Fact-Checking Popular Honey Myths
A review weighs long-standing beliefs about storing and eating honey against explanations from beekeepers, EU regulations and researchers.
Honey myths under scrutiny
Honey is often regarded as one of the most durable foods found in any kitchen, since it barely ever has a true expiration date. Yet over the years a surprisingly large number of rules and taboos have grown up around it. Common claims include that honey should never be scooped with a metal spoon, that it must not be stirred into hot tea, that crystallized honey is a sign the jar has gone old, and that linden honey can only ever come from linden blossoms.
The Latvian Beekeepers' Association (LBB), together with European Union regulations and explanations provided by researchers, has put these widespread beliefs to the test. The findings suggest that some of this popular advice does contain a genuine grain of truth, while other claims have, over time, grown far more dramatic and exaggerated than the underlying facts actually support.
Why the myths persist
Because honey is widely seen as an almost indestructible pantry staple, a rich folklore of dos and don'ts has accumulated around how it should be stored and consumed. Not all of these beliefs, however, hold up to scientific scrutiny. That is precisely why experts recommend weighing each individual claim about honey on its own merits, rather than simply accepting all of them as self-evident, unquestionable truth.
