Does Honey Expire? How to Store Honey So It Lasts for Years

It's one of the questions we hear most at our market tables: does honey expire? The short answer is that properly made honey, stored well, keeps for years. You may have heard the stories of edible honey found in ancient Egyptian tombs. But honey can change over time, and there is one thing that can spoil it. Here's what every honey lover should know about honey's shelf life and how to store honey so it stays delicious.

Why honey lasts so long

Honey is one of the few foods that can keep almost indefinitely, thanks to the work of the bees:

• Very little water. Ripe honey is only about 17 to 18% water and very high in sugar. In that environment, the water is so tightly bound to the sugar that bacteria and moulds can't use it.
• Natural acidity. Honey is naturally acidic, which makes it even less welcoming to microbes.
• Bee enzymes. An enzyme the bees add, glucose oxidase, slowly produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide when honey is diluted, adding another layer of natural protection.

So why is there a date on the jar?

Many honey jars carry a best before date or a harvest year. That date is about peak quality, not safety. Over the years, honey slowly darkens, its flavour becomes deeper and less floral, and it will almost certainly crystallize. It's still honey, and it's still good to eat. If you love the fresh, bright taste of a new harvest, enjoy your honey within a year or two.

The one thing that spoils honey: water

Honey's long life depends on keeping its water content low. All raw honey naturally contains a few sugar tolerant yeasts. As long as the honey stays dry, they can't grow. But if honey takes on extra water, they wake up and the honey can ferment. That can happen when:

• the honey was harvested before the bees finished drying it (that's why beekeepers check moisture carefully, as we explain in How Beekeepers Check Honey Moisture Before Extraction),
• the lid is left loose, since honey pulls moisture from the air,
• a wet spoon goes into the jar again and again, or
• the jar is stored somewhere steamy, like next to the kettle or above the dishwasher.

How to tell if honey has gone bad

Fermented honey is easy to recognize. Look out for:

• foam or bubbles that keep forming on the surface,
• a sour, yeasty or beer-like smell,
• a sharp, fizzy or alcoholic taste, or
• a thin, watery layer separating on top.

Mould is very rare in honey, but if you see it, throw the honey out.

What's normal (and not a sign of spoilage)

• Crystallization. Honey turning thick, grainy or solid is natural, and it's a typical sign of raw honey. A warm water bath brings it back. See Why Natural Honey Crystallizes and What to Do When It Happens.
• Darkening. Honey slowly gets darker with age, especially somewhere warm.
• A thin white layer on top. Usually tiny air bubbles or the start of crystallization, not a problem.
• White streaks on the glass. Often called frosting, it's part of crystallization too.

How to store honey at home

1. Close the lid tightly after every use.
2. Keep it at room temperature, in a cupboard or pantry away from the stove, the kettle and direct sunlight.
3. Use a clean, dry spoon every time.
4. Keep it in glass or food grade containers. Glass is ideal because it doesn't absorb odours and it's easy to warm gently if your honey crystallizes. We explain why we choose glass in Why We Sell Our Honey in Glass Jars.

Should you refrigerate honey?

No. The fridge doesn't help honey keep longer, and cool temperatures make it thick and speed up crystallization. Room temperature is best.

The freezer is a different story. If you have more honey than you'll use in a year and want to keep it tasting fresh and runny, a tightly sealed container in the freezer will hold it almost exactly as it is. Let it come back to room temperature with the lid on, so no condensation gets in.

Storing whipped honey, honeycomb and infused honey

• Whipped honey: store it closed at room temperature. In a very warm kitchen it can soften. Just keep it somewhere cooler.
• Honeycomb: keep it in its sealed container at room temperature. It's honey and wax, so it keeps just like jarred honey.
• Infused honeys like our Hot Honey and Lemon & Cardamom Honey: store them closed at room temperature and always use a dry spoon. Check the label for any specific storage advice.

Storing honey in bulk

Because honey keeps so well, buying in larger quantities makes a lot of sense, especially for families who go through a lot of honey, bakers, cafés and small businesses. A few tips for big containers:

• Keep the pail sealed and store it somewhere cool, dry and dark, like a pantry or basement shelf.
• Fill a smaller jar for daily use instead of opening the pail every day.
• When the honey in the pail crystallizes, which it will, warm it gently in warm water (never boiling) until it's soft enough to scoop or pour.

Our bulk raw honey pails start at 10 kg, and you can learn more in Bulk Honey for Businesses.

Frequently asked questions

Does honey ever expire?

Properly ripened honey, stored closed at room temperature, keeps for years. Its colour and flavour slowly change, but it stays safe to eat as long as it doesn't take on extra water and ferment.

Is it safe to eat honey after the best before date?

Generally, yes. The date is about best quality. If the honey looks, smells and tastes like honey, with no foam or sour smell, it's fine.

Is crystallized honey spoiled?

No. Crystallization is natural, especially in raw honey. Warm the jar gently in warm water to make it runny again.

Why does my honey smell like beer?

That's a sign of fermentation, which happens when honey has absorbed too much water. It's best not to eat it.

Where is the best place to store honey?

In a closed jar, at room temperature, in a cupboard away from heat, steam and sunlight.

Raw honey made to last

We extract and jar our honey ourselves, from our hives around Montreal, and we let the bees finish their work before we harvest. Stock up on our raw Wildflower Honey, our Whipped Honey or a bulk pail, or browse all our raw Quebec honey. Have a jar you're not sure about? Write to us at info@mielbrut.com or on Instagram (@mielbrut_com).