​How to Distinguish Real Honey From Fake Honey

How to Distinguish Real Honey From Fake Honey

Nearly everyone knows about the amazing benefits of honey. Its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties have been found at the foundation of many treatments for all kinds of health conditions. Its rich source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids have made it the perfect food choice for centuries.

This information sends millions of people out to buy honey everywhere they go around the globe. The problem, however, is that the honey you find on your grocery shelf may not actually be the real deal. It is estimated that approximately 80% of the honey sold in the United States is really fake. While these counterfeit products may attempt to mimic the taste of real honey, they often fall far behind in quality and taste. Aside from that, when you use fake honey, you are missing out on many of the health benefits you could receive.

So, how can you know for sure if the honey you’re buying is real or some knock-off brand designed to fleece you out of your money? If you really want to get the most out of your honey purchase you need to know a few tricks that can help you to tell if the honey you’re buying is truly authentic.

What is Fake Honey?

One way to know is to understand exactly what fake honey is. You can do this by reading the label. Fake honey will have added sugars on the ingredient list. Anything that says, glucose, molasses, syrup, flour, starch, corn syrup or any other type of related product can be considered fake. Even if the amount added is a small amount, this dilutes the true quality of the honey and alters its entire composition. Real honey should be labeled as floral nectar or a similar phrase.

Use Your Senses

Sight: If the label is not enough to convince you, look closely at the physical qualities. Look for impurities in the rich liquid. Real honey should be clear but colorful.

It should have a fairly thick consistency and when you move the jar, it should flow very slowly from one side of the jar to the other. Fake honey is often very thin and flows very quickly. It will also have a much lighter coloring because of the dilution of the original product.

Touch: If you can pour out some of the liquid, try rubbing it between your fingers. If it is not sticky, it is likely pure honey. Fake honey is usually very sticky from the added sweeteners.

Taste: Real honey taste does not linger in the mouth. It will have a strong flavor but it will evaporate very quickly. Fake honey tends to have a longer lasting flavor because of the additives that have been incorporated into the product.

Smell: It should have a mild scent that is very similar to flowers. Fake honey will have no scent and some may even have a sour smell to it.

Other Ways to Identify a Fake

Other ways you will be able to tell a fake from the real deal is to heat it. Real honey will caramelize quickly and will stay pure in its consistency. However, if you notice it forms bubbles or it never caramelizes when heated, it is a fake.

Finally, real honey does not dissolve when added to water. A simple test is to pour a little in a glass of water and watch as it settles at the bottom of the glass. When it is stirred, it will dilute for a while but will eventually settle down at the bottom of the glass again.

Fake honey will dissolve in water very quickly and it will break up in mentholated spirits causing the solution to become milky rather than clear.

There are many other tests that can help you to determine if the honey you’re buying is actually real. Pure honey has a very distinct quality in color, texture, aroma, and taste. If you’re not sure if you’re paying for the real deal, it pays to put your local product to the test. After all, what is the value of using fake honey when you cannot take advantage of the many health benefits or the pure quality of flavor that it is best known for?