Why honey never spoils
Day 130 / 365
When Egyptians used to bury people in tombs, they used to keep lots of stuff in the tomb as well. This would include things like clothes, jewelry, but also household stuff like furniture as well. They believed these things will be used by the dead person in their afterlives.
But while digging up these tombs, we have discovered something really amazing. Archaeologists have found pots filled with honey in some tombs. This is honey that’s over 2000 years old. And the most amazing part is that this is still preserved, still perfectly edible!
Why does Honey never go bad?
Honey is amazing. It is tasty, it has lots of medicinal properties. And best of all, it has an infinite shelf life. There are a lot of factors that work together that keeps honey fresh forever
- Honey has very little moisture in it. Most bacteria and microbes can’t survive in it long enough to spoil it.
- Honey is naturally extremely acidic which again makes life tough for bacteria.
Bees add their little magic to honey
There are lots of other foods that have acidity and low moisture. What sets honey apart is the organism that makes it, the honey bee.
Honey bees collect nectar from the flowers, which is high with moisture to begin with. The bees then literally dry out the moisture from it by flapping their wings.
Honey bees have a special enzyme in their stomachs that gets transferred to the honey when they carry it with their mouths. This produces hydrogen peroxide that helps to kill off things that might spoil honey.
This post is part of my 365 Day Project for 2019. Read about it here
Yesterday’s blog — Synesthesia, the merging of senses