slowly, sometimes taking up to a year,” Filip Grgula revealed to us. You may also have heard of an air bubble in honey that should distinguish its authenticity, but Mr Grgula claims something different.

“I wouldn’t be too guided by the movement of bubbles in honey, as it depends a lot on the water content in the honey and also on the ambient temperature. If you look at the speed of movement of the air bubble in the same honey in summer, it will seem very liquid, and on the contrary, in winter on the market it will be quite thick. The best advice is to trust your beekeeper,” he added.

What should it look like?

“Agate honey is quite clear, almost transparent, with a very mild taste. Rapeseed honey, especially when in creamy form, looks almost like lard at first glance, but has a delightfully mild taste. Sunflower honey has an orange colour and a slight spicy taste. Forest and honeydew honeys have intense, almost bitter flavours,” said a real expert for Dobré noviny.

Avoid errors when storing

If you are worried that the flavor of your honey will not last because of what you bought, you may be making a mistake when storing it. You should follow certain principles that will help you better with this problem.

“To preserve the taste and quality of honey, it is necessary to store it in a tightly closed container and in a dark place. Crystallization of honey is its natural property and a sign of authenticity. If you need to make honey flow again, just immerse it in a bath of hot water,” said Filip Grgula from the CeraMel honey store.