Love honey? So do we!
But…hang on.
There’s a secret that retailers and shops everywhere don’t want you to know…
Honey is not just a monotone colour.
Real Honey is not just a singular taste or flavour type.
Real honey is varied. In fact, forms of honey are usually called varietals.
Forms of Honey are called varietals
We have kept bees for almost two decades and I still discover new forms of honey and varietals of taste…
These just mean the honey in the jar or container is foraged from a unique flower in a crop or orchard.
Usually the honeybees would be working on a farm in nearby location to any one of these listed below and more.
- Could be watermelon
- Could be thyme
- Could be mango
- Could be aloe honey
- Could be pumpkin
- Could be cosmos
- Could be kiwi-fruit
- I could go on… But I think you get the idea!
Honey forms in different ways.
Real honey will granulate. But not all real honey granulates at the same time.
Some honey, like sunflower, crystalises within a month. Others like Citrus and Avocado honey take a long time to granulate but usually do not last long enough to do so because… they get eaten!
How long does honey last? Well, if you mean to ask if it expires, then the answer is no.
Ceramic jars containing the world’s oldest honey (as far as archaeologists have found) — about 5,500 years old — were discovered in the tomb of a noblewoman in Georgia, not far from Tbilisi. They say honey never expires, but this honey is really old.
While excavating ancient tombs in Egypt’s pyramids, archaeologists found pots of honey. This ancient honey dates back to almost 3,000 years ago. They say that honey never expires, but this honey is really old.
By law, food has to be include an expiry date when packaged. So retailers add an expiry date to not break the laws.
But honey will be consumed way before it expires or goes bad.
It is self-preserving. It has enzymes that will cause it to granulate. This only changes the honey form into more of a solid state.
To start beekeeping, here’s an online beginner beekeeping academy.
