So my gran, as grans do, gave me a load of food. Mainly tins and jars of stuff. Now, in typical gran style, most of it is decades out of date and has gone in the bin. But, there’s a nice looking jar of posh honey that I’m thinking of eating. I’m not usually that fussy when it comes to dates and stuff, but the best-before on it is 2007 🙂 What do you think? It’s just sugar right? What can go wrong, will I get botulism?

It will be fine.

Honey never go bad … 🙄

As far as I remember, honey is the only food that doesn’t change in any way over time.

So technically doesn’t need a use by date.

Eat it. It will be fine.

If it’s gone all crystalline stick in a bowl of hot water, or make jewellery out of it

honey lasts for a very long time and if there is no use by date just a best before then you’ll be fine. it may taste a bit funky though 🙂 ….

Honey is the only food that doesn’t go off.

I believe dates don’t go off either. Honey has been used as a substitute for antiseptic/antibiotic on wounds, IIRR.

Apart from rice, sugar and vinegar amongst others honey is the only food that doesn’t go off.

Awesome. Just what I wanted to hear. Now for some honey.

What can go wrong, will I get botulism?

Clostridium botulinum to be more precise.

Botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, found in soil, dust and agricultural products such as honey, beans and corn.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Botulism/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I don’t think canned food goes off either. I suspect they have to put a date on food, I suspect it must be at most 18 months. People have eaten early 20th century canned food iirc.

EDIT apart from botulism, but you can recognise that by distended lids. The bacteria produce a gas iirc.

I was hoping this was a thread about rendez-vous’ with old flames in times of desperation.

Third word of “gran” swiftly halted that path.

Clostridium botulinum to be more precise.

Botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, found in soil, dust and agricultural products such as honey, beans and corn.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Botulism/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Thanks for that. Just reading now with my honey on toast 🙂

I thought I would add a bit of excitement to the rather mundane task of eating honey 🙂

Mundane? You think eating honey is a mundane task? I pity you Sir 🙂

Well if eating honey represents an exciting and remarkable event in your life, I pity you 🙂

Fair point. It has been the highlight of my day.

The trip to hospital when the botulism kicks in might overshadow it.