Old Raw Honey

by Jan
(Kamloops B.C. Canada)

I bought some raw honey about 5 years ago, and it crystallized on me. I put it in hot water, and it re-melted. But because it was bought from a farmer at that time. I was wondering if it is still OK to eat it. It does have a different smell to it, What is the life time of raw honey ?

-----

Hi Jan,

I can't advise you on whether you should eat your honey without being able to examine it myself. But I can tell you that honey can last for many years without a substantial deterioration in quality.

I ate some of my own honey recently that I found stored away that was nearly 10 years old, and it was delicious!

What can happen, though, is that honey can ferment. It's more likely to happen with some varieties of honey than with others, and it's also more likely to happen with honey that has crystallized.

You remarked that your honey smells differently, so I'm guessing that it may have fermented. If that's the case -- while I don't know that it would hurt you -- it certainly won't have the honey flavor you're expecting.