For a food to be considered a good survival food, it must be able to be stored long term, have substantial benefits in your diet, be reasonably cost effective, and practical. Honey does really well in most of these categories if you get the right honey and store it correctly.
Honey is a great survival food because of its long-term storage ability, accessibility, and its dietary and health benefits. Aside from its practicality, honey will be a great relief in times when good food is hard to find and your emergency pantry is full of freeze-dried foods. Most interestingly to me, honey is considered a brain booster.
This article will explain what to look for in your honey, how to store it properly for the long term, how to use it in emergency situations, and everything else that you need to know about honey.
What is the Shelf Life of Honey?
The main thing that makes food good for an emergency pantry is how long its shelf life is. Most honey that you’ll find in the store will have a best-by date around the 2-year mark. Don’t be deceived by this date, though; honey can last much longer. In fact, honey can outlast nearly everything. Even the greatest civilizations can’t outlive honey.
Over 3,000-year-old honey was found in King Tutankhamun’s tomb, and it was still good. Other honey has also been found that is thought to be over 5,000 years old and still good. If you want something that you can rely on staying good for as long as you’ll be around, honey is your go-to. The key to keeping it good for so long is how it is stored.
Also, it is important to get the right kind of honey, because there are tons of counterfeits out there that you don’t want in your emergency pantry.
What Type of Honey is Best for Long-Term Survival Food?
Most importantly, you need to make sure that the honey you are getting is actually real honey in its raw form and is not diluted with other ingredients. Unfortunately, there are tons of fake honeys out there on store shelves and this is in part because people consume way more than can be produced.
It is actually a lot harder than you would expect to find real honey. Many honey distributors have failed to supply pure honey but not necessarily intentionally.
Most of the problem comes from the honey producers that are in countries that do not monitor the production of honey as closely. The best way that honey can be tested is to see if pollen is present. Unfortunately, Chinese companies (the largest honey producers) often filter out all of the pollen, making it hard to trace what is real and what isn’t.
So, how do you find real honey? Your best bet is to buy from local beekeepers who sell their honey. Other than that, avoid the word “blend” or any indication of processing or any added ingredients. Even the word “pure” on the bottle does not mean it actually is 100% pure honey.
Survival food companies such as My Patriot Supply and Thrive Life sell honey as a powder or crystal form. This is just honey without any water in it, better insuring that it will last for a long time.
How to Store Honey for the Long-Term?
The typical honey that you buy off the grocery store shelf is not what you want to put in your emergency pantry. It is best to put honey into a glass container that seals airtight. Honey won’t last as long if not properly stored like this because any extra moisture, even just from the air, may cause the honey to ferment or grow mold.
If you don’t want to worry about your honey being properly stored, you can always buy it from an emergency food provider where it comes well packaged and dehydrated.
The Easiest Option for Long Term Food Storage
Thankfully honey is really easy to store long term, but the easiest option for your emergency pantry is going to be ordering from a survival food provider. Since their purpose is to sell food that lasts a long time, their honey comes ready to go into storage. Our favorite companies are My Patriot Supply and Thrive Life.
My Patriot Supply has Honey Powder that comes in #10 cans that contain 340 servings and have a shelf life of 30 years. One whole can only requires 2 cups of water and a heat source to rehydrate the honey.
Thrive Life has Honey Crystals that are also rehydratable and have a 25-year shelf life. Their cans are smaller, only containing 142 servings, making it a bit more expensive per serving, but still a good option.
How Much Honey Should I Store for a Year?
This depends on how many people are in your household and how much you want to consume every day, so you will have to do some figuring on your own. But here are some guidelines that may help.
The American Heart Association recommends that men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day and 100 calories worth for women. That would be about 3 tablespoons of honey for men and 2 for women, but remember that is with no other added sugars.
Given those guidelines, let’s say 1 tablespoon of honey per person per day. That would be a little less than 1.5 gallons per person per year or just over 1 My Patriot Supply #10 cans of honey powder.
Just for fun if you are a family of 5 and you want your emergency pantry to sustain your family for 3 years, you would need about 22 gallons of honey or just over 16 My Patriot Supply #10 cans of honey powder.
How Much Does Honey Cost?
The cost of honey varies so much depending on where you get it, what kind of honey (special kinds like manuka are more expensive), time of year, etc. You can find a lot of options online or in your local stores in the $0.30-$0.80 range per fluid ounce. If you buy it from a store with improper packaging, you’ll need to also buy glass jars or some other good long term packaging which will make it more expensive
If you are trying to buy from a local beekeeper at the farmers market, the price is going to be on the upper end of that range, maybe even around $1.00 per fluid ounce. They also often package their honey in glass jars making them good for long term storage and you’ll save money on the packaging.
