It is no secret to anyone that honey is considered a natural medicine that has no price. At the present stage, scientists are trying to reproduce the composition of this product artificially, but so far nothing has been done.
Bees, collecting honey, store it in combs. As soon as the season ends, beekeepers get a treat. When buying a product, we usually transfer it to a jar, pack it and place it in a warm place. But is this storage method correct? Can honey be stored in plastic containers? It is about the methods of storing goodies that will be discussed in the review.
Is there an expiration date?
In nature, in the combs in which honey was laid by hardworking bees, the product is able to be stored for a very, very long time. This quality can be explained by the composition. Honey has a very large amount of vitamins. Therefore, bacteria cannot survive in such an environment.
Before answering whether it is possible to store honey in a plastic container, it is worth understanding that at home it should be kept for no more than 3 years. Naturally, the delicacy will not spoil or mold. However, due to high temperatures, light, and the absence of a protective barrier such as honeycombs, the useful properties of the product will begin to disappear.
Naturally, the delicacy can be transferred to special barrels, after having soaked them with propolis. In this situation, the shelf life will increase to 15 years. But in the conditions of standard apartments, such an action is hardly possible.
Can honey be stored in plastic containers? This will be discussed below. But it should be understood that everything depends not only on the storage location, but also on the conditions. For example, experts recommend purchasing a treat as soon as the honey collection is over. In this situation, the product is characterized by a liquid consistency and a bright color.
Storage temperature
At what temperature is honey able to maintain its beneficial properties over a long period of time? To answer this question, it is enough to understand at what level this indicator is in the hive.
In winter, in a bee house below -5 degrees does not happen. This figure is the boundary. If the temperature exceeds +20 degrees, then the useful properties of the product will begin to be lost. In this situation, the honey will acquire a dark shade, it will begin to slightly bitter.
Where exactly to keep a treat?
Can honey be stored in plastic containers? Before answering this question, it is worthwhile to understand for yourself that the product is afraid of direct rays of the sun. Because of them, the destruction of all enzymes occurs. For this reason, placing the container with the product on the windowsill is strictly prohibited.
Humidity plays a significant role. It should not exceed the figure of 75%. However, in this situation, much will depend on the type of product. For example, a dainty made from acacia can take root even in a humid room, and the mortar product will retain its properties if the humidity does not exceed 60%.
It has already been said above at what temperature to store honey. It is also worth knowing that it is impossible to constantly move the product from heat to cold. As soon as the purchase of honey takes place, it must immediately be sent to the pantry, in which the temperature varies from +5 to +15 degrees. There should not be any seasonings or chemistry next to the delicacy.
Where to store honey if there is no pantry in the apartment? For these purposes, dark drawers and cabinets are suitable. The main thing is that the temperature does not get out of the indicators that were described above.
Using the refrigerator
How long to store honey? As mentioned above, a lot depends on the place. If you decide to put the product in the refrigerator, you should take into account some recommendations.
- The refrigerator must have a dry freeze function. Only in this situation can you safely put in it such a treat as honey.
- When storing the bee product in the refrigerator, you should first place it in an airtight container. Otherwise, the treat will simply “die” due to foreign odors.
- At what temperature should honey be stored? It is important that it does not fall below -5 degrees. The product will “feel” itself most comfortably at a temperature of +5 degrees.
Use of the cellar
In a standard cellar, the microclimate is great for purposes such as storing a variety of products. Honey is no exception. But it’s best to place the treat in a wooden barrel with wax. Such a precaution will help protect the product from moisture.
Quite often, the cellar is used to store fish, cheeses and sausages. And it should be understood that through the fault of pungent odors the delicacy will suffer very seriously. You can not put the product next to cereals, sugar, salt. Otherwise, the fermentation process will be greatly accelerated.
Which capacity is best
Can honey be stored in a plastic jar? Or is it worth taking another container? Such questions can quite often bother fans of this product. You should start with the fact that the container for storing treats must be airtight. It must first be washed, and even better scalded with boiling water and wait until the container has completely cooled. A glass jar equipped with a plastic lid is best suited for storage.
Do not forget that you cannot mix a new product with an old one. Otherwise, the fermentation process will accelerate, because of which the treat will just go bad.
If there is no suitable jar for honey, you can use a barrel of wood (alder or linden). An oak container or a container of aspen and coniferous wood is not suitable for such purposes. In this case, the product will either acquire a darker shade, or will become bitter, having lost its flavor.
