Honey and honeycomb are incredible substances you can keep in your pantry forever—they never expire or spoil if you store them properly. Unfortunately, many people disregard proper storage methods, which can impact their honey and honeycombs’ overall quality and shelf-life. Whether you add this delicious substance to your morning coffee, enjoy it with vanilla ice cream, or top your toast, you may benefit from a few essential storage tips to extend the life of your honeycomb.
Store Honeycomb at Room Temperature
Honeycomb thrives in a dark, dry, room-temperature spot. Believe it or not, exposing your honey to direct sunlight or heat can change its color and flavor quality. With that said, you should keep your honey or honeycomb in a kitchen cabinet to preserve its original flavor profile.
Use an Airtight Container
Honey lasts forever because of its low water content; bacteria can’t grow in it. However, storing your honey in a poorly sealed container can let in moisture, which can destroy the honey’s chances of lasting forever. Consider keeping your honeycomb in an airtight container to reduce the amount of moisture that enters. Better yet, use a glass container, as metal and plastic can cause the honey to oxidize and lose its great qualities.
Avoid Refrigeration and Freezing
While you may want to put your honey in the refrigerator to preserve it, you should avoid exposing it to cold temperatures. Interestingly, storing your honey in the fridge can expedite the crystalization process, which turns the substance solid.
If you have a massive amount of honey or honeycomb, you can freeze it for preservation. However, any drastic change in temperature can alter the original honey quality; therefore, you should use freezing as an absolute last resort.
Use Warm Water To Thaw or Decrystallize
Your honey will crystallize if you don’t use it for some time. Despite popular belief, this doesn’t mean it’s spoiled—you just have to return it to a liquid state. Rather than heating it on the stove or in the microwave, you should put your glass container of frozen or crystalized honey in a bowl of warm water. This way, you’ll gradually transition the honey back to liquid without altering its quality.
Now that you know a few storage tips to extend the life of your honeycomb, you can keep yours in pristine condition. Whether you choose to harvest your own or look for natural honeycomb for sale, you won’t regret taking the time to store it properly. Honey is an incredible substance, and you can use the same jar for many years—if you don’t consume it all right away!