Honey is a natural product with unique properties. It contains vitamins, minerals, organic acids – more than 300 valuable components in total, which help to maintain beauty and health. But you can get real benefit from it only if the product is stored correctly, otherwise its benefits can quickly fade away. In this article, we will show you how to store honey properly.
How to store honey at home?
To preserve the taste, texture and healing power of beekeeping products, the following conditions must be observed:
it is imperative to control the temperature: it must be stable, the optimal range is from + 4⁰ to + 10⁰С. It is imperative to avoid contact with sunlight: they destroy most of the vitamins;
in order to preserve the full useful properties of honey, wooden containers (with the exception of softwood and oak) or tinted glass with a tight-fitting lid are best suited for storage. You can use ceramic or enameled dishes, but only if they are not damaged and chipped: contact with metal can lead to oxidation of the product, this will make it unusable. Storage containers must be perfectly clean and dry before placing honey in them;
air humidity is also important: it should not exceed 75%, otherwise the product will quickly deteriorate. If you are going to store honey in the refrigerator, it should be done in a dry area. If your model of equipment does not provide such a function, try to regularly remove condensation from its internal surfaces, this will help regulate the humidity inside;
pay attention to the neighborhood in storage areas: next to honey there should be no spicy products, otherwise it will be saturated with their smells, this will not have the best effect on the taste of honey.
The product retains its beneficial properties for the longest time when stored in natural combs. If you are fortunate enough to buy just such, subject to all conditions, it retains its properties for several years.
The shelf life of honey in jars depends on the degree of its maturity and variety; if all points are observed, it is stored for at least a year without losing its properties. When buying a product, be sure to specify the date of its production, not packaging, from this moment the expiration date begins.
Now you know how to store honey properly so that it remains tasty and healthy.