How Long Does Honey Last?

One of the questions we’re often asked in our shop when someone buys one of our wooden honey pot jars or wooden honey dippers is how long honey can be safely stored in them. The answer is indefinitely.  

If you’re concerned about honey spoiling or going bad after a certain amount of time, don’t be. Not only is honey delicious and loaded with a bounty of benefits that goes back to 2100 B.C., it’s perfectly engineered by nature to never spoil and due to its high concentration of sugar, it has an indefinite shelf life.

And the shelf life of honey is as easy to manage as it is to eat. Simply store your honey in one of our wooden honey jars and cover. There’s no need to refrigerate or freeze your honey. In fact, it’s much easier to scoop and serve if it’s not. It does the best in room temperature out of the sun and in a dry area. However, even if it’s kept out, you don’t have to worry about it going bad and no matter how different it may look, it will retain its original flavor.  

Because honey does have such a high concentration of sugar, in time it may crystalize or look cloudy. Crystalized honey sometimes looks thicker, lumpier and grainier. This is not a sign of honey going bad it’s just a natural reaction. Raw honey with a higher pollen content may crystallize at a slower rate than liquid honey. And in colder temperatures like we see often here in New Hampshire, the crystallization process can sometimes occur faster.

Of course if you want your honey the way it was before, crystalized honey doesn’t have to remain crystalized. There are lots of easy way to re-liquify honey that’s been sitting out for a while. The best way is to move the honey to a jar or heat-acceptable container and gently warm it in a pan of hot water (about 40 degrees C).  You’ll want to be sure to stir while it’s heating up using a food-safe wooden spoon or one of our . As soon as its ready remove from the heat and let it cool. Once the honey is cooled it should remain in its liquid form for another few months.

You can also microwave honey but doing it this way allows for a greater chance of overheating the honey, which in turn can destroy some of the beneficial enzymes. So if you choose this method, just be sure to heat in small 30 second intervals. And don't ever add water to honey as it can cause the honey to go sour.

If you use honey often, we recommend storing several wooden jars at a time. They won’t go to waste. Plus, if you are looking for a unique gift idea someone will remember you by, why not a wooden honey pot with its own honey dipper. Perfect for people with families or anyone who loves cooking or baking.