Storage conditions for natural honey. Which container is best. What to do with treats in honeycombs

Honey is the embodiment of the dream of sweets useful for the body. It is very easy to digest and, although it is very high in calories, it contains many micro and macro elements necessary for a person (manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, fluorine, iron and many others).

This is an absolutely natural sweet that can be consumed in many ways (from banal sandwiches to meat sauce).

The substance is famous for its unpretentiousness and shelf life, but it also needs certain conditions, which we will discuss in this article.

How to store honey at home

The sweet product of beekeeping is unpretentious. In order to save it for later or even leave it for several years, you do not need to special devices- it is enough to protect from the ingress of foreign substances, contact with other products and observe simple conditions.

Did you know? Honey is great natural preservative. It is resistant to mold and also helps keep food fresh.

Where and how to store honey

It is best preserved in a dark, cool place (cellar, pantry). Optimal container for storage - sealed dark glass jars.

Will also fit:

enameled containers;
ceramics;
plastic bowls (exclusively for food), although this is not the most desirable option.

It is strictly forbidden to put in metal containers (to avoid oxidation). You should also not use a container in which there are chips on the enamel or there are elements of metal spraying or galvanization.

The container must be washed and thoroughly dried before transferring the mass into it. The product must not be placed in wet and/or dirty containers.

Storage conditions

Nothing special is required, the main thing is to observe a few simple rules:

Do not overheat. From temperatures above +40 ° C are lost beneficial features.
Do not overcool. Below -5 ° C - and the mass solidifies.
Best temperature range: -5°C to +20°C.
Avoid temperature fluctuations (especially sudden changes).
Keep away from moisture, foreign odors and sun rays.

Important! Honey is extremely hygroscopic (absorbs moisture quickly and a lot). Even a loose lid can lead to excess water and loss of consistency.

Video: how to store honey at home

Shelf life

According to GOST, the product is stored for 12 months. But, in principle, its shelf life is almost infinite.

In order to preserve useful properties, it is worth sustaining optimal conditions:

temperature;
low humidity;
lack of direct sunlight;
suitable utensils.

Why honey candied during storage

Sugaring is a natural and inevitable process. Most long term storage of the results of bee labor in liquid form - 3 years. But even very recently harvested, it can thicken quickly.

This is all due to the peculiarity of the composition, which includes 3 main components: water, fructose and glucose. It is the latter, as well as its quantity, that determines the rate of sugaring.

The process is also affected by:

Storage temperature (freezing can slow down the process).
Humidity.
Pre-filtering or lack of it.
Variety (depending on the honey plant).

Too rapid change in structure and consistency indicates:

about impurities (pollen or other small particles);
about a very high percentage of glucose in the composition;
about an unscrupulous seller who mixed the collection of the current year with the old one.

You don't have to deal with sugaring. It does not affect the content. useful substances Moreover, it promotes long-term storage and protects the product from fermentation.

Video: why honey crystallizes If you still want to keep the liquid form, leave the jar at a temperature of 0 ° C for about a month, and then store it at +14 ° C. Or purposefully buy non-candied varieties -, clover,.

Why honey does not thicken (candied) during storage

As we have already found out, thicken natural honey simply obliged. If this does not happen with your purchase, this is a reason to think.

You can speed up the process (if desired) by:

mixing the product
violating temperature regime storage;
put in a cold place.

Some varieties do remain liquid for a long time, but if this happens with lime or buckwheat, there is a high probability that you were sold a fake.

Why does honey foam

It happens that a white foamy substance appears on the surface of the product.

This may be due to the following reasons:

violation of filtration technology;
repeated transfusions into different containers (mixing with air);
fermentation process - the product is spoiled;
initially low-quality product (unripened or diluted).

If you see foam before buying - refrain from it. If the foam has formed after, it should be removed (it is inedible, moreover, it is harmful). You can try to save the product by freezing it in the refrigerator or, conversely, by heat treatment (use only as an ingredient in hot dishes).

Important!If the foam appears again - throw everything away, such honey can easily be poisoned.

Honey stratified during storage

Sometimes homogeneous mass exfoliates - a liquid layer protrudes to the surface, a thicker one remains closer to the bottom.

