Is my honey fermenting?
I bought a jar of honey a few months ago, and left it at the back of the cupboard. When it resurfaced a few days ago, I saw that the jar contained a lot of bubbles, to the point where the lid was bulging. I assumed that it had somehow fermented, particularly since it came from a local grower, where taste can be expected to take precedence over sterilization; this answer seems to support my theory.
On the other hand: the jar was still (to inspection) airtight, and when I opened the jar there was no gas release; the honey gently oozed over the top, and remained inert. The bubbles have remained in the same place over the last week, and the honey tastes exactly as normal.
Clearly some sort of chemical reaction has taken place; is it classed as fermentation, and is it harmful?
(It is almost impossible to take a picture of this; the bubbles are equally distributed throughout, giving the honey much the apparance of the interior of an Aero bar. If you were eating it with your eyes closed, I don't believe anybody would notice any difference).
Best Answer
Yes, your honey started to ferment. I assume the fermenting process is still fresh as you mention the honey taste didn't changed (later it change taste to beer-like). With time yeast can produce alcohol or vinegar from carbs in honey.
You can still use this honey for baking or making mead. Unfortunately the only way to stop the process it to heat honey to 80C to kill yeast.
The fermentation in honey can be due to gathering honey too soon so there's to high amount of water in it or not properly creaming it.
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Quick Answer about "Is my honey fermenting?"
The first indication that your honey is fermented is the smell. Honey's acidic content increases throughout the fermentation process, giving off a smell like that of wine. When honey is fermenting, its appearance will change, and bubbles will start to show up. In some cases, you will also see foam on the top layer.Can I eat fermented honey?
With a rich, sharp taste \u2013 and smell \u2013 fermented honey is soft and frothy in appearance but with an added kick to the tastebuds. The taste and consistency make it ideal for lemonades or smoothies and great for breakfasts with natural yoghurt, muesli or fruit.How long does it take honey to ferment?
Stir a small amount of water into the honey and leave the jar on the kitchen counter, with the lid resting on top but not fastened. Give it a good stir every day. After two weeks, the honey should start to bubble like a sourdough starter and smell sour.What does fermented honey smell like?
Honey contains yeast cells. When honey has more than 19% water, the yeast cells divide and fermentation occurs. This happens when beekeepers harvest honey too early or you get water/saliva in your honey storage container. If honey ever smells like vinegar, it's fermenting/fermented.Why is my honey bubbling?
This is due to air bubbles trapped in the honey during processing and packaging. When the packaged honey rests, the air bubbles work their way up to the top of the container, creating the foam. There is nothing wrong with the honey or the foam.Fermented Honey and Moisture Problems
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Answer 2
Honey should have a water activity of 0.562 to 0.62. That should be low enough to inhibit most yeast growth. Saccharomyces rouxii slips in under the wire at 0.62 (link 2). I'd be strongly tempted to warm the honey in a dry spot until it loses say 10% of its volume. Honey is supposed to last. Yours is not.
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Images: Yuliia Bas, Melike Benli, Mareefe, Pixabay