Made by bees, honey is an essential daily ingredient. It not only gives you good sugar but also many moisturizing and antibacterial properties. However, a mistake is often made when throwing away a finished jar of honey. This produces an unexpected effect. We give you all the details in this article.
Why is it absolutely necessary to rinse the empty honey jar?
Beekeepers often give advice on how to consume honey. Among these recommendations is the importance of carefully cleaning glass honey jars before throwing them away.
– Honey residue can contain dangerous bacteria
Honey in a jar – Source: spm
There’s a good reason why glass honey jars should be thoroughly washed before you throw them in the trash. Imported honey often contains American foulbrood spores. This is a bacterium that causes disease in honey bee brood. In fact, these beneficial insects not only collect pollen from flowers, but can also be attracted to leftover honey found in uncleaned jars. As a result, they can become infected with this disease and spread it to an entire colony of bees. Rinsing the jars of honey is then of great importance.
– The brood disease develops strongly in honey.
Beehive – Source: spm
In their first days of life, nurse bees can contaminate young larvae with feeder jelly containing spores. These can turn into bacteria and develop in the digestive tract of the bee and then invade the body and cause the death of the brood, that is: all the nymphs, larvae and eggs protected by the worker bees. The decomposition of the larvae then takes the form of a viscous mass that will spread in the hive and then in other colonies. This is how the bacteria multiplies and eventually ends up in a jar of honey.
How to properly rinse the jar of honey to prevent the spread of this disease?
Honey is often consumed in glass jars or containers. When these containers are not carefully cleaned, honey residue can remain on the walls and attract bees. With the following cleaning tips you can eliminate this risk.
– Clean the honey jar with hot water and liquid detergent
Glass jar – Source: spm
To properly wash a glass jar, you can pour a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid into it and fill it with hot water. Using a sponge, gently wipe the inside walls of the container to remove all stubborn honey residue. Leave on for a few minutes before rinsing the container by hand and then allowing it to air dry. You can also put your jar in the dishwasher after rinsing it first.
– Wash the jar of honey with hot water and salt
Coarse salt – Source: spm
If after a first cleaning by hand and with dishwashing liquid there are still traces of honey, you can refill the jar with hot water before adding a tablespoon of coarse salt. Use the lid to close the container, then shake it. Then rinse with warm water to remove residue. With its cleansing and descaling properties, salt will not only loosen honey residue but also remove limestone from the glass. For greater effectiveness, it is possible to leave it on overnight before rubbing in the next day.
Since it is difficult to know if a jar of honey is contaminated, it is preferable to clean and rinse the container as a preventive measure. This not only reduces the risk of contamination but also protects bees, these essential pollinating insects for the balance of the ecosystem.
