how long can you keep most bottles of "Honey" before it needs to be thrown away?

Question

if have natural honey in a plastic bottle that has been on the shelf for 2 years..how can trust if it is okay or not?

also, is Honey and Mustard...the main ingrediants in making "honey mustard"? what else needs to be added and why? how taste without adding anything "commercial" such as "mayonaise" or "miracle whip"?

please xplain why honey can last a long time? what is it made from?

thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

The above are almost correct but not quite.

Had you not specified "plastic" in your question I would agree.

Plastic however is the poison here. Eventually it will break down and contaminate anything it holds.

The FDA now puts 3 years on honey( totally ridiculous in glass).

But in plastic, 3 years max.



About the mustard.

The real deal is "Honeycup" brand. It's made with strong dijon mustard and honey. It was the first and the best. Anything else is a wanna be.



http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=1156

Answer 2

Honey is a natural ingredient that's made by bees from the nectar found in flowers.

Because it has a very high sugar content, bacteria can't live in honey and it doesn't go 'bad' although it can crystallise and go hard over time, the way to solve that is to stand the container in a jug of hot water for a couple of hours. Honey has been found in ancient tombs and it was still edible, so 2 years shouldn't be a problem.



See my other answer for info on honey mustard sauce, I would rather starve than eat miracle whip and I've never put it in a sauce.



If you want a dressing you can use on salads or as a side dressing for cooked meats then just add 1/2 tablsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar to the sauce recipe.

Answer 3

Honey itself will never expire, they actually found honey in egyptain tombs that was still edible. It doesn't expire because it's a natural preservative which means it doesnt go mouldy. For mould to grow, bacteria need to grow, for bacteria to grow, they need water food and a warm environment. Honey is essentially a very concentrated sugar syrup and there's very little water in it meaning that the bacteria can't grow. Honey can become crystillized which is when it can be come thick and slightly cloudy, this happens as honeys sugary - ness can cause it to become dry. This can be remidied placing the honey container in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. But essentially it will never go mouldy or go off.







Honey Mustard Recipe



1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup Dark vinegar

1/2 cup Dark brown sugar-packed

2 Eggs

2 Flour

2 T French's yellow -- mustard

1/2 cup Jack Daniel's whiskey

1 Bottle Kraft's horseradish-9 oz cream sauce



Put honey, vinegar, sugar, eggs and flour in blender a few seconds to

blend at high speed until smooth. Transfer to a 2-quart saucepan. Cook

on medium high, whipping briskly with whisk to prevent it from sticking

to bottom of pan. It will thicken just as it comes to a boil. Quickly

add mustard and whiskey. Continue to cook and stir briskly only 1/2

minute. Remove from heat. Add the horseradish. Beat well. Cool

completely. Bottle and cap tightly. Can store refrigerated 6-8 weeks.

Freezes for months. Recipe can be halved.

Answer 4

Honey doesn't expire but you've kept yours in a plastic bottle and you don't know if there's been any cross contamination. Buy a new bottle of honey.



Here's a recipe for honey mustard dressing



http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/honeyandmustarddress_1317



Honey is food made by bees using the nectar from flowers to feed themselves. It's an antibiotic concentrated sugar that's why it doesn't spoil easily, unless jt comes into contact with moisture.

Answer 5

The nectar brought to the hive by the bees is about 60% water. The bees

"cure" it to about 18-19% water. At this level of water and with a pH of

3-4, the honey is very stable and can last for literally centuries. (It

was found in Egyptian tombs.) However, it is - as you mention -

hydroscopic. (I believe there is such a word.) If it is left exposed to

the air, it will absorb water from the air. The greater concentration of

water allows yeast (that is found naturally in the environment) to

multiply. A by product of the yeast is alcohol - the honey ferments. If

the correct yeast is present (and naturally occurring yeast is not such)

is produces a drink known as mead. If allowed to ferment naturally, honey

develops an unpalatable taste... though it is still sometimes used in

baking where the alcohol is evaporated from the honey.



The bees prevent the fermentation of the honey by sealing the honey in the

honey comb. When we harvest the honey, we can leave it in the comb or

extract it and seal it in jars, like the shelves of your local grocery store.



Because honey is hygroscopic, it is extends the shelf-life of baked

goods. They are less likely to dry out because the honey absorbs moisture

from the surrounding air. If you want to try this out, bake a batch of

cookies using sugar. Then make a second batch replacing half of the sugar

with honey. To do this you need to reduce the liquids in the recipe by

1/4 cup for each cup of honey (because of the water in the honey...

remember, about 19%) and reduce the cooking temperature by 25

degrees. See which batch survives longer.

Answer 6

Honey never goes bad. It does crystallize though. You can easily reliquefy honey by placing the container in warm water and letting it sit until clear. Be careful not to overheat, as this can caramelize the honey, which can change its flavor and texture. Store honey at room temperature on a pantry shelf.

Answer 7

Honey Never Expires Ever.



After a few months it gels up so you can't pour it. If you heat it up, you may be able to pour it again, but make sure it's in a glass jar and not plastic. The plastic will melt.

Answer 8

We've had a jar of honey in our cupboard for 3 years and it's still fine ;)

Answer 9

pure honey technically doesnt go off, its pure content means theres nothing to go off

Answer 10

honey never expires