Often, you can see this propolis in your honey jar in the form of small black specks. Have no worries, the propolis is not harmful if consumed, and it actually is more beneficial to your body due to the fact that you are consuming part of the honeycomb, which is the most beneficial for allergies.
You may have even seen little white flecks floating in it. Before you do anything impulsive, don't throw it out! Your honey is not bad; it's just changing. It's crystallized honey, and it's totally natural.
Honey with a higher glucose content crystallizes quicker. This uncapped honey crystallized over the winter. The white dots are the crystals forming in the honey.
The same honeycomb cells are used to house baby bees again and again, and a build-up of pollen, bee spit, and other debris is what causes the bee frames to blacken. Black or dark-colored brood honeycomb is safe to eat and even contains additional nutrients.
Finally, the presence of gluconic acid gives honey a slightly acidic pH level—another barrier to microbial growth. In general, honey doesn't spoil. However, it can go bad if it's contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or "off," then it's time to toss it.
Honey does not go bad. In fact, it's recognized as the only food that doesn't spoil. It will, however, crystallize (becoming thick and cloudy) over time. If this happens, just remove the lid from the jar, place it in a pan of water, and warm it over low heat until the honey returns to its original consistency.
Honey May Change Color & Texture
While honey never spoils, it may change color (from clear to cloudy) or texture (thicker and grainier) over time. That's ok! Unless your honey becomes exposed to moisture and ferments (which will be super obvious), it's safe to consume.
We often get calls when people discover their honey has darkened or crystallized. Improper storage of honey can cause this problem. Honey should be stored in a cool, dry area inside a tightly covered container. Over time the honey will darken and flavor will change but it will be safe to eat indefinitely.
Beekeepers will find the honey they harvest will be different colors in different seasons, based on what plants are in bloom and when. Honey that also remains inside of honeycomb for longer periods of time than other honeys can become darker in color, due to some oxidation.
Dark honey is made by bees who are foraging for nectar from plants like buckwheat, palmetto, or black locust trees. These plants produce darker-colored nectars, which make this honey thicker and richer than other types of honey. Dark varieties of honey also tend to have a stronger flavor than lighter varieties.
When honey is getting bad, it develops a cloudy yellow color instead of a clear golden one — the texture then becomes thicker until it's grainy. Once it's finally considered “bad,” the color becomes white, and the texture gets hard. This whole process is because of the crystallization of honey for a long time.
Why Does Raw Honey Crystallize ? Honey is a super-saturated solution of primarily two sugars: glucose and fructose. Just like with your powdered lemonade, it is a natural process for some of the sugars in a super-saturated solution to eventually come out of solution. All raw honey will crystallize due to glucose.
Honey is a form of sugar and, hence, must be consumed in moderation. The World Health Organization recommends adults should obtain no more than 10 percent of their total calories from added sugar or natural sugars, including honey, fruit juices, and syrups.
Honey crystallizes because it contains more sugar than water, and so there isn't enough water for the sugar to stay dissolved.
Do not refrigerate honey. Keeping your honey in the refrigerator preserves it but the cool temperatures will cause your honey to form a semi-solid mass, so this method of storage is not recommended.
Dark honey varieties contain high amounts of antioxidants which combat free radicals, which are molecules that damage cells. Studies on buckwheat honey, a dark honey, showed that it has an antioxidant content that is 20 times higher than other types of honey.
Even though their colors range from what beekeepers call “water white” to “motor-oil black,” raw and unfiltered varietal honeys are almost always cloudy and opaque, with their natural pollen––and flavor––still intact. Shop for honey by cloudiness, not color, and you won't be disappointed.
Most bacteria and other microbes cannot grow or reproduce in honey i.e. they are dormant and this is due to antibacterial activity of honey. Various bacteria have been inoculated into aseptically collected honey held at 20°C. The result showed loss of bacterial viability within 8–24 days 27.
For best quality, store honey for up to 12 months. After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. Honey can become cloudy, crystallized or solidified but this is not a safety concern. The honey can be microwaved or heated in a pan of hot water to clarify or melt it.
Manuka honey usually falls under the “dark amber” category, meaning it qualifies as dark honey. These are generally thicker, creamier, and darker in color than lighter varieties.
Testing pure honey with water
Add a spoonful of honey to a glass of water. Pure honey should settle in the water. If your honey dissolves immediately, it's possible it also isn't pure or has been altered in some way.
Drop a teaspoon of honey into a glass of water. Fake honey will immediately start to dissolve, whilst raw honey will drop to the bottom of the glass intact. Place a drop of room temperature or cooler honey on your finger, If the 'honey' spreads then it is fake honey.
Normal Changes. Even though honey doesn't have an expiration date, it can still undergo natural changes. The National Honey Board says that over time honey may “darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize,” depending on changes in temperature.
When it's stored properly, honey never goes bad, Grad said in an interview with Allrecipes. "Honey will darken and/or crystallize, but it is still safe to eat," she said. Metal or plastic containers can oxidize the honey, and heat can change its flavor.