Terracotta is one of the oldest human discoveries. The term refers primarily to pots made from earthenware clay, which are fired at lower temperatures compared to ceramics. The firing temperature is not high enough to vitrify the clay into true ceramics.
The type of clay used in terracotta can vary, and the pots are often shaped on a potter’s wheel or crafted by hand. After shaping, the terracotta is dried and then fired in a kiln. Terracotta pots have a fragile structure and are highly susceptible to breakage. They are porous and allow liquids to seep through. Honey, for instance, contains about 18% water, and if stored in terracotta pots, it will lose moisture, becoming excessively thick and challenging to consume. Furthermore, terracotta containers cannot provide a tight seal due to their fragility, which means they cannot adequately protect against moisture, air, and some insects.
Over time, terracotta may disintegrate, releasing sandy particles that could mix with the honey, making it undesirable to consume honey contaminated with sand.
Terracotta pots can be coated with a glass layer, but this does not significantly increase their hardness to the required level or fully seal the pores, and the glass coating may degrade rapidly. Often, the glass coating is used for decorative purposes only.
Given all these mentioned factors, it becomes apparent that terracotta pots are not suitable at all for preserving honey.