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I have a gallon of honey, stored in an ice cream bucket, that smells like sour krout and has little air bubbles all the way thru it. Should i consider it unsafe to use? will baking with it make it safer?

Weaver
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1 Answers1

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Promoted to answer as requested:

Bubbles suggest fermentation is going on. A vinegary smell suggest it's aerobic fermentation. I'd guess you're heading towards vinegar, not mead. Simmering will reduce water content, which will inhibit bacterial and fungal growth. A gallon weighing 10-12 pounds, At $8 to $10 per Lb, 10Lbs is well worth trying to rescue. I'd simmer off about 10-15% of your volume. Should be enough to reduce water activity below where things will grow, and get rid of any vinegar. Watch the stuff. It may still be a bit too watery. I've made a rough guess here.

Wayfaring Stranger
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    I have read on several different occasions that pure honey is the only food on this planet that will never go bad. Why would this honey start to ferment? – Hutchette Aug 28 '18 at 23:12
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    @Hutchette High water content. Perhaps caused by an overly wet season, or someone diluting the honey a little, so as to make a larger profit upon selling. Long lasting honey will have a water activity around 0.5. Let it get up to 0.62, and you can start having yeast problems:https://www.metergroup.com/food/articles/microbial-growth/ – Wayfaring Stranger Aug 28 '18 at 23:21