Honey expiration date: how much can be stored at home and at what temperature
Honey is a unique product that does not lose its healing properties for a long time. Sometimes there is a product on sale that has been stored for several years. At the same time, sellers assure that such a product does not lose its taste and benefits. However, the shelf life of honey is still limited. In order for the mass to remain of high quality for as long as possible, it is important to create suitable conditions for it.
How long honey is stored according to GOST
Honey contains bactericidal components. Thanks to this, the product does not deteriorate for a long time.However, when the honeycombs are opened and the mass is transferred to glassware, harmful components and oxygen appear in it. Because the substance still has a limited shelf life.
According to GOST, it reaches 1 year. In sealed packaging, the standard allows storage for 2 years. After the end of the specified time, honey does not deteriorate, but its beneficial properties are significantly reduced. This is due to the influence of external factors.
If we talk about a product with additives, its shelf life does not exceed 1 year. This applies to storing the mass in a sealed container. After opening it, the shelf life is reduced to 2 months.
Refrigerated shelf life
If you plan to keep the mass in the refrigerator, it is recommended to provide a separate shelf for it. In this case, you can not place the mass near products with a pungent odor. It is best to keep honey in a glass jar.
At the same time, the refrigerator can only be used as a temporary storage place. Usually they put the product there in the summer, when the apartment is too hot. At the same time, the impact of low temperatures negatively affects the taste and shade of honey. In addition, condensate, which is dangerous for the mass, accumulates on the walls of the refrigerator. The optimal storage period under these conditions is between 8 months and 1 year.
In the freezer
At home, honey can be kept in the freezer. In this case, it is recommended to ensure that the temperature is at least -5 degrees. In this case, the mass will not lose its medicinal characteristics. The shelf life of frozen honey also ranges from 8 months to 1 year.
At room temperature
Honey is allowed to be kept at room conditions no more than +20 degrees. It can be stored in a closet or on a balcony. The bee product itself is considered an excellent preservative. The product contains special enzymes that prevent the growth of bacterial microorganisms and fungi.
The optimal storage period is 1 year. If the honey is in an airtight container, its shelf life increases to 2 years.
What determines the timing
The shelf life of the product depends on its type, pumping time and composition. If the product was pumped out before the end of full maturation in the hive, fermentation processes will begin faster in it.
Expiration dates depend on the diet of insects. If the beekeeper constantly feeds them with sugar syrup, the product will lack vitamins and preservatives that slow down dangerous processes. If a large amount of padi is contained in the composition, the shelf life of the mass will decrease by 2 times.
Temperature
Honey can be stored at temperatures ranging from -6 to +18 degrees. At room temperature, the mass loses some of its useful properties, quickly crystallizes and exfoliates.Heating to the parameters of +35 degrees leads to a complete loss of vitamins and other useful components. Negative temperatures do not affect the quality characteristics of the bee product.
When storing the mass, it is important to remember that temperature fluctuations can also provoke a decrease in useful properties and reduce shelf life.
Humidity
A bee product is able to absorb a large amount of moisture from the environment. As a result, the mass acquires a watery consistency and exfoliates. In addition, she loses her taste. Therefore, humidity parameters of more than 70-75% are dangerous. The optimal rate is 50-60%. If it is not possible to regulate the humidity in the room, it is recommended to close the container with honey as tightly as possible.
Capacity
The bee product is forbidden to be kept in metal containers, as this entails the oxidation process. The mass acquires an unpleasant aftertaste and loses some of its useful properties. It is also worth considering that the substance is able to absorb the taste and aroma of wooden utensils that are not varnished.
Transparent glass does not provide UV protection, which also negatively affects the quality of the product. In addition, an unnatural taste may appear when the substance is stored in enamelware that has chips.
Dark glass is considered the best option. Also, honey is allowed to be kept in a clean enamel bowl. In extreme cases, it is allowed to use food-grade plastic. However, in this case, the product can be stored for a maximum of 3-4 months.
Leakproof
It is important that the lid of the dish in which honey is stored fits as tightly as possible to the neck. Tightness helps to protect the bee product from extraneous odors and high humidity. When storing the mass in an unsealed container, its shelf life is reduced to 1-2 months.
Smells and dust
Honey easily absorbs the smell of smoke and chemicals. It easily absorbs cement and flour dust. Therefore, it is important to protect bee nectar from the influence of these factors.