This happens for various reasons:

Excess moisture (more than 21%, i.e. more than normal). Causes - honey is unripe or improperly stored. Taste the top layer - if it is sour, then fermentation has begun, therefore, the product should be discarded. If the taste has not changed, then you can eat.
Cases of dishonesty of the seller: confusion different varieties or even fake. In the first case, you can use it, in the second - it's better not to.

Can honey be stored in the refrigerator?

Low temperatures worsen the consistency and make it difficult to separate the portion, but the composition and usefulness are not affected. If the temperature in the refrigerator is not too low and constant, then it is quite possible to store a treat there.
You just need to follow a few rules:

no neighborhood with sharply smelling products;
only sealed containers;
temperature not lower than +5 °C.

In principle, under these conditions, storage in the refrigerator will only benefit the product - it will remain fresh and healthy longer.

Storage conditions in honeycombs practically do not differ from those for the assembled product.

There are only a few nuances:

Temperature - from +3 to +10 ° С (therefore - only in the refrigerator).
Exceptionally sealed containers (separate for each piece so as not to stick together).

Did you know?Honey is made not only by bees, but also by some species of wasps that live in South America.

As you can see, it is easy to store honey, it remains fresh, tasty and healthy for a very long time. So do not be afraid to buy a lot at once (even a few liters). Enjoy your meal!

Honey is a classic Russian delicacy. Especially during Shrove Tuesday, when freshly baked hot pancakes can be dipped in honey.

Honey is also indispensable as a remedy for colds. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to know how to properly store this amazingly useful and delicious product. In this article, we will tell you how to hurt honey, including honey in combs.

How to store honey?

First of all, it is worth learning that you need to store honey only in a clean container made of glass or aluminum. In no case should honey be poured into a jar where a film of old honey has remained. It will entail the fermentation of a new product, as a result of which the taste qualities honey.

Also, barrels made of beech, cedar, linden, birch are suitable for storing honey. You can store honey in enamelware and also in milk cans. Ceramic containers with enamel on the inner surface are also suitable.

You can not keep honey in jars and jugs made of copper, lead, zinc or alloys of these metals. As a result of the interaction of the metal with the acids contained in honey, extremely harmful substances capable of causing serious poisoning. Do not store honey in iron cans as it will spoil its taste. For the same reason, you should not take honey out of the jar with metal spoons, and even more so leave it there for a long time. It is better to transfer some honey with a wooden spoon into a small container and eat it from there.

Since honey perfectly absorbs all odors, you should not store it together with strongly smelling substances: paints, acetone, kerosene, etc. In addition, to avoid fermentation, it is better to keep honey away from salt, which retains moisture in the air.

If honey is poured into glass jars, it is better to store it in a dark place, as it quickly darkens in the light, and this can reduce the quality of honey. If you need to melt crystallized honey, you need to put it on water bath. However, you need to use only the amount of honey that is necessary at the moment, since in the melted state it can quickly ferment.

How to check honey for naturalness?

At home, honey is best stored in a refrigerator or cellar. Temperatures up to -20 degrees are allowed. This will not affect its taste in any way. medicinal qualities. In winter, honey is generally found mainly in crystallized form. If you bought liquid honey in winter, it is most likely a fake or very overheated honey.

The higher the storage temperature of honey, the more useful properties it loses. Therefore, try to store it in a dark, cool room without strong odors. The optimum storage temperature should be below 20 degrees.

How to store honey in combs?

What to do if you were presented with a frame with honeycombs and honey sealed in them? First, start to rejoice: such a gift is very valuable and useful.

To keep honey in the comb for a long time, honeycombs must be cut into pieces and laid out in clean containers, and tightly closed with a lid on top. Such honey can be stored both in the refrigerator (at a not very low temperature), and in a dark and cool room.

Honey in combs is good because it contains a very useful wax and is simply indispensable for colds. If a regular honey swallowed immediately, then the honeycombs can be chewed for a long time, which helps very well with sore throats and colds. In addition, honeycombs can be cut and eaten with tea and rolls.