Where to store honey? For these purposes, suitable and dishes made of stainless steel. The container must be equipped with a lid. Suitable for these purposes can containers designed for dairy products. You must understand that the delicacy will deteriorate in the dishes of lead, copper and iron.
It is not recommended to store the product in containers made of simple metal, since the dishes in this situation will begin to oxidize. This will lead to the fact that a useful product will turn into an extremely dangerous poison.
Proper storage in plastic
Is it possible to store honey in a plastic bowl? At the present stage, this type of capacity is quite popular. This is due to tightness, ease of transportation of products. However, even the most environmentally friendly containers are not suitable for long-term storage of honey.
Is it possible to store honey in plastic bottles, containers or other similar utensils? Naturally, it is possible, but no more than 6-12 months. This is due to the fact that delicacy is an active substance. Over time, it will begin to pull harmful chemicals out of the plastic, gradually turning into poison.
Clay pots
In ancient times, they preferred to keep the delicacy in clay pots. So why not resort to the help of this capacity today? At the present stage, such a container (if it has a lid) can be considered the best for the safe storage of honey.
As mentioned earlier, a sweet product is an active substance that can easily react with an unsafe container. Clay, however, meets all the parameters of safe storage.
She will not let in not only the rays of the sun, but also moisture. The composition of the dishes does not include chemical impurities, a variety of coloring elements, since fired clay is used for its manufacture. In addition, a temperature that is comfortable for keeping honey is created inside the pot.
And if you are wondering what is the best way to store honey, then you should understand that clay pots are a great option.
Additional recommendations
It should be understood that the crystallization of the product is an irreversible and natural process. It is she who testifies that the delicacy is natural. As soon as honey was pumped out of the frame, it will gradually darken and thicken. After a few months, sugar crystals form in it.
If after the purchase it was noticed that the contents were divided into two parts (thick and liquid), we can say that the product is immature. In addition, it was mixed with water. However, the good qualities of goodies will not be affected.
If honey remains liquid for a long time, there is reason to think about the quality of the product. A similar circumstance says that before you is either a fake or a product stuffed with various preservatives. Such a delicacy is characterized by too sweet aftertaste and unnatural smell. Yes, and it hardens too long.
Storage Tips
Above was disproved the opinion that honey can be stored for only a year. If all of the above conditions have been met, the beneficial properties of the product will not disappear for a long period of time.
How to store fresh honey? If it begins to harden over time, you should not be scared. This is a natural process. But to use a water bath to give it a liquid state again is not worth it. Otherwise, a number of useful properties may disappear.
The delicacy is characterized by an increased content of various vitamins. Therefore, bacteria in such an environment do not survive. In this regard, we can say that in general, the delicacy is self-sufficient. Especially if it is natural and fresh. Having recreated the conditions of hives, you can keep the product indefinitely.
In the modern world, it is easy to run into a fake or just low-quality products. To prevent this, it is recommended to buy honey from friends. In such a situation, even imperfect storage will allow us to maintain useful qualities for a long time.
To summarize
Keeping honey is a responsible business. Therefore, you should not treat him with neglect. Otherwise, the product can deteriorate in a record short period of time, and its further use will cause irreparable harm to the body. Based on the foregoing, we can identify the main criteria that must be considered when storing the product.
- Temperature condition. It is very important to store the product at the optimum temperature. Otherwise, it will begin to deteriorate and exfoliate, lose useful properties. It should be noted that vitamins instantly evaporate if the product is heated to +40 degrees. Too low a temperature will harden.
- Tableware. Can honey be stored in plastic containers? It is possible, but not too long. However, the best option is a clay pot or glass jar. In no case do not put the treat in an iron, galvanized container, so as not to spoil it.
- Humidity. The lower this indicator, the better for the product. A similar circumstance is connected with the fact that honey absorbs moisture at a rapid pace. To prevent this from happening, the storage container must be airtight.
- Light and smell. As already mentioned, direct sunlight kills the product. Therefore, you can not store it on the windowsills. It is best to put honey in a dark place where there is no chemistry or seasoning. Should not be next to the delicacy and other strongly smelling substances. Even the most sealed container is not able to completely protect honey from extraneous odors.
Conclusion
Now you know how to store the delicacy and what capacity is best used for such purposes. We hope that this review helped to answer all your questions, to understand the intricacies of storing a sweet and very healthy product.