First, what exactly were these optimal conditions?  Did the authors
give a temperature and humidity range?

Second, I vaguely recall having read that room temperature or
freezing were good for honey storage, but *not* refrigeration, so
I've mostly kept our honey in its jars in boxes in my living room.

According to the report

> All samples were divided between three temperatures (T1–T3) and kept in darkness from 6 months to 2 years. The different temperatures were 12 C (recommended temperature; T1; cold store), 20 C (T2; no air conditioning; room temperature, comparable to a salesroom or supermarket) or outside in a garden shed (T3; at variable temperatures defined by seasonal weather conditions).

> Hydroxymethylfurfural increase and loss of invertase activity were the highest at 21 C, as expected. However, extreme temperatures and temperature variations caused less damage to the honey than storage at room temperature. According to our investigations, a natural high-quality honey can be produced through homogenization of the honey to induce a fine granulation and a creamy texture and storage at constant cold temperature.

* This corresponds to what I have always thought: the best place to store honey is in a cellar with constant cold temps. The worst is in the kitchen area, which is where I have my honey sample collection. The samples tend to fraction out while the bulk honey stored in the basement is a lot more stable.  I posted this because they went to the trouble to prove what I already thought was the case, but had no data to back it up. I guess I just figured it was the same as wine, keep it in a cellar if you can. Here is an older report:

> Diastase values of unheated honey decline in storage at room temperature (23-28 C), with diastase showing a half-life of 17 months under these conditions of storage. Cool or cold storage and expeditious handling are recommended for preservation of diastase in honey.

WHITE Jr, J. W., RIETHOF, M. L., & KUSHNIR, I. (1961). Composition of honey. VI. The effect of storage on carbohydrates, acidity and diastase content. Journal of Food Science, 26(1), 63-71.

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