People who do not like honey, not much at all, and they refuse to themselves to enjoy it only because of an allergy to beekeeping products. In general, this medical and tasty product has won recognition of people many centuries ago. Even during the excavation of the Egyptian pyramids, scientists found vessels with crystallized honey, which did not lose its taste qualities.
Even in ancient times, people learned about the healing properties of this wonderful elixir. Almost 1000 years ago the great doctor and thinker Avicenna said: "If you want to be healthy, eat honey." The healing and taste qualities of this product can be spoken endlessly, but how correctly and where it is better to store honey is not known to everyone.
When buying, pay attention to the transparency, color and smell of the product. This honey has a pleasant, rich flavor. In color it is divided into 3 groups: 1) light; 2) moderately stained; 3) dark. The last species is most useful for medical indicators. Honey contains about 300 different substances, but the basic composition is fructose, simple sugars and glucose, rich in vitamins and amino acids. Over time, honey crystallizes, which indicates its naturalness and maturity, with the exception of rare varieties of chestnut and white acacia.
How correctly to store honey?
Honey should be stored in a clean glass or aluminum bowl away from the light. For long-term storage, jars are clogged with glass or plastic lids. At large volumes of honey, for its storage wooden utensils, processed inside with wax (barrels) are used. Most often used kegs made from aspen, beech, plane tree or linden. The moisture content of wood should not exceed 16%. Oak barrels contribute to the darkening of honey, and from the packaging of coniferous rocks it absorbs the smell of tar. Therefore they are unsuitable for storage. Honey is very good at absorbing all the harsh odors. So the ideal place for storage should be:
- Good ventilation and humidity not more than 20%.
- It should not contain any products with a pungent smell (kerosene, gasoline, paints, varnishes, pickles or fish).
- Constant temperature from 5 ° С to 10 ° С, without sharp differences.
- Limited access of light.
Under such conditions, the shelf life of honey increases.
Important! Do not use dishes made of copper, lead, zinc and their alloys. These metals react with honey, which is fraught with severe poisoning. Light is also harmful to this product, as it leads to the destruction of its bactericidal properties.
What is the shelf life of honey?
How much honey can be stored depends on the conditions of its content. In ancient Russia, honey of 2-3 years old was very much appreciated. Although the GOST for this product, the shelf life of honey is: in Russia - 1 year, in Europe - 2-3 years. But this is only for the product that you buy in the store.
The presence of a cool cellar facilitates the storage of honey at home. Over time, this mature honey crystallizes and under good conditions can persist for more than 10 years. If there is no cellar, it does not matter, honey can be stored in the refrigerator on the lower shelf at a temperature of 5 ° C.
In general, the question of what temperature to store honey, you can give several answers. This product is not afraid even -20 ° C and while it only partially loses its healing properties. At high temperatures, the enzymes responsible for the bactericidal activity of this product are destroyed in honey, but this does not spoil its taste. But for storage it is best to maintain a temperature regime from +5 to +16 ° C.
How to store honey in honeycombs?
To store honey in honeycomb, the following method is used: the honeycombs are cut into pieces and fused in a clean glass jar, filled with honey and covered with a dense lid. It will be perfectly preserved for a long time. When sealing honeycombs with bees, there remains a lot of enzymes that contribute to the preservation of honey to 10-20 years. Glass jars should be stored in a cool dark place, like ordinary honey.
Tip: over time honey crystallizes. In order for it to become liquid again, it is enough to heat it in a water bath.
As you can see, the storage of honey is not a complicated matter. The main thing is to observe the temperature regime and not leave it in the light.