The surprising truth about honey that never spoils.
Listen to this articleArchaeologists excavating ancient Egyptian tombs have found pots of honey thousands of years old – and still preserved. Dipped into today, that honey would taste as if it were a day old. Almost no other food can do that. Almost no water Honey is a sugar, and sugars are hygroscopic: they hold […]
Archaeologists excavating ancient Egyptian tombs have found pots of honey thousands of years old – and still preserved. Dipped into today, that honey would taste as if it were a day old. Almost no other food can do that.
Almost no water
Honey is a sugar, and sugars are hygroscopic: they hold very little water in their natural state. As Amina Harris of the Honey and Pollination Center at UC Davis explains, honey in its natural form is very low moisture, and very few bacteria or microorganisms can survive in an environment like that. Nectar starts out 60-80 percent water, but bees drive most of it off by fanning the comb with their wings.
Acid that stops growth
Honey is also naturally acidic, with a pH between about 3 and 4.5. That acid kills off almost anything that wants to grow in it, which is one reason honey was used for centuries as a medicinal remedy, including in ancient Egyptian ointments.
A built-in antiseptic
Bees carry an enzyme called glucose oxidase. When it mixes with nectar, it produces gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide – the same mild antiseptic used on cuts. The peroxide works quietly against anything the dryness and acid miss.
The seal is the final factor
None of this works if water gets in. Left unsealed, honey readily absorbs moisture and can finally spoil. Kept sealed in a dry place – a tomb, for instance – the combination of low moisture, acidity and peroxide can preserve it for millennia.
Sources
- Smithsonian Magazine: The Science Behind Honey’s Eternal Shelf Life
- My Modern Met: The Science Behind Honey Never Becoming Spoiled