Buzz
Honey is not just tasty, it's one of a kind. Unlike most foods, this sweet treat doesn’t spoil over time.
But how is that possible? Andy Brunning, a chemistry educator from the UK, explains in a recent blog post and infographic on his site Compound Interest. He attributes honey’s long shelf life to two key elements: its low moisture content and acidity, both of which are thanks to the bees.
Honey is made from raw flower nectar, which contains a high amount of water. To remove this moisture, two intricate and demanding processes must occur inside the beehive:
After the worker bee returns to the hive, it regurgitates the nectar and passes it to one of the house bees, which remain inside. The house bee continues the process the worker bee began – for up to 20 minutes, it will regurgitate and reconsume the nectar, mixing it with enzymes and further breaking it down. Once the nectar reaches the right consistency, the house bee deposits it into the honeycomb. Then another critical step begins. Since nectar can contain up to 70% water, this moisture must be evaporated to achieve the familiar texture of honey. The bees do this by fanning the honeycomb with their wings to accelerate the evaporation process. Eventually, the water content reduces to about 17%, much lower than the original nectar. The transformation from watery nectar to thick honey takes between 1 to 3 days.
Honey is also more acidic than raw nectar, Brunning notes, because of the chemical reactions between the nectar and various acids, the most prevalent being gluconic acid, which forms when the nectar interacts with the bee enzymes during its journey through the house bees' bodies.
For a complete chemical breakdown, take a look at the infographic below.
(Click the image to enlarge.)
