Experts' Experts: Is it OK to keep honey in the pantry or should you refrigerate it?

From the New York Times:

So long as you don't let moisture in — a wet spoon, a loose lid in 90 percent humidity — honey will last virtually forever in the pantry, according to Timothy Jackson and Nicole Lindsey-Jackson, the executive directors of Detroit Hives.

In fact, archaeologists have discovered well-preserved honey in Egyptian tombs that was most likely still safe to eat after thousands of years.

"Putting honey in the fridge actually makes it crystallize faster, turning it thick and grainy instead of smooth and golden," Mr. Jackson and Ms. Lindsey-Jackson wrote in an email.

If your honey does turn into sugar, Mike Kurtz, the founder of Mike's Hot Honey, recommends gently warming the bottle in a water bath until it's about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, or just leaving the bottle on a sunny windowsill.

If you encounter bottles with added sugars or corn syrup, they should be used up more quickly.

"These don't have the same natural bombproof stability," said Kirsten K. Shockey, an author of the cult cookbook "Fermented Vegetables."

The takeaway: Store honey in the pantry, well sealed.

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