Why honey never spoils: it isn't the sugar, it's the missing water

30seconds
Honey is rich, sweet and nutritious, so why don't bacteria and moulds move in? Because microbes need free water, and honey's sugar holds almost all of it hostage.
Drag a slider to dilute a jar and watch the water activity climb, lighting up which microbes can grow at each level, from sugar-loving yeasts to ordinary bacteria. Find out why properly ripened honey keeps, why jam doesn't, and where honey can still go wrong.
Deep dive · 4 min
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