Why does honey never seem to go bad?

Honey found sealed in a 3000-year-old Egyptian tomb was still safe to eat.

Honey is one of the only foods that basically never spoils. It holds very little free water (around 17 percent) and is quite acidic, so any bacteria or mould that lands in it gets its water sucked out and dies before it can grow. Bees also add an enzyme that produces a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide. As long as the jar stays sealed and dry, honey keeps for years.

That jar of honey at the back of your kitchen cabinet that has turned cloudy and grainy is not spoiled - the sugar has just crystallised. Warm it gently in hot water and it flows clear again.

Sealed honey lasts almost forever because it is too dry and too acidic for microbes to survive in.

You can keep honey for years without the fridge, and crystallised honey is fine to eat - no need to throw it out.

No water, no life: honey is too thirsty for germs to live in.

Learn the idea and practice English at the same time.