Useful properties of honey

Accustomed to modern sweets, we sometimes forget about such a tasty and healthy product as honey. Meanwhile, it contains mineral and bactericidal substances. It has an anti-inflammatory and tonic effect. Honey is indispensable for heart disease vascular diseases, as well as for colds, digestive problems and gums. It contains natural fructose and is very tasty during tea drinking.

Benefits of honey

During World War II, infected wounds were treated with honey. This helped stop the infection and saved many lives. It turns out that honey helped to defeat fascism.

The most expensive honey in the world costs 12,500 rubles. It is produced in Israel. Alexander Goroshit, a native of Soviet Union, guessed to feed the bees with Siberian Ginseng extract, which gave simply amazing qualities to the product.

And in Ancient Greece the inhabitants explained the immortality of the gods by the fact that they eat honey, nectar and milk. However, even today, many believe that the use of honey contributes to the prolongation of life.

Thus, honey is not only delicious treat, but also useful tool that can help with many diseases. With it, you can cook a truly royal treat even from a hill of pancakes, if you pour them with honey.

You can also add it to a cosmetic mask, and then honey will help maintain youthfulness and freshness of the skin. The main thing is to properly store this wonderful product. It should be kept in a cool dark place in a glass, enamel or ceramic dish with a tight lid.

The editors of the site advise buying honey from trusted sellers and being healthy.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen

Honey is one of the most useful natural products. But in order for it to be useful, it must be properly stored.

From our article, you will learn everything about storing honey: the right container, the optimal temperature and the period that will help preserve all the benefits of the product for a long time.

Storing honey at home

Natural honey can retain its appearance, taste and useful properties for years, subject to simple rules.

Temperature

The optimum temperature is from -6 to +20 degrees (Figure 1). In other words, room temperature is not very conducive to the preservation of this useful product. After all, with a long stay at a temperature above 20 degrees, its vitamin composition. And when heated to more than 40 degrees, part of the nutrients and vitamins are immediately lost. Low temperatures do not pernicious influence: at temperatures below 0, it just hardens. Ideally, if the minus temperature does not fall below -6.

Figure 1. Product storage temperature

It is important to know that the temperature regime must remain stable. With temperature differences, uneven crystallization occurs.

You will find the basic storage rules in the video.

Shelf life

Storing honey at home room temperature(i.e. above +20) will definitely not benefit this sweet product. Indeed, under such conditions, it will lose some of the vitamins and begin to exfoliate (Figure 2).

It is better if the temperature regime does not exceed +10. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to choose between a cold and warm room, choose a cold one. So you will not have any questions why the product is stratified or candied quickly.

Figure 2. Features of storage at home

storage utensils

Storage containers can be varied: glass, enameled, ceramic, etc. It is strictly forbidden to leave this beekeeping product in iron and galvanized dishes. When in contact with zinc, copper and lead, it becomes toxic and oxidizes with iron, acquiring an unpleasant taste. For the same reason, it is not recommended to collect nectar with an iron spoon and leave it in a bowl. Examples of suitable containers are shown in Figure 3.

Note: Whichever container you choose, it must be absolutely clean and dry, without residues of last year's product on the bottom. Therefore, it is better to use laundry soap for washing containers, rather than liquid products. Washed dishes must be rinsed with plenty of water.

Containers made of aluminum, stainless steel or glass are best suited; enamel, ceramic and earthenware are also allowed. Also suitable for special plastic containers However, the shelf life in this case is limited and is about 1 year. Any container must have a tight lid to avoid foreign odors and moisture from entering the product.

Clay

For storage, you can use processed earthenware or ceramic containers coated with glaze from the inside. The container must be clean, odorless, hermetically sealed. In this case, the use of rubber gaskets is allowed.

Wooden

If we talk about wooden barrels, then containers made of oak and coniferous trees are absolutely not suitable here, since the substance darkens in oak containers, and in barrels made of coniferous trees it acquires the smell of resin.

You can use barrels made of wood with a moisture content of not more than 16%. Such conditions are met by beech, birch, willow, cedar, linden, plane tree, aspen, alder.

glass

hermetically sealed glassware - perfect option, since glass is chemically neutral and does not enter into any reactions. The only drawback of glass containers is the inability to protect the product from exposure to sunlight. However, this drawback is easy to eliminate, you just need to put the jars in a dark place, or cover them with opaque materials.

