The only food that does not spoil

The Egyptian Pharaohs put all their valuables into their tombs including honey. Honey combs were found thousands of years later inside these Egyptian tombs.

Found sealed honeycombs still have edible honey inside them. The honey had not spoiled proving that honey will never go bad.

The nectar that the bees brought to the hive contains 60% water. The bees "cure" it to about 18-19% water. At this level of water and with a pH of 3-4, the honey gets very stable and can last for literally centuries.

Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

However, it is hydroscopic which means if it is left exposed to the air, it will absorb water from the air. The greater concentration of water allows yeast, found naturally in our environment, to multiply.

Alcohol is the by-product of yeast – the honey ferments. If the good yeast is present it produces a drink known as mead. If allowed to ferment naturally, honey develops an unpleasant taste, though it is still sometimes used in baking where the alcohol is evaporated from the honey.

Honey's hygroscopic property extends the shelf-life of baked good making them less likely to dry out because the honey absorbs moisture from the surrounding air.

By sealing the honey inside the honey comb, the bees prevent the fermentation of the honey. When we harvest the honey, we can leave it in the comb or extract it and seal it in jars, like how we see honey packaging in shelves of grocery stores. (GIAN)