Shelf Life Guidelines?

[Robbo8916]

Hey,

I am just asking as I am curious and also am starting to look at what is going to be happening next season now that we are all but done with summer especially here in rainy old Manchesterland!

I have been looking at jar labels and understand that honey must have a best before date on the label.

The question is, what governs the best before date? Is there a national standard?

I read that for commercial honey it is widely accepted as being two years. But from when? Date of extraction? Date of bottling?

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[user 6228]

The real shelf life of honey is related to how long the container can keep out water vapour rather than the honey itself.
The shelf life is then about how long it takes for the lid to rust through or the plastic seal to perish and leak.

 

[B+.]

The real shelf life of honey

Essentially, DerekM is right. The concentration of sugars in honey retard bacterial growth so, effectively, it has an indefinite shelf life. However, the labelling laws assume that all foodstuff decays so insists on a best before/use by date. Most people take 2 years as the maximum period they expect the product to sit on the shelf or be consumed.
So, to answer your question, two years since bottling (or, more likely, when you had the labels printed)

 

[Robbo8916]

Essentially, DerekM is right. The concentration of sugars in honey retard bacterial growth so, effectively, it has an indefinite shelf life. However, the labelling laws assume that all foodstuff decays so insists on a best before/use by date. Most people take 2 years as the maximum period they expect the product to sit on the shelf or be consumed.
So, to answer your question, two years since bottling (or, more likely, when you had the labels printed)

I was thinking that. But say you expect to extract and sell X number of jars next season, you could just print BB End 2019?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was thinking that. But say you expect to extract and sell X number of jars next season, you could just print BB End 2019?

If you have a separate batch number on your labels then BBE - year is fine.
I put three years or so on mine - there is no legal time limit, just the fact you have to have a BB date.
Nowadays I just have 'BBE - see base' on my labels and then just have small labels with the full date of bottling (plus three years) on the base this also becomes the batch number. You can buy a decent labelling gun for under thirty quid on fleabay.

 

[chrisb]

the Egyptians got it right 3000 years in a tomb and still edible.

 

[Taylan]

the Egyptians got it right 3000 years in a tomb and still edible.

I Wonder what kind of forage they have in Egypt and anybody know what kind of bees Egyptian have iv'e never assosciated them with honey

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I Wonder what kind of forage they have in Egypt and anybody know what kind of bees Egyptian have iv'e never assosciated them with honey

Land of milk and honey?

 

[madasafish]

MY BB date is 2022.

Just saying...

 

[Taylan]

Land of milk and honey?

I Should have known that being an ex Churchwarden!!

 

[Truble]

I Wonder what kind of forage they have in Egypt and anybody know what kind of bees Egyptian have iv'e never assosciated them with honey

Most of the forage is date palm, eucalyptus and citrus trees.
The Egyptians (and other early civilizations) revered the honey bee, believing it to be the link between their world and the afterlife. It is a frequent hieroglyphic.

The native bee is A. mellifera fasciata. Brother Adam described it as "individual bees not much larger than our common housefly. But its appearance would captivate the imagination of every lover of the honeybee, The bright orange colour, and particularly the nearly white pubescence — which makes the bee appear to have been dusted in flour — gives it an irresistible charm."
Due to its frequent swarming habits it's largely been superseded by imports but a few colonies still exist at isolated oasis's.

 

[Taylan]

Most of the forage is date palm, eucalyptus and citrus trees.
The Egyptians (and other early civilizations) revered the honey bee, believing it to be the link between their world and the afterlife. It is a frequent hieroglyphic.

The native bee is A. mellifera fasciata. Brother Adam described it as "individual bees not much larger than our common housefly. But its appearance would captivate the imagination of every lover of the honeybee, The bright orange colour, and particularly the nearly white pubescence — which makes the bee appear to have been dusted in flour — gives it an irresistible charm."
Due to its frequent swarming habits it's largely been superseded by imports but a few colonies still exist at isolated oasis's.

That's interesting thanks

 

[Jimmy]

If you have a separate batch number on your labels then BBE - year is fine.
I put three years or so on mine - there is no legal time limit, just the fact you have to have a BB date.
Nowadays I just have 'BBE - see base' on my labels and then just have small labels with the full date of bottling (plus three years) on the base this also becomes the batch number. You can buy a decent labelling gun for under thirty quid on fleabay.

Useful thread, I'm coming to the end of a batch of labels.

Any experience with this one?:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motex-Date-Coding-Gun-Various-Labels-Available-Use-By-Best-Before-Expiry-/201421037237?var=&hash=item2ee5a11eb5:m:m9mp9AlLS1cmf3Zxjhct4Hg

 

[Davelin]

Nowadays I just have 'BBE - see base' on my labels and then just have small labels with the full date of bottling (plus three years) on the base this also becomes the batch number. You can buy a decent labelling gun for under thirty quid on fleabay.

I do similar, main label doesn't change but use a second smaller label with Apiary, Batch number and best before. Use a sheet of small Avery labels to produce these, dead easy.