There are some ingredients that you will always want to be stocked up on, but tracking them down in your local store isn’t as easy as it might seem.
If you’ve been exploring the supermarkets near you then you might be wondering, in what aisle is honey in ShopRite? And is it fake or real?
You will typically find honey in the pantry/condiments aisle at ShopRite, where it will be close to jam, jelly, and other spreads. In some locations, however, it might be with the baking supplies alongside sugar and sweeteners.
Is Honey Sold in Stores Real?
When you do find the honey at ShopRite, you are going to be met with a pretty extensive wall of options, so how can you tell which one to choose, and is it going to be real honey that you’re paying for?
The honey that you buy in stores should be made entirely from real honey if it is labeled as such, but you might see some honey products that are not made from 100% pure honey.
According to the FDA, a product can only be simply described as “honey” if it is just made from honey and nothing else. Otherwise, it should be accurately described to show that there are more ingredients included.
The other labels that you might see would be something like a “blend of honey and sugar”, or a “blend of honey and corn syrup”.
There are generally many different brands of real honey on the shelves at ShopRite, including:
- Aunt Sue’s
- Bee Flower & Sun
- Dutch Gold
- Bowl & Basket
- Golden Blossom
- Local Hive
- Gunter’s Clover
- Nature Nate’s
- ShopRite (Own Brand)
The ShopRite brand of honey, which includes a few different size options, is all made from real honey, with no added ingredients.
You can also buy organic raw honey from their Wholesome Pantry brand, which has not been filtered before it is packaged.
How Can I Find Real Honey?
You can buy “real honey” in almost any grocery store in the US, although it is worth making sure that you’re not buying a blended alternative instead.
The best way to check whether the honey you buy is real or not is to look at the ingredients list. It should clearly state any additional ingredients that have been used to dilute the product (like sugar or corn syrup). If there is no ingredient list, that should mean that it only contains one thing: real honey.
Any extra flavoring, preservatives, sweeteners, or other additives should be clearly labeled on the packaging.
Something else that’s worth looking out for is the floral source of honey, as this can affect the color and flavor of the product that you get.
Manufacturers are not required to declare this source, but they can choose to, so you might see honey with names like “Clover Honey” or “Wild Flower Honey” that tell you what kind of nectar source the bees visited.
Where Do You Store Store-Bought Honey?
Pure honey has some pretty incredible properties, particularly in terms of how long it can stay fresh. In fact, if it’s perfectly stored and looked after, then it can last for centuries without going bad.
This is because it is primarily made from sugars and contains almost no moisture in which bacteria could grow.
On top of this, it is also mildly acidic and has natural antibacterial properties, which inhibit the growth of any microorganisms that might cause it to spoil.
However, if honey is stored incorrectly, then it can become contaminated and its physical properties can change, particularly if moisture gets into the jar or if it changes temperature.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to:
- Store your store-bought honey in its original container
- Keep it sealed
- Store it at room temperature
- Keep it out of direct sunlight (high temperatures and sunlight can cause it to darken and lose aroma/flavor)
If you want to transfer honey out of its original packaging, then the glass is the best material to store it in. Some plastics can allow water to be lost and may even introduce chemicals to the honey very slowly over time, and most metals (except stainless steel) will contaminate it through corrosion.
Should I Refrigerate Honey?
If you want to make your food last longer, you typically put it in the refrigerator, but this is not necessarily a good idea for your honey.
The cold temperature of the refrigerator is actually going to cause honey to crystallize more quickly, and it will do very little to prevent it from becoming contaminated, or “spoiling”. Your honey is likely to last longer without any physical changes if it is kept at room temperature in a cupboard or the pantry.
With that being said, crystallization is not necessarily a bad thing for your honey. It’s a perfectly natural process and it is not a sign that your honey has gone bad or is contaminated in any way – in fact, it’s a sign that you have got pure honey and not a fake alternative.
Honey is a super-saturated solution of glucose and fructose, which are two different kinds of sugar. Over time, some of these sugars come out of the solution, which causes the honey to crystallize, making it appear more solid and opaque, and giving it a grainy texture.
It is just as good to eat in this form (and just as tasty too!).
You can even decrystallize it by gently heating the honey in a pan or in the microwave, but this will cause it to degrade slightly.
How Long Does Honey Last Once Opened?
Now, keeping your honey tightly sealed away in the cupboard is all well and good for a while but, at some point, you are going to need to open it. When you do, how long is it going to last?
Opening your honey is usually going to start the very slow process of contamination and/or spoiling, simply because it will be exposed to moisture and contaminants from the knives, spoons, or whatever else you choose to dip into it.
Typically, honey will last for up to a year without becoming contaminated, even after it has been opened. However, if you are very careful about how tightly you seal it up each time you use it, where it is kept, the temperature it stays at, and avoiding moisture and contaminants, then it could feasibly last for a lifetime.
You might think that you can just check the “best by” date, but this can be a little misleading. Most honey will be given an “expiration date” of around two years, but this is not governed by any specific science or health information. It’s simply a practical recommendation for when the honey might not be as fresh.
Summary
So, where will you find the honey in ShopRite, and is it real? The honey in ShopRite is typically kept in the pantry/condiments aisle, along with jams, jellies, and other spreads.
Sometimes, though, it might be in the baking section, with sugar and other sweeteners.
The honey in ShopRite is almost pure and real, and you can tell by the way that it is labeled. Blended honey, or honey with additives, will need to be described as such on the packaging.