Figure 3. Types of storage containers

The shelf life in glass containers is quite long, so after purchase it is better to immediately pour the product into jars.

plastic

Long-term storage of nectar in a plastic container is not the best option, since you can keep it in it for no longer than one year. Besides, plastic containers should be specifically designed for food products and have a tight lid.

Cell storage

Honey in its natural packaging - honeycombs - retains the maximum of its beneficial properties. There are some rules for its storage (Figure 4):

The temperature and humidity levels remain the same as during normal storage.
A whole frame of honeycomb can be left in the refrigerator by wrapping it in an opaque wrapper.
It is much more convenient to cut the honeycombs into small pieces and put them in a glass container and close them tightly. The honeycomb container can also be left in the refrigerator.

Figure 4. Storage of honey in combs

Why honey separates during storage

Delamination is the separation into two parts that differ in color and consistency. This phenomenon is caused by a number of reasons (Figure 5):

premature collection;
overheat;
storage at high humidity;
adding to natural product other substances;
mixing different varieties;
natural processes.

With premature collection of nectar, a dark liquid appears on its surface. This is caused by an excess of moisture in the product, which the bees did not have time to eliminate. As a result, such a bee product acquires a sour taste and begins to ferment and exfoliate. Therefore, prematurely collected nectar should be consumed as soon as possible. If you put it in the refrigerator, you can extend the period of use. In this case, the fermentation process will stop, however, the stratification will continue.

Figure 5. Causes of honey separation

Overheating can provoke stratification, that is, this process begins at a temperature of +35 - 36, which means it can begin during normal transportation in the heat.

Note: The appearance of a layer of liquid on the surface can be caused by being in a humid room, provided that the container is not tightly closed. As you know, honey has good hygroscopic properties, that is, it has the ability to absorb moisture.

Quite often, stratification occurs due to mixing different varieties. . For this reason, the varieties begin to be torn away from each other, thus forming layers. However, this does not mean at all that the product is unsuitable for consumption.

Stratification may indicate mixing it with various substances , such as: water, starch, flour, chalk, sugar syrup. This is done by unscrupulous manufacturers in order to increase the volume of this useful product.

There are also natural causes of the stratification process. The thing is that nectar contains glucose and fructose. Glucose leads to crystallization, so a few months after collection, it begins to thicken and change color. Fructose, on the contrary, dilutes it. Therefore, a product containing a larger amount of glucose is prone to crystallization, and containing an approximately equal amount of fructose and glucose, to stratification. This is explained by the fact that glucose sinks to the bottom, and fructose, respectively, rises, creating a second layer.

Why honey doesn't dry out

It is rather difficult to answer the question of how to prevent honey from being candied during storage, since this process is natural and occurs with any natural product at different times (Figure 6). It depends on the variety and quality of the product.

Figure 6. Candied honey

However, it is possible to delay the onset of crystallization by keeping the nectar at a constant temperature. Under such conditions, crystallization will occur, but will proceed more evenly.

Why does honey foam

Foam on the surface of honey is an alarm that should alert you when eating or buying this dessert. After all, you can not use it, because the foam is a product of fermentation. What are the reasons why the nectar begins to ferment?

This process is caused by the presence of a specific type of yeast in the composition. They promote the appearance of enzymes that secrete a large number of alcohol and carbon dioxide. When there is more alcohol, it begins to form acetic acid that induces fermentation.

Note: With repeated transfusion into different containers, foaming can also begin. Heather, buckwheat, honeydew varieties of nectar are most susceptible to this.

There are the following reasons that explain why honey foams during storage(picture 7):

Poor quality filtration
Immaturity of the product;
Dilution with sugar syrup;
Multiple transfusion.

A poorly filtered product contains a large amount of various impurities: wax, pollen, bee bread, forming a layer white color on the surface of the product. Such white coating you can easily remove it with a spoon, then mix the nectar and send it to a cold place, such as a cellar or refrigerator.

If additives are not visible in the homogeneous white foam, and it itself resembles soap in its appearance, this means that the bee product has deteriorated and should not be consumed, since this can lead to serious poisoning.

