Honey Never Spoils
Honey is the sweet substance made by bees. Its chemistry makes it one of the only foods that does not go off.
Honey is the sweet viscous food made by bees from nectar. It effectively never spoils, and edible honey has been recovered from Egyptian tombs thousands of years old. Three properties do it: very low water content, high acidity, and hydrogen peroxide produced by an enzyme the bees add. Nothing microbial can grow in it. It is not safe for infants under one year, because spores of *Clostridium botulinum* can survive in it.
- Bee-made sweetener. *A jar of honey.*
- A term of endearment. *Thanks, honey.*
- Honeycomb — the wax structure. *Fresh honeycomb.*
- Mead — fermented honey. *A glass of mead.*
- Honeymoon — the post-wedding trip. *On honeymoon.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | honey | Clear honey. |
| Adjective | honeyed | Honeyed words. |
| Compound | honeycomb | Honeycomb. |
| Compound | honeymoon | A honeymoon. |
| Old English | hunig | Honey. |
- Stir honey into the tea.Food.
- Honey found in tombs was still edible.Preservation.
- Never give honey to a baby under one.Safety.
Why honey does not spoil
- Low water content — around 17 per cent, too little for microbes
- High sugar draws water out of any bacterial cell
- Acidic — a pH around 3.9
- Hydrogen peroxide produced by an enzyme bees add to the nectar
- Crystallisation is not spoilage: gentle warming reverses it
Old English *hunig*, from a Germanic root shared with German *Honig*, possibly named for its golden colour.
Does honey really never go off?
Kept sealed and dry, effectively no. Its low water content, acidity and hydrogen peroxide prevent microbial growth.
Why can't babies eat honey?
It can contain botulism spores, harmless to adults but dangerous to infants under one year whose gut flora is undeveloped.