My Patriot Supply also comes ready to be stored and costs only about $0.10 per fluid ounce. The only downside to their product is the preparation. You have to rehydrate the honey powder to make it like normal honey.
Where to Buy Honey?
Any grocery store is going to have some assortment of honey and probably even some good options but you’ll have to think about repackaging. If you’re trying to buy locally, there might be some grocery stores that carry local products, but your local farmers market is also a good place. Local cellars often package their honey in glass jars that are properly sealed meaning they are probably good for long term storage.
You can also easily order from your favorite and most trusted brands on Amazon. Nature Nate’s honey seems to be a favorite among honey enthusiasts.
The other option which I’ve already mentioned is to get it from an emergency food provider such as My Patriot Supply or Thrive Life. I highly recommend these options because of the assurance in it being packaged well and intended for an emergency pantry.
Some of the Most Popular Ways to Eat Honey are:
This list could be so long that it was its own article, but some of the most popular uses for honey are:
- Drizzled on butter toast
- Drizzled or mixed into breakfast cereals like oatmeal
- Used to make sweet sauces and salad dressings
- Used in meat marinades or as a glaze
- Commonly used in baking breads and desserts
- Mixed into drinks such as tea as a sweetener
- And my personal favorite, taking a big spoon and eating it by itself
How to Cook Honey
Honey does not need to be cooked when in its natural state. However, if honey starts to harden and crystallize you may need to heat it up to soften it back to its original state. Some people just microwave it which works but a better way is to heat water in a pot to around 100℉ and put the honey’s container in it. Leave it in for a few minutes then take it out and stir. Do this until the crystals have been dissolved.
To prepare honey from a survival food company that has been dehydrated is as easy as adding the amount of water that is called for in the directions and applying heat.
Otherwise, honey doesn’t need to be cooked, but is a great ingredient when cooking other foods.
How to Tell if Honey Has Gone Bad?
Honey will only go bad if improperly stored. Differing color or even consistency is not a problem and is a product of aging. Crystallization can even make it sweeter. So how do you know if it has gone bad?
If honey smells or tastes off like it has fermented or soured then it has likely gone bad. Also if there are visible signs of mold or anything that shouldn’t be in your honey, it is best to toss it and restock.
Honey can spoil when it becomes too moist and that is why packaging is key for long term storage. When it maintains its natural moisture levels, it will not host bacteria because of how the bee’s have digested it and its average pH level of around 3.9.
What is in Honey?
Honey is mostly made of:
- Fructose
- Glucose
- Water
It also contains:
- Vitamins
- Amino acids
- Iron
- Minerals
- Zinc
- antioxidants
Unfortunately that is not what is commonly in many store bought honeys. Many times, high fructose corn syrup or water is added to dilute the honey and make it go further because suppliers cannot meat the demand.
Is Honey Bad for You?
Honey is actually considered to be very good for you because of its health benefits. That being said, it is still a type of added sugar that can increase your blood sugar if you eat more than is recommended.
Here are some of honey’s health benefits:
- Honey can be a brain booster and may even help prevent memory disorders in the long term.
- Reduces risk of heart disease because of its antioxidants.
- Relieves gastrointestinal problems.
- Applying honey to wounds can help them heal because it is antibacterial.
- Honey soothes sore throats
Many people also think that eating local honey can help with some of your allergy problems, and while this may be true, there is not great evidence supporting it yet. I would still try it if you have allergies because what’s the worst thing that could happen? You get a nice treat every day to accompany your allergies.
How Long Can a Person Live on Honey Alone?
It is hard to say how long someone can live on honey alone because of how many variables come into play and how hypothetical that situation is. It is likely that someone trying to live on honey alone wouldn’t live much longer than a couple to a few months because of missing key nutrients.
Conclusion:
Honey is a good survival food for three reasons:
- Honey stores forever
- Has good health benefits
- And is a delicious versatile ingredient
Its biggest downside is that honey is not a stand alone food. It is not a filling food and you cannot survive on honey alone. In fact, if you eat much of it, it will have negative effects.
So, should you get honey for your emergency pantry? Yes! It is a great survival food with clear benefits, but only if you already have food stocked up that will feed you in emergency situations.
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