Figure 7. Why honey foams

Unripe nectar begins to ferment rapidly without foaming. It increases in mass, can lift the lid of the container in which it is located. You can stop this process by heating the bee product at a temperature of +65 degrees for half an hour. However, such a product will not have useful properties.

Diluted honey can be used in cooking, and subsequently, acquiring the much desired and useful product should pay attention to the following points:

If you turn the spoon over, then the natural product will not drain. Otherwise, it is immature and cannot be stored.
If natural nectar is dissolved in water, then a precipitate will appear in the container.
If white foam is visible due to damaged caps, this product should not be purchased.
If foam appears on the surface in winter, this means that the bee product contains various chemical additives and therefore is of low quality. It is not recommended to use it.
If the foam appears unexpectedly, it can be removed and used for cooking medicines, since such nectar contains a significant amount of pollen, perga and wax.
Natural products are well purified, have sweet taste and pleasant aroma.

So, summing up, we can say that foam does not always indicate that the product is spoiled. However, most often it is evidence of a poor-quality product.

Shelf life of honey in glass containers at room temperature

A glass container with a tight-fitting lid is ideal for storage, provided the container is darkened or kept in a dark room. However, at room temperature (above 20 degrees), the shelf life is quite short. Therefore, it is still better to store this wonderful and healthy product at a temperature not exceeding 10 degrees Celsius in a dark and cool place in a hermetically sealed container.

The author of the video will tell you how to properly store honey so that it retains its beneficial properties.

If you store the beekeeping product correctly, then it will not lose its medicinal and taste qualities for a long time. Storing honey at home involves following simple rules, which will be discussed in this article.

How long is natural honey stored

Store honey in an apartment, according to the norms of the state standard, can be no more than 12 months. The chemical composition of the bee product does not allow various bacteria to develop in it. Therefore, subject to simple rules, you can increase the shelf life of bee nectar up to 24 months. And if you arm yourself wooden barrels with propolis, then you can store honey at home for about 10 years.

Buy bee nectar should be fresh. Due to the fact that it is impossible to know what the seller's storage conditions of honey were, it is impossible to determine how much more can be used. medicinal product. And since to define fresh product whether it is on store shelves or not, even beekeepers are not always able to do it; you need to purchase goods from trusted suppliers. It is advisable to find a connection with the owner of the apiary, and purchase bee nectar from him.

We store natural honey correctly

In a room with bee nectar, you need to maintain a certain air temperature and level of importance. The shelf life also depends on the exposure of natural bee products to sunlight.

In a room with stocks of a natural beekeeping product, the air temperature should be between 6-20 °. If the storage temperature of honey is more than 20 °, then the shelf life of the product is reduced by at least 2 times. At the same time, bee nectar loses some of its beneficial properties. A bitter taste indicates the unsuitability of the product. If you store honey in the cold, then the crystallization process will begin prematurely. At the same time, natural bee nectar does not lose its medicinal properties. Properly storing honey at home is necessary, observing a constant temperature. If you move it from heat to cold, then the product crystallizes unevenly.
Keep honey at home with minimal humidity. Bee nectar is able to absorb moisture, and, having been saturated with water, it will begin to deteriorate. The humidity level threshold that must not be exceeded is 60%.
It is necessary to store honey in a room where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight. They destroy inhibin, and this substance provides long-term storage bee nectar. In the absence of inhibin, microbes begin to appear in the nectar. Accelerates the crystallization process and artificial light. Therefore, containers in a city apartment should be stored where it is almost always dark (pantry room, for example).
The last recommendation regarding how to store honey correctly refers to the commodity neighborhood. Bee nectar is able to absorb odors. If a product with a pronounced smell is placed next to it, then after a while the bee nectar will be saturated with the smell of this product. On the medicinal properties product and shelf life negative impact the presence of the smell of another product will not have, and the taste may suffer. Accordingly, the correct commodity proximity is an important aspect of nectar storage.

Even if there are no products with a pronounced smell near the bee nectar, and there is an appropriate level of humidity in the room, it is better to store honey in a container that closes tightly.

