Honey should be stored in a cool, dry area inside a tightly covered container. Over time the honey will darken and flavor will change but it will be safe to eat indefinitely. As it darkens, it may lose some flavor or become cloudy. As the honey becomes cloudy, you may even notice crystals in it.
If it is stored correctly, honey does not go bad. Honey may change color, become darker or crystallize in time but it can still be consumed long after the expiration date. When honey crystallizes, it does not mean that it is no longer edible, but it is quality honey and not a pasteurized one.
If honey is stored for a long time, especially in warm conditions, it may become darker. Raw honey, which is unfiltered and unpasteurized, often appears darker because it retains all its natural enzymes, pollen, and small particles of beeswax.
One way is to look at the color. If the honey has turned light or dark brown, then it has probably gone bad. Another way to tell is by smell. If the honey smells sour, then it's bad. Finally, you can taste a little bit of the honey to see if it tastes sour or off.
Honey can stay edible for years, even decades, but honey is a natural product, which means it will change over time. For honey, those changes may include darkening color, thicker consistency, and different taste. Changes in honey are actually good signs (so long as they're not signs of fermentation).
If you are asking yourself, “What makes honey dark in color?” it can either happen naturally because of the plants the bees foraged from. Or it can happen naturally as honey ages. Over time, honey will get darker, even in a sealed, air-tight honey jar.
Honey may have an expiration date on the bottle, but like many other food products, that doesn't mean it's unsafe. Expired honey is not something to worry about. Honey can darken, lose a bit of aroma and flavor, and even turn hard as a rock, given enough time.
Honey doesn't go bad. It can remain edible for years, but because it's a natural product and free from chemical nasties, it changes over time. Your honey may darken and its flavor may change, but there's no need to bin it.
Dark honey varieties contain high amounts of antioxidants which combat free radicals, which are molecules that damage cells. Studies on buckwheat honey, a dark honey, showed that it has an antioxidant content that is 20 times higher than other types of honey.
No vegetative forms of disease-causing bacterial species have been found in honey. Bacteria do not replicate in honey and as such high numbers of vegetative bacteria could indicate recent contamination from a secondary source. Certain vegetative microbes can survive in honey, at cool temperatures, for several years.
Honey gets its color from the pollen that a hive gathers to make it. Because plants blossom at different times of year and bees collect honey nearly year-round, a single hive can produce radically different colors of honey from season to season.
Rhiana Elizabeth Henry The bees in this region gather nectar from a specific type of flower called the "purple passionflower" (Passiflora incarnata), which is native to the area. The nectar from this flower contains a pigment called anthocyanin, which gives the honey its distinctive purple color.
Over time the honey will darken and flavor will change but it will be safe to eat indefinitely. As it darkens, it may lose some flavor or become cloudy.
Ideally, honey should be stored at room temperature, so keep it away from stoves and other kitchen appliances that generate heat. You should also refrain from putting it in the fridge, as this can cause it to thicken and change its texture.
Archeologists have found (and eaten!) 3,000 year old honey… Ancient Egyptian royals were often buried with objects they believed were needed for a harmonious transition to the afterlife.
“Honey does not spoil, however for best quality, the USDA recommends storing honey for up to 12 months,” Amidor says. “After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. If the honey becomes cloudy, crystallized or solidified this is not a food safety concern.”
The National Honey Board says that over time honey may “darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize,” depending on changes in temperature. While changes in aroma or flavor may be less appealing, crystallized honey is completely normal and doesn't change honey's taste.
“Editors, celebrities, and everyone loved—and still loves! —Black Honey because it's flattering on everyone. It's magical. It makes your teeth look whiter, it makes your lips look gorgeous, and it's very forgiving—you don't even need a mirror when you put it on.
The Bottom Line. Honey won't go bad as long as it's stored properly and protected from external contamination. Crystallized honey is not an indicator of spoilage but rather a sign of aging.
Such food poisoning cases are sometimes called "mad honey poisoning", where symptoms like dizziness, weakness, excessive perspiration, excessive salivation, numbing of limbs, nausea develop quickly after consumption.
As per Ayurveda, heating or cooking honey changes the natural composition and the toxic molecules stick to mucous membranes of the digestive system, which converts into a toxin called Ama, which leads to upset stomach, affects respiration, insulin sensitivity, skin diseases and weight gain, etc.
“Raw honey is the only food that never spoils,” says Janice Mercieri, co-owner of White Mountain Apiary and Bee Farm in northern New Hampshire. She adds that honey may crystallize, which is perfectly fine —more on that later. Why does honey never go bad? It's all about moisture.
However, honey does change. It can change color from pale to dark. It can start clear and become cloudy. And, most peskily, its texture can change from smooth and thin to thick and grainy in a process called crystallization.
The USDA states that honey is safe to eat even after expiration, but its quality may decline. Honey expiration is rare; naturally, properly preserved honey can last thousands of years without expiring. Archaeologists have found honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that is still perfectly edible.