The Honey That Never Expires

In an Egyptian tomb, archaeologists opened a jar sealed more than three thousand years ago. Inside there was honey. And it was still edible.

Honey is one of the few foods that, properly stored, never spoils. The secret lies in its chemistry: it holds almost no water and is highly acidic, two conditions in which bacteria cannot live. On top of that, bees add an enzyme that produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, a natural antiseptic.

If an old honey crystallises or turns hard, it has not gone off: warming it gently is enough to bring it back to its liquid state.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine