Should You Refrigerate Raw Honey? Storage Tips That Actually Work

No, you don’t need to keep raw honey in the refrigerator. A kitchen cupboard at normal room temperature is actually one of the best places for it.

We get this question quite often.

You open a new jar of honey, use a few spoons and then think:

“Okay… fridge or cupboard?”

Cupboard. 😄

It’s really that simple.

Honey Doesn’t Need a Refrigerator

Honey is actually very easy to store.

Keep the jar closed, somewhere dry and away from direct sunlight or strong heat.

That’s basically what we do with our honey too.

Putting it in the refrigerator doesn’t make it better or keep it “fresher.”

What it can do is make your honey crystallize faster.

And that’s where people sometimes start worrying.

“My Honey Became Solid. Is It Still Good?”

Yes.

Absolutely.

Crystallization is completely normal with real honey.

Some types of honey crystallize quite quickly. Others can stay liquid for a very long time.

Acacia honey, for example, can naturally stay liquid for months or even years.

So if your honey suddenly becomes cloudy, thick or completely solid, don’t throw it away.

Nothing bad happened to it.

It’s still honey.

Every Honey Behaves Differently

This is something I actually like about raw honey.

It doesn’t always behave exactly the same.

One harvest can be slightly darker.

Another can have a stronger smell.

One honey crystallizes quickly while another stays liquid.

That’s nature.

We’re not making something in a factory where every jar needs to look exactly the same.

Our bees collect what’s available around them, and every season is a little different.

What If You Want It Liquid Again?

Easy.

Put the closed jar into warm water and leave it there for a while.

Don’t boil it.

You don’t need extremely hot water.

Just give it some time.

The crystals will slowly start disappearing and the honey will become liquid again.

Although, to be honest, I sometimes prefer crystallized honey.

Put it on a piece of warm bread with butter and you’ll understand what I mean. 😄

What About the Microwave?

Personally, I wouldn’t.

Yes, it’s faster.

But if you’re buying good raw honey because you want something natural and minimally processed, I don’t see much point in blasting it with heat just to make it look liquid again.

Warm water works.

It takes a little longer, but that’s okay.

Can Raw Honey Go Bad?

Properly harvested honey can last for a very long time.

There is just one simple thing I always tell people:

Keep water out of the jar.

Don’t put a wet spoon into your honey.

Use a clean, dry spoon and close the lid when you’re finished.

You really don’t need to make it more complicated than that.

How Do We Store Our Honey?

Exactly the same way I’m telling you to store yours.

Room temperature.

Dry place.

Away from direct sunlight.

Jar closed.

Our Ray of Sunshine Honey is 100% pure and raw, so if the texture changes or the honey crystallizes, we don’t worry about it.

Actually, I would find it much stranger if every jar looked exactly the same forever. 😄

So, Where Should You Keep Raw Honey?

In your cupboard.

No refrigerator needed.

If it crystallizes, don’t panic.

If you really want it liquid again, warm it gently.

And please don’t throw away perfectly good honey just because it became solid.

There’s nothing wrong with it.

That’s just real honey doing what real honey does. 🍯