Bad Honey?

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hmlove1218

hmlove1218

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For all you beekeepers out there. My MIL just gifted me some homemade honey from a local bee keeper and I'm thinking it's gone bad. It keeps building up pressure in the jar and has foam form on top even after scooping it off. The beekeeper told my MIL that it's because it's unpasteurized raw honey and is completely normal. I'd believe him, except the honey has an off smell to it almost like spoiled milk. Any suggestions?

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Building up pressure? No, that's not normal. Smell it. Does it smell yeasty? If it's too high in moisture content (water) it'll ferment.

Ah, I just re-read what you posted. It's fermenting. It is no longer good to eat honey. You could make mead, though....
 
Ha I have no Idea how to make mead but that might be an interesting endevor. Can I use it in soap or is it too far gone lol
 
I've never heard of honey, raw or processed going bad. However I've never had raw honey foam either. It sounds to me like it was not filtered and there maybe some organic material in the honey that is spoiling.

Raw honey and processed honey should last a very, very long time. I believe there was honey found in Egyptian tombs that, although crystalized, was still fine for consumption.
 
Dorymae said:
I've never heard of honey, raw or processed going bad. However I've never had raw honey foam either. It sounds to me like it was not filtered and there maybe some organic material in the honey that is spoiling.

Raw honey and processed honey should last a very, very long time. I believe there was honey found in Egyptian tombs that, although crystalized, was still fine for consumption.
Click to expand...

If it is allowed to get wet, or harvested early, so there is too much water in the honey, it will start to ferment.
 
Dorymae said:
I've never heard of honey, raw or processed going bad. However I've never had raw honey foam either. It sounds to me like it was not filtered and there maybe some organic material in the honey that is spoiling.

Raw honey and processed honey should last a very, very long time. I believe there was honey found in Egyptian tombs that, although crystalized, was still fine for consumption.
Click to expand...

that is what i thought as well , honey does not spoil.
 
Honey that has been properly handled and harvested when the moisture content is proper will not spoil. However, honey is hydrascopic and will attract moisture from the air if it isn't handled properly when bottling. It most certainly can ferment. This wasn't an issue of filtering, unfiltered honey that is 18% or lower in moisture will not ferment.
 
I would think that if you boiled the water out it would kill the fermentation and be ok for making soap, but I wouldnt eat it.
 
hmlove1218 said:
Well darn.. I guess I'll be attempting mead then lol. I will blame reinbeau and kchaystack if I develop a new addiction lol
Click to expand...

I have the mead bug too. But honey is really expensive, and it takes a long time to be really good. I use soap up much faster than I drink my mead
 
If y'all can make soap from beer and wine, why not honey that is starting to ferment? Seems to me that using the same procedures as you would with other alcoholic beverages should yield a product usable in soap. We may need a sciencey person to speak up here, though.
 

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