How to properly preserve honey

For most Cypriots, honey awakens childhood memories. It reminds us of our school years and the honey-soaked “pompes” that we would buy at recess; the loukoumades we would make at home to throw for the kallikantzaros, the “pishies” – aka Cypriot-style pancakes that our relatives rolled out in the village; the honey and milk drink grandma would make us when we were children so we would sleep well or to get rid of tummy pain. We learned from a young age that honey was the “nectar of the Gods”, and that it has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and healing properties Nowadays however, certain habits that we have developed in our daily lives, such as combining honey with tea, can destroy the beneficial properties that honey has to offer. Read on to find out everything you need to know about properly preserving honey and fully enjoying the benefits it has to offer. To preserve its nutritional value, it must be consumed within at least two years. It must also be preserved properly by being kept in a cool, dark and dry place. Honey loses its beneficial properties if its temperature exceeds 35-40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, by adding honey to a hot beverage, all we achieve is to sweeten the beverage. The recommended daily intake of honey is two teaspoons. It goes without saying that in order to reap the benefits, the honey must not be heated. The most common way to re-liquefy crystalized honey is to heat it in a bain-marie. Mind the temperature though, so that you do not destroy its nutritional properties. Alternatively, you can place it over a radiator. Believe it or not, there is a way to find out whether the honey you bought is adulterated with sugar syrup. Put a spoonful of honey in a glass of water, without stirring, and observe. If the honey is pure, it will sink to the bottom of the glass. If it contains syrup, it will slowly dissolve in the water. It is worth mentioning that in the case of organic honey, the chances of them being adulterated are almost non-existent.