Container for transportation and storage

Storage and transportation of bee nectar can be carried out in containers made of various materials. But not all of them are equally good.

wooden kegs

The most the best dishes for storing honey - these are birch bark or wooden barrels. Such containers are expensive, which is its only drawback. Birch bark containers are more expensive than wooden ones. Wooden containers must be made of dry wood. When using containers made of damp wood, the bee product will absorb moisture and the container will begin to dry out. Containers for storing honey can be made by hand. For its manufacture, linden, plane tree or aspen is best suited. Experts do not recommend using coniferous trees in the manufacture of wooden barrels, since the boards even after drying have a pronounced smell. Not suitable for storage oak barrels in which the bee nectar darkens.

Glass containers

You can store honey for a long time in a container made of glass. It is better to opt for jars made of dark material. Glass does not react with bee products. glass jars must be tightly closed with lids.

Plastic container

You can store honey in a plastic container only if food grade plastic was used in its manufacture. But experts recommend giving preference to containers made of glass or wood, since over time plastic can enter into chemical reactions with the beekeeping product. The outcome of this interaction is difficult to predict. But it will not benefit bee nectar. The plastic container is good option only for the transport of fresh nectar.

When buying bee nectar in plastic containers, you should ask the seller about the availability of a certificate for the container. If there is no certificate, then it is better to refuse the purchase.

Wrong container

Containers made of galvanized sheet and iron are not suitable containers for storing honey. This is due to the fact that these materials enter into a chemical reaction with honey. Wherein chemical reaction between zinc and organic acids included in the bee product, gives substances that are toxic to the human body.

It is impossible to keep bee nectar in aluminum or enameled dishes for a long time. If there are chips in enamelware, then it becomes unsuitable for its storage. Aluminum flasks that react with honey are suitable for transportation. In a short period of time, bee nectar will not have time to react with aluminum.

Optimal storage spaces

Knowing how to store honey correctly, we can conclude that the most the best places to store it at home is:

insulated balcony or loggia of a city apartment;
a room in which the air temperature meets the product storage standards.

The only drawback of a loggia or balcony is the inability to adjust the temperature in the summer. For the winter, you can install a heater here, and monitor the temperature regime.

A cellar or basement is suitable for storage if the storage conditions for honey are met. And here, as a rule, the level of humidity is much higher than normal. Therefore, they are not a good option. In the garage in winter, most often too low temperature air. But in the utility rooms, you can create optimal conditions for storing a medicinal product.

Features of storage in the refrigerator

If there is no balcony or loggia at home, then the product can be stored in the refrigerator, since the storage temperature of honey varies from 6 to 20 ° C. But it is advisable to place jars of honey on shelves designed for storing vegetables. The air temperature there is slightly higher than in the other compartments. Jars of honey should be airtight when stored in the refrigerator. Keeping containers with honey in the freezer is not recommended.

If the refrigerator does not have the optimum temperature for storage, it can be used for containers whose walls are smeared with wax. Storage of honey at sub-zero temperatures in hives does not affect the quality of the product, because the bees, in order to preserve the frames with nectar in winter, seal them with wax. It is the wax that serves as a material that protects the frames from the cold.

Melt the crystallized product

Having figured out how to properly store honey in an apartment, you can go to buy it. Fresh honey has a liquid consistency. In this form, it has a pronounced taste, so many people strive to keep honey liquid for as long as possible. Proper storage of the product is the only way to achieve this goal. But a natural product cannot long time stay liquid. Some beekeepers add to the syrup they feed bees, citric acid, but it affects chemical composition final product. Therefore, experts do not recommend resorting to this method.

How to store honey Proper storage of honey at home

Storage conditions for honey

Conclusion

Subject to all the above standards, a delicacy can be stored for at least 2 years. Experienced beekeepers say that sweet product does not lose its useful properties when proper storage even for several decades., however, experts do not confirm this fact. Therefore, you should not buy a large amount of honey. It is advisable to stock up on them for a year, and next year treat yourself to freshly harvested bee nectar.

More recently, I was surprised to learn that I have been storing honey incorrectly all my life. I keep it in the kitchen cabinet next to the radiator. And I am glad that it does not crystallize so quickly, remaining liquid longer. And to the question whether it is possible to store honey in the refrigerator, I would confidently answer: no, of course not!

