Honey Pot + dipper practicality

[Firehawk1722]

Hi, I'm trying to decide whether getting one of those ceramic honey pots with the dipper that lives in the pot, sticking out through a notch in the lid, would be practical for me.

I've seen several 'honey storage' tips that say unless you have an airtight container, moisture and odor can be absorbed by the honey, and I'm pretty sure those ceramic ones with the dipper sticking out are not airtight.

My question is, how much does that matter over the short term? How long is it fine to leave honey in one of those before there would be a noticeable effect on the quality of the honey? Ideally, I'd be using it up and washing and refilling the pot before that. It would be a small pot anyway. I wouldn't want to use a dipper that didn't live in the pot since I'd be washing off as much honey off it as I would be consuming in between uses.

For those of you who have used one of those pots, how long have you gone through one batch of honey without tasting any quality loss?
Weeks, a month, months?

Secondary question, does honey crystallize faster in a pot than in a sealed jar?

Thanks for your input

 

[domino]

Jar and a spoon works best for me.

 

[fiftyjon]

We have one of these ceramic honey pots and dippers and it's where I put the odd quantities of honey that accumulates, saves using up a saleable jar and lid!

I haven't noticed any deterioration as it sits in the cupboard, the drizzler gets a bit stuck if the honey crystalises but not any real inconvenience.

 

[enrico]

Mine never stays in there long enough!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mine never stays in there long enough!

Although as I prefer the 'thicker' type of honey (usually all the slightly crystalised stuff at the bottom of the bucket is mine! all mine!) the drizzler doesn't work very well, but as SWMBO has ordered that I must use her traditional skep style honey jar not a glass honey pot - in tandem with my butter dish styled on a WBC hive. I tend it is easier not to argue!!!!!

 

[Luminos]

Mine never stays in there long enough!

+1

 

[itma]

... I'm pretty sure those ceramic ones with the dipper sticking out are not airtight.

My question is, how much does that matter over the short term? How long is it fine to leave honey in one of those before there would be a noticeable effect on the quality of the honey?

... I wouldn't want to use a dipper that didn't live in the pot since I'd be washing off as much honey off it as I would be consuming in between uses.

For those of you who have used one of those pots, how long have you gone through one batch of honey without tasting any quality loss?
Weeks, a month, months?

Secondary question, does honey crystallize faster in a pot than in a sealed jar?

Several questions - I'll try and answer them individually.

The pots with a notched lid are nothing like airtight.

Moisture take-up or loss depends upon your local humidity.
Honey at 20% moisture (max tolerable) will take up more moisture if the humidity is above 60% - and lose it if the humidity is lower.
How quickly depends on how far off 60% the humidity might be.
The 60% figure is probably slightly variable with the floral source of the honey, which gives a variable ratio of the different sugars in the honey.


If your average humidity is around 60% (maybe not in coastal New Jersey in Summer?) you will be fine for months - but the pot should not last that long!

If your humidity is high, you can store it occasionally in the refrigerator, where the humidity generally low.

It isn't so much a dipper as a twirler!
The idea is (when lifting) to rotate it in the fingers to stop the honey dripping - it only drips/runs when you stop the back-and-forth rotation.
I call it a "honey lifter".
Yes only wash it when you wash the pot - and then dry it well before putting it back into honey.

My pot is emptied in a week or two.
No humidity control. No problem.

Time and 'quality'. Over time aromatics will be lost, but only slowly, and not greatly pot-dependant. That is the principal taste aspect. However slow absorption of more moisture could take the moisture content (especially of the surface layers - self-mixing is almost non-existant) above the 20% threshold and into territory where it might ferment. But we are talking high humidity and weeks not days. Fermented honey has 'off' flavours.

Crystallisation speed. In high humidity, the surface will become more dilute and less prone to crystallisation.
In low humidity, the surface could be more prone to crystallisation.
These effects would need the jar to be unused for a period.

What will affect crystallisation speed is the floral source of the honey and the thus the ratio of different sugars.
Then there is a temperature effect, Fastest crystallisation is midway between fridge and room temperatures - about 12 to 14C.
And crystallisation is promoted by 'seeds' to start the process. Examples of such seeds are dust and any surface crystals stirred-in to the bulk of the jar!



Long story short, in reasonable humidity it won't spoil quickly.
Only put into your pot what you will use in a matter of weeks, and you'll be fine.

 

[Dishmop]

I use Kilner jars.