eli5: Why does honey “never” go bad?
In: 13
There are a couple of main reasons that drive honey’s insanely long shelf life:
1. Honey is low in moisture. *Very* low.
* Without sufficient moisture, bacteria dry out and die.
* Not only that, but the fraction of the water it does have that is accessible (called its *water activity*) is *also* too low.
2. Honey is naturally mildly acidic, with a pH of about 4.
* This acidity is not conducive to bacterial life and growth.
3. The production of the acidifying compounds in honey also cause the by-production of hydrogen peroxide — yes, that very same hydrogen peroxide your mom may have put on your scrapes when you were younger.
All of these combine to create a natural wonder that can, and has been found to, survive thousands of years and still be edible!
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