Proper storage of honey
Honey is one of the healthiest foods around. It contains a large amount of vitamins and antioxidants that prevent the growth of bacteria. That is why natural honey has no expiration date.
If honey is stored correctly, it will not deteriorate even after two hundred years. During the excavation of the Scythian burial mounds, archaeologists found clay pots with solid honey tightly sealed with a wax lid. Laboratory examination showed that the honey is buckwheat, and its composition is completely identical to that of fresh mature honey.
In order for honey to be stored indefinitely, it must be ripe. In May, it is very rare to get a mature product, so unscrupulous beekeepers pump out honey from unsealed honeycombs. Such honey is stored in the refrigerator for five days, and then turns sour.
Storage tanks for honey
Of course, it is better to leave mature honey in combs for storage. In natural packaging, honey does not come into contact with direct sunlight and retains all its beneficial properties. If there is no way to buy honey sealed in combs, it is better for storing it:
- clay;
- wooden;
- glassware.
Earthenware completely imitates a wax honeycomb. It is porous, which is why honey saturated with oxygen. The temperature inside the clay pot does not rise above +8ABOUTC and does not fall below +3ABOUTС at air temperature +20ABOUTC. Clay does not let the sun's rays through.
To store honey, you can use a wooden dish, the inner surface of which is coated with wax.
The honey container should not be made from conifers, as they release resin. In such a container, honey will quickly deteriorate.
A wooden container must be placed in a dark place, for example, a cellar with moderate humidity.
A glass container is the wrong choice for storing honey, but it is more suitable than plastic. A jar of honey is placed in a room with a temperature of up to +12ABOUTC and cover with an opaque cloth to avoid direct sunlight on the honey.
Any container, earthenware, wood or glass, must be tightly closed. Use seaming caps or propolis to seal the honey tightly.
Storage space for honey
The best place to store honey is considered to be a cellar with an air humidity of at least 40% and no more than 60%. The sun's rays should not fall into this room, and the temperature in it should not fall below +3ABOUTFROM.