Honey’s longevity happens because of one secret

(MENAFN) Unlike many jarred foods that spoil quickly after a single dip, honey has an extraordinary ability to stay edible for years, even decades. While honey may crystallize and become thick or chunky over time, it doesn’t actually go bad. This remarkable longevity comes down to honey’s unique chemistry and the way it’s produced by bees.

When food spoils, it’s usually because microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, or molds have grown and multiplied in it. These tiny lifeforms thrive in moist environments with moderate temperatures, mild acidity, and plenty of oxygen. That’s why common preservation methods focus on removing moisture (like drying), killing microbes through heat, lowering pH (like pickling), or sealing food away from oxygen.

Even with these methods, most foods have limited shelf lives. For instance, you might open an old jar of sauce or peanut butter only to find it covered in mold or fuzz. Microbial growth is often obvious and unavoidable once it starts.

Honey, however, is different. It begins as watery, sugary nectar collected by bees — seemingly the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. But bees transform this nectar on their journey back to the hive by partially drying it out and adding enzymes that increase its acidity, which inhibits microbial growth. They break down complex sugars into simpler ones and then store the nectar in honeycomb cells.

Next, the bees fan the honey with their wings to evaporate more water, reducing its moisture content dramatically from around 70-80% down to about 15-18%. This concentration of sugar creates an environment where there simply isn’t enough free water available to support microbial life. The acidity further discourages any bacteria or fungi that might try to grow.

Sealed tightly in a jar, honey also lacks the oxygen microbes need to survive. This combination of low moisture, high sugar concentration, acidity, and limited oxygen creates a condition called "low water activity," which is a key factor food scientists use to preserve many products.

That said, honey’s freshness isn’t invincible. Once opened, exposure to air and the introduction of moisture or bacteria from utensils can eventually lead to spoilage. But under sealed conditions, honey remains remarkably stable.

Interestingly, when you add water and yeast to honey, it ferments into mead — a delicious beverage rather than spoiled food. This transformation highlights how controlled conditions and microbes can turn honey into something new rather than letting it decay.

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