Want to sell honey - is the honey still good? (merged threads)

searcher30

we have found in one of our barns a steel container with some fresh honey from 15 years ago owned by the previous owner of the house as he was also a beekeeper. would this still be ok for consumption? how would we know?

monkey_writer

you probably couldn't describe it as 'fresh'...

:-)

martindow

Should be fine. Honey can last a long time although it will probably have crystallised. It will only have gone off if it was taken from the hives a bit early before the bees had ripened it. If this is so it will smell very definitely off. If it smells OK I would try it. You've probably got a 28lb container there!

kittiwoz

Honey never goes off, unlesss it is mixed with water in which case it will ferment. If it has fermented it is really obvious by the smell of alcohol or vinegar depending on how fermented it is and even then it won't actually do you any harm. Just won't be honey.

searcher30

Thank you all for your replies

searcher30

how much is it for a 55 gallon container of 15 year old honey to sell on. as this is older honey we thought it best to sell on to manufacturers of things such as soaps etc but would ideally like to get a rough idea of prices first.
thanks!

Lord_Gardener

Try selling to a local bee keeper - to feed his bees over the winter months or to find out who to sell onto!

OddjobKIA

selling any foodstuffs now requires a licence I suggest you give it away as it is so old.
Honey does not go off as previous have said but, as you cant guarntee what is in the honey you can't guarntee the quality and contents. Give it to family members neghibours etc.

trace-j

Most local authorities have a Public Analyst (or some form of Scientific Services). Check with your local Environmental Health or Trading Standards, they might be able to help.

Wig

I've seen honey for sale next to honesty boxes at the side of a road, I doubt they had a licence, but it would have presumably been fresh. I'd be temoted to do it this way, I would first try it to see if it tastes good. I would keep trying it for a week or more to see if there were any after effects. Then I would buy a load of jam jars, and sell it outside your front gate for 50p per pot.

I hope it's honey! not something else. You could (maybe should) get it tested.