I love honey. So, it will come to no surprise that I highly recommend storing it for emergencies.
Now, keeping bees would be the ultimate homesteader way to do it. Let’s be honest though, bees require time, space and a level of stability that I don’t have right now. I would bet that’s true of most of us. Do support your local apiarists though, all honey’s are good, but local honey is better for you for a couple of reasons.
- Local honey means bees that are likely pollinating local vegetables and fruits.
- Local honey contains local pollen, that can help keep allergies down.
- Local is more likely to be “real” honey – that which is raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized. The purists claim that it stores much better than the see through stuff at your local grocery chain.
Honey is a good barter item, it’s easy to separate a specific amount of honey from your larger honey supplies. Use jelly jars or clean pop bottles, no need to get fancy.
Honey can store for a long time, even with no preservatives or additives. With minimal water or equipment. Ancient civilizations stored raw, unfiltered honey in sealed porous clay containers, in cool-temperature caves. The gases created during crystallization, pushed the lighter-weight oxygen out through the porous clay. At least for awhile. Modern day preppers can store it in a cool dry place with an oxygen absorber. Make sure that the container cap is on tight since honey tends to absorb moisture from the environment. That’s what’s happened when your honey gets rock hard. (Or your honey is just happy to see you..?) You have to heat your honey up if it gets to this condition. (This is still going wrong..)
Honey is naturally-resistant to microbial growth because of its low moisture content, low pH and antimicrobial composition. Honey can be used with sterile gauze as a compress to aid in the healing of minor ailments.
Now, it does eventually go bad. You might not see mold on it, but that doesn’t mean its nutrients, enzymes, aroma and flavor are stable. Color is a good indication of damage. If it’s dark brown, consider it non-nutritious at best, and harmful at worse.
I’d store a couple of years worth, at least. A couple of gallons a year is enough.
If you find yourself with excessive honey on hand, try your luck at making mead. Honey wine. It’s delish. Hubby and I served local mead at our wedding. Then of course there are honey cakes, and honey candy. Mmmm..
Anybody go the whole nine yards and tend bees? Any advice? I’d love to hear it. One of these days I’ll take the plunge.
- Calamity Jane
I’m with you, I love honey, would love to keep bees, I would like to sweeten/cook with it more to avoid the refined junk but…….. A full time job, 2 kids, life just keep me too busy at this point. I am using this time to do the learning and research though, (retirement as my employer says, will be in 2031 hahaha aha) find some local bee keepers and learn from them.
Good info and healthy, we got creative by bartering with a city apiraist, they had land constraints and vocal neigbors against bee’s, we have few and far between neighbors with a healthy use for bees & honey, so instead of rent they pay us in honey to set their hives out and about, tho at first the chickens thought that the hives were fast food stations for them but I fenced the hives in where the chickens cannot get close enough to snag them. They, the bee’s do a wonderful work in pollunating the fruit trees/veggies, flowers, my best kept secret when people say wow everything grows so well here, you must have a green thumb, I do take credit and the bee’s don’t seem to mind, I mow around the hives and walk about and garden about with them flying about and have never been stung, some land on me from time to time I remain still and they fly off, but if you have a fear phermone, they know. So if you do not have the time or want to deal with this, see if you can barter, it’s a win-win and we get enough to share with friends/family which ensures they too will have a sweet come crunch time. Plus they seem to come around just about the same time they run out of honey, to return the jars of course, ahem…. gives me another soapbox to encourage them to do more themselves to prep. “C”
One thought on the honey. Beware of Chinese honey. They are finding that some of it contains a lot of contaminants. Apparently the Chinese are not very careful as to what they sell to the world. Big surprise.
we have one colony. actually, it’s time to head into the hive and swap out the frames from the 4th and 5th levels. the commenter above is right about how much work they do for you in your garden. we have far more fruit setting on tomatoes, peppers, wtermelon, etc.
I’d like to point out that honey comes in many different colors depending on what plants the bees are using to gather nectar, from almost white to the brownish color of buckwheat honey. If your previously white honey turns brown, that doesn’t sound good, but new dark honey is another situation entirely.
I have 20 hives of my own and work for a very large beekeeper. I learn a lot from working with experienced beekeepers, but experimenting on my own hives is very educational as well.
If you have land, especially organic land, many beekeepers are very happy to put their bees on it in exchange for honey. It’s harder than you think to find good, safe locations for bees.
I amazed at all the uses for honey….even eating! I know you hear people using the word superfood for many things, but I think that honey probably comes the closest. As far as local honey, the same applies to almost everything….buy local….support the local community. In the future it would be wise to have as many LOCAL craftsmen, whatever the trade, as possible. With local people you can possibly barter, network, and many have classes to teach what they know….mead classes anyone!
My pop says it’s also a good “quick shot” for diabetics. Something in the honey (maybe it’s the liquid form) gets into the blood quicker. He’s always got a couple or packets with him just in case his sugar drops out.
Having done some research on Honey I have yet to find any evidence that Honey ever goes bad. Honey was even found in Egyptian tombs that was still safe to eat. That being said, if the honey is not stored properly then something might get in there, moisture most likely, that could turn the honey. Older Honey can change color and taste but is still safe to eat in most circumstances. Of course do your own research in the matter because it’s always possible that I could be wrong. There is no 100% garauntee in anything.
We started in the spring and now have three Hives. Lots of fun and yes it is some work but it is settling down now that the hives are more established.
Tim
Like Sarah, I too keep bees and have harvested honey of all sorts of colors, from light to almost black. I have 15 colonies and this year, most of my honey was almost black in color. It was the best tasting honey I have ever harvested. If your honey changes, that might be an issue, but if stored properly (i.e. dry… moisture ruins honey and uncovered honey will absorb moisture), honey will not go bad. People keep bees for many reasons but I keep them for pollination reasons as well as for barter…I barter with honey all the time right now!