How long does honey last?
Unopened, it keeps in the pantry for about 2 years.
Product: Honey in a jar.
Shelf life of honey at a glance
| Storage | Unopened | Opened |
|---|---|---|
| Pantry | 2 years | – |
In a closed jar away from heat and light, honey keeps well beyond its best-by date. Crystallization is not a defect; warm the jar gently in a water bath, no hotter than 104 °F (40 °C), to make it liquid again.
Does honey go bad?
Food past its date has not necessarily gone bad. The times on this page are guideline values for food stored properly. In the US, date labels are not required by federal law (infant formula is the exception), and most of them describe quality, not safety. A "Best if Used By" date is not an expiration date, and many products are still fine after it. A "Sell By" date is meant for the store, not for you. Look at the food and smell it before you taste a little. Mold, an off smell or a bulging can or lid means it goes in the trash. Take a "Use By" date on perishables such as meat, fish, deli meats and dairy seriously: eat or freeze them by that date.