THE BUZZ:
Your Bee Questions Answered
Does honey go bad?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: For honey to last 3,000 years, as was found in an Egyptian tomb, it has to have a low moisture content. 14%-19% is considered safe, 16%-17% is ideal. When honey has a moisture content about 22% it will turn into the Viking drink, Mead. Most honey from southwest Missouri is around 18%. When we have had especially wet and humid weather, the honey may have a higher percentage. Beekeepers will take the boxes of honey into a room with fans and dehumidifiers to help bring the moisture down before starting the extraction process.
Does local honey help with allergies?
It has been suggested that it helps about 50% of people with allergies. It is not a sure thing to totally eradicate them, sometimes it lessens their intensity.
Why did my honey turn to sugar or go hard?
It’s all in the flowers. Each flower’s nectar has a different ratio of fructose to glucose. Clover is one of the primary sources of summer honey in our apiary and it is a rapid crystallizer. Usually within 3 months crystals will start to appear and will grow until the jar (or bucket) is solid. The temperature of where the honey is stored (51-59 degrees) can also increase the time it take to crystallize.
What does “Raw” mean on the honey label?
“Raw” means it has had the least amount of processing done to it. Your local beekeeper will pull the frames of honey, spin the honey out of the frames, and allow the honey to flow through some strainers to catch chunks of wax or bee parts from being in the honey. It flows through the strainers into buckets and then bottled for you to enjoy. “Raw” means it has not been heated to kill the enzymes nor filtered to take out the pollen.
Is it ok to eat crystallized honey?
YES! Some people (i.e., my SIL) love crystallized honey because there is not the drippy mess going everywhere. It has the same great flavor and sweetness without the runniness. It takes it from being smooth to crunchy in texture.
How do I get my honey back to a liquid state?
Heat will help it turn back to liquid. First, take note of the container it is in. have deformed many a plastic bottle trying to get my honey moving again. One can get a pan of water boiling, turn off the heat and put the container of honey in the water, cover, and leave for a while. We have a wood stove and during the winter I will place it on the stove and it will slowly melt overnight. One can also put it in the microwave for a short time (not highly recommended, but when in a hurry it gets the job done).