This afternoon's big laugh

[dianeduane]

(And so appropriate for the day after we've returned from a week away from home...)

The Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad.

Comments

[buran.livejournal.com]

Actually, it does, at least for the household containers. One of the things I threw out was a bottle of honey that had solidified despite the lid being closed and the jar being stored in a cool, dark cabinet.

[cjmr.livejournal.com]

Solidified honey isn't spoiled! All you have to do is heat it up by setting it in some simmering water and it's as good as new.

[buran.livejournal.com]

Oh? Thanks for the tip! I bought some more already, but it's cheap here, so no big deal. However, that will be useful to know next time I run into solidified honey.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Pure honey should go solid unless it's been treated in some way (some of the blended ones don't, but they've been melted together). I gather the 3kyear honey was solid black but still fine once melted. Something about the amount of sugar being too much for any bacteria to survive (but that may be a myth).

[kengr]

Nope. That's true. That's why Jams and jellies don't spoil either.

You can preserve foods with high salt levels *or* high sugar levels.

Either way, they are still susceptoble to *mold*, but you can handle that with a coating of wax.

Honey tends to have a natural fungicide as well so it's doubly protected.

Oh yeah, the reason that high salt or sugar levels preserve the foods is that osmotic pressure will cause the bacterial cells to suck in all the salt/sugar while pumping out most of the water. This kills them quite thoroughly.

[schaezen.livejournal.com]

Crystalization does not spoil the honey. Heating the honey can restore it to it's original state, but crystalization is a natural process; all honey crystalizes sooner or later without any impact to the edibility. Honey is one of the few natural foods that will not spoil. Because of its high fructose content and natural antibacterial agents, bacteria cannot survive in honey. As long as honey is kept in a sealed container free of outside moisture, it will keep indefinitely.