How To Store Honey? What Is The Best Way For A Long Time?

People have used honey for centuries, and while honey doesn’t necessarily “go bad”, it still can form into a honeycomb-like substance, which basically means it crystallizes and can become too hard to eat. I have used honey as well and also wondered about the best ways to store honey and how to store honey.

I have also stored honey the wrong way before and have had it crystallize on me, especially since I was using raw honey- which also can go bad pretty quickly.

In this article we will go over some of the best ways to store honey, the types of honey, and what jars you should use for storing honey, among other tidbits of information.

What is Honey?

Honey is a sugary, thick, golden brown sticky substance made by honey bees. They work collectively to create and store honey, which initially comes from flowers.

Basically, honey-making comes with many chemical processes from the bees. They digest nectar and regurgitate it, then enzyme activity takes place which then eventually will cause evaporation, thus, making honey.

It takes at least 50 flowers for one bee to have enough nectar to create its own honey.

How Many Types of Honey are There?

1. Clover

Clover honey is honey that was collected from clover flowers exclusively. It has a sweet or floral taste to it as well. Usually comes in different colors, from white to lighter amber.

Clover honey is also said to have many different benefits, such as antibacterial, antiviral, and even anti-inflammatory properties.

2. Buckwheat

Buckwheat honey, like all other types of honey, is produced by bees. It is produced by converting the Buckwheat flower nectar into honey. Buckwheat honey is also usually black in color, the blacker the honey, the more buckwheat that is in the honey itself.

The honey typically tastes like molasses and doesn’t really have a sweet flavor. This honey specifically is also very good at healing wounds, preventing acid reflux, and even fighting infections!

3. Acacia

Acacia honey comes from the Acacia flower. This is a very sought-after honey, as it typically doesn’t crystalize as other types of honey do. It has a very light and transparent color and is very light in texture.

Acacia honey has a few benefits as well: it can improve blood circulation, is used as a natural sweetener, and also has a very calming effect to it as well.

4. Tupelo

Tupelo honey is considered one of the rarest types of honey in the world, as it really only grows in Florida and Georgia. This honey is so rare not many people knew about it either.

It comes from the Ogeechee tupelo tree, which really blooms in parts of Florida and Georgia. It has a sweet butter, cinnamon-like taste to it.

It has many different uses, but since it is so rare, it is recommended more so to use it in recipes.

5. Orange blossom

Orange Blossom honey is one of the most common flavors of honey, as you can find them in almost any grocery store. This is from the nectar of blossoming orange tree flowers.

However, keep in mind you want to find raw honey if you can- processing isn’t as good. It tastes like original honey but has different flavor notes- such as a citrus flavor.

This one is also very good for you, it is rich in antioxidants and has properties to help heal wounds, while also aiding in relieving cold symptoms.

6. Wildflower

Wildflower honey is a honey that is derived mainly from the nectar of wildflowers. The interesting tidbit with this one is that since there are many different types of wildflowers, every type of honey will be a little different.

Wildflower honey is also very good for the skin, aids in digestion, and even helps to reduce allergies. This honey usually has the color of amber to it as well.

How To Store Honey After Opening?

Honey is pretty easy to store as it is one of the few food products that doesn’t necessarily expire, just crystallizes. The best way to store it is in an area of the house where it is not too hot or cold. Room temperature basically, and preferably where it is dark as well.

Also, you do not need to worry about refrigerating honey. But, make sure to keep it away from moisture and heat, as well, because this can be bad for honey.

How Long is Fresh Honey Good for?

As mentioned before, honey doesn’t really expire, either. You can have honey last for an indefinite amount of time thanks to the concentration of sugars in the honey if it is stored properly.

There has been honey out there that has lasted for decades, if not centuries. But this can also vary since there are so many different types of honey and whether or not it is pasteurized or raw honey.

Taking the good with the bad, pasteurized honey can last longer, but isn’t as good for you. But raw honey is more likely to crystalize sooner but is also the best to get for the health benefits.

What If The Honey Crystallizes?

Crystallization can occur with honey, either just naturally or if not stored properly. If it does crystallize, do not fret. It does not mean the honey is bad, it’s just a thing that occurs after a period of time.

The best way to fix this is to simply put the jar of honey in hot water on the stove. But do not make it extremely hot, as it can cause the sugars to caramelize the honey.

Also- do not use a microwave. It can cause it to get hot too fast.

How Do You Store Honey So It Doesn’t Crystallize?

As mentioned before, it is best to store it in a part of the house that is dark and it is room temperature- not too hot and not too cold.

What is The Best Way to Store Honey?

People often wonder as well what jar is best useful for storing honey. We went over the best ways to store it- in a room-temperature place where it is darker. Now we will go over jars.

1. Plastic Containers

Plastic containers can be fine for storing honey, but plastic containers can also cause water to evaporate out of the container and also put chemicals into your honey.

2. Glass Containers

Glass containers offer good shelf-life and stability for storing honey, as generally there are no chemicals in glass that can leak into the honey and don’t cause the water to evaporate.

3. Metal Containers

Metal containers are considered the best for the long-term storage of honey. Though make sure it is stainless steel containers, as other types of metals corrode and can contaminate your honey.

How to Store Raw Honey?

Storing raw honey is relatively the same as mentioned previously, use an airtight container, preferably glass or stainless steel.

Store it in a place that is dark and at room temperature, so it doesn’t crystallize as fast. Though raw honey is more likely to crystallize, you can also fix this.

By heating it- as mentioned above.

How long does honey last in the fridge?

It actually isn’t recommended to keep honey stored in the fridge, this is because it can increase the rate of crystallization because it would be kept at a colder temperature.

Of course, since honey doesn’t necessarily go bad, you can store it anywhere hypothetically speaking. But it is preferable to keep it in a room temperature part of the house- not too cold or too hot- as to keep it from crystallizing.

Though it is not recommended to store it in a fridge- hypothetically you can keep it in a fridge for a few months without issue.

Just don’t look at a fridge for being long-term storage, though.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered questions to do with honey. Such as the best ways with storing honey, what types of jars to use for storing honey, and more!

We also talked about some of the best types of honey out there on the market, which are Clover, Buckwheat, Acacia, Tupelo, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower.

We hope we answered some of the questions you may have had when it comes to honey!