When is honey too wet?

This year has been unusually wet and as a result has caused lots of problems for beekeepers and especially for commercial honey producers. The problem was one of timing – the flowers blossomed but the rain also fell, meaning that by the time the bees could fly out, all the nectar had been washed out or the flowers had died off. The extra humidity has meant too that honey this year is proving to be too ‘wet’. The rule of thumb is that the moisture content of honey must not exceed 18%. 

 

When bees collect nectar and store it in wax cells, the moisture content can be up to 80%. An enzyme is injected by the bees into the nectar which transforms complex sugars into simpler ones, and the nectar is gradually dried by a constant stream of air being passed over it by the bees beating their wings. After a short while the moisture content will have reduced to less than 20% and the bees will seal the cells with a wax cap.

This year the French Union of Beekeepers (UNAF) has accepted that the ‘humidity limit’ of 18% is probably unattainable due to the fact that, due to climate change, extremely wet weather coupled with heatwaves has meant that the bees have been unable to reduce the humidity level of nectar stored. They have turned their energy and attention to caring for the brood. So, 20% is now being touted as the new 18%.

So why is it important to keep the moisture level of honey under 20%? Most micro-organisms cannot grow in honey, and sealed honey does not spoil. But sealed honey and water will change. We’ve all heard about honey that’s been discovered in jars in the Egyptian pyramids that is still edible, millennia after it was stored away. We do chuckle at the food hygiene laws that insist on a ‘consume by’ date on honey labels, but we have also witnessed what happens when honey is not quite honey but processed nectar – it ferments! And whilst Kevin may like the smell because it’s just like mead or honey beer, it’s not what people are expecting from their honey.

We use a refractometer to measure the moisture content of the honey we harvest. it’s a tense time waiting to see if the level is within the designated limits. This month we were more than relieved to read a level of just under 19%, and on checking the levels of some other local honeys we found that they too ranged from 18.5% to 20%. What can be done if the honey is too wet? The advice is to put the frames in a room with a dehumidifier for up to 5 days then test it again. You’ll find that the constant drier air will reduce the moisture and you won’t have to worry about your honey fermenting. The other answer is to eat it quickly!