What conditions are needed to store honey

The storage conditions of this product are determined by parameters such as temperature, humidity and exposure to light. Each of them deserves separate consideration.

Condition 1. Temperature

We used to think that honey itself is an excellent preservative and cannot go bad. Indeed, it contains enzymes that prevent bacteria from multiplying. Moreover, during the first year, the fermentation processes continue. But! Only if it is provided with storage at the optimum temperature.

So what is the best temperature to store honey?

The optimal range is from minus 6 to plus 20 degrees;
If it is higher, the vitamins contained in the product will begin to break down.. And as a result of accelerated fermentation, the toxic substance oxymethylfurfural will begin to form in it;
If you store honey in the refrigerator, it will quickly lose its viscosity., its color and taste will change. But useful properties will be preserved;

At temperatures above plus 40 degrees, most of the vitamins are destroyed immediately. And you get delicious but practical useless product. Often we make it so with our own hands, heating the frozen delicacy in a water bath;
Having chosen the storage temperature, it is better not to change it. This will adversely affect crystallization - it will be uneven.

Thus, we can conclude that too high a temperature is much worse than a low one. So the answer to the question, is it possible to store honey in the cold, will be positive.

Moreover, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to freeze honey will be just as affirmative. He will become hard, but his useful qualities with almost no loss. Another thing is that this is simply not necessary.

Condition 2. Light

The sun's rays are very harmful to this product, as they destroy inhibin, an enzyme responsible for its antimicrobial properties.

In addition, they heat the container. And about the influence high temperatures we have already spoken. Therefore, the instruction recommends keeping this delicacy in a light-tight container or simply in a dark place.

Condition 3 Humidity

Humidity is one of the indicators of maturity.

In a mature product, it is less than 21%, and it can be stored at a temperature of 10-20 degrees;
Unripe honey has a moisture content above 21%, and store it only in a cool place with a temperature of up to +10 degrees.

This parameter is measured special device- refractometer. If you real connoisseur honey and buy it in large quantities with a margin for a year, then it is advisable to purchase such a device. It will help you choose a quality mature product that is guaranteed not to ferment.

But honey can also absorb moisture from the environment, which leads to a deterioration in its quality and shelf life. Therefore, it must be tightly closed. This is necessary for another reason: in addition to moisture, the product perfectly absorbs odors.

Storage container

Another important question: what is the best way to store honey. Ideally, these should be honeycombs sealed with wax by the "manufacturers" themselves. They just keep optimum temperature regardless of the environment, and moisture does not penetrate.

If you place the honeycombs in a closed container or wrap it in a film, the honey in them will retain its benefits and taste for a very long time.

But filled honeycombs are not easy to buy, and it is problematic to extract a delicacy from them. Therefore, let's keep it simple - consider the traditional options:

Image	Storage container
	Method 1. Glass jars. This is the most convenient dish, because it is easy to pick up a tight lid to the jar. And the shelf life of honey in glass containers is very long.
	Method 2. Wooden utensils. It should be made of hardwood - linden, birch, alder. It's perfect gift wrap, and in the apartment such barrels create a cozy mood.
	Method 3. Clay pots and jugs. An interesting, but not the most convenient option, since it is difficult to find tight-fitting lids for them.
	Method 4. Plastic containers. One important condition: they should be made of quality food-grade plastic and have lids.

Also, this sweet treat can be kept in enamelware or stainless steel dishes. But how long honey is stored at room temperature in such a container will depend on the absence of chips and scratches on its inner surface.

But ordinary metal utensils, even galvanized ones, are not suitable. Honey will react with the material, oxidize it and absorb harmful substances.

Conclusion

Given all of the above, you can decide where it is better to store honey, based on your conditions. If you live in a private house, you can keep it in a dry underground or cellar. It's the right temperature and it's dark.

If this is not possible, the lower shelves will do. kitchen cabinets away from heating appliances. Or insulated balconies.

But in the hot season, it is better to put it in the refrigerator. Or just start storing there. Let honey change its taste and appearance, but retain useful properties.

My words are perfectly confirmed by the video in this article. I would like to hear other opinions. They can be voiced in the comments.