Lighting
The influence of sunlight is bad for the quality characteristics of honey. This factor provokes the loss of all the useful properties of the product. If you leave the container on the windowsill, the very next day the valuable product will become liquid sugar.
Shelf life of honeycombs
Honey in combs is usable for 2-3 years. This is due to the content of propolis and natural preservatives. In order for the mass to remain fresh and he althy for as long as possible, it is important to protect the combs from high humidity and direct sunlight. It is best to place the product in a dark, cool place.
It is important to consider that honey in combs can suffer from wax moth attacks. These parasites are able to damage the walls of the combs and lay eggs and larvae in the mass. Systematic ventilation of the room will help to avoid such problems.
Another danger to comb honey is the appearance of mold. To prevent this problem from occurring, it is recommended to systematically inspect purchased frames and clean them from fungus in a timely manner.
How to keep honey liquid so it doesn't get sugared
Candied is a natural process that confirms the naturalness of the bee product. In this case, it is impossible to prevent the crystallization process. This phenomenon is associated with a high content of glucose in the composition. If sugaring does not occur even after 4 months, this is considered a clear sign of a fake. This situation is observed if producers melt honey or feed insects with a large amount of sugar syrup. An exception is acacia honey, which is able to remain liquid even for 2 years.
To get liquid honey in the middle of winter, it is recommended to melt it in a water bath.You can also heat the mass up to +40 degrees. To do this, the cells are recommended to be placed in a well-heated room and left there for a long time. The technology can also be used for pumped honey. However, the easiest way is to use a water bath.
To do this, it is recommended to take 2 pots of different sizes and put on top of each other. The space between the walls of the containers should be filled with water. After that, the required amount of honey should be placed at the bottom of the smaller container. It is recommended to heat the mass over low heat so that it becomes liquid.
It is important to be careful when using this method. If the temperature of honey exceeds +45 degrees, it will lose its benefits. If the parameters are more than +60 degrees, there is a risk of the formation of a dangerous carcinogen - hydroxymethylfurfural.
How to store honey after opening?
After opening the honeycombs, the shelf life of the bee product is significantly reduced. This is due to the contact of the substance with oxygen and harmful elements that are contained in the environment. Therefore, there is a specific period of time during which nectar is safe to consume.
GOST sets a shelf life of 1 year. However, in practice, under the right conditions, this period increases to 2 years. If the temperature and humidity parameters are violated, the storage period, on the contrary, decreases and is no more than 8 months. In a sealed container, the standard allows you to keep bee nectar for 2 years.
After the specified period, the bee product can be eaten. However, contact with the environment will significantly reduce the amount of useful components in the composition of the mass.
It is worth considering that natural bee nectar is considered a rather capricious product. In order for the mass to retain its taste and benefits, it is important to provide it with suitable storage conditions. The following should be taken into account:
- It is best to keep honey in a glass container. If the mass was purchased in a plastic container, it is recommended to immediately pour it into small glass jars.It is best to use small containers. The fact is that the constant opening of the jar leads to the entry of bacterial microorganisms into it. This negatively affects the shelf life of bee nectar.
- It is important to protect the product from direct sunlight. To do this, you can keep it in a dark glass dish or place the containers in a dark, dry basement.
- Be sure to maintain optimal temperature conditions. It can be + 8-15 degrees. Sometimes some deviations from these parameters are acceptable. It is important to avoid sudden temperature fluctuations. They lead to the appearance of condensate inside the container, which will provoke the souring of the product.
- Experts advise keeping the product separate from food with a pronounced smell. The fact is that honey quickly absorbs foreign flavors.
As a storage container, it is allowed to use not only glass containers.Suitable options also include ceramic, enamel and wooden utensils. The only exception are barrels made from softwood. They contain a large amount of resins, which will negatively affect the aroma of bee nectar.
It is also worth considering that honey can become darker in oak barrels. However, this will in no way affect the taste and benefits.
Honey is a unique product that contains a large number of valuable components. Because of this, it is often used for medicinal purposes. It is important to bear in mind that the substance has a limited shelf life. In addition, it requires the creation of certain conditions. Only in this case, the mass will contain a maximum of valuable elements and bring great benefits to he alth.
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