Oftentimes, the honey we find in our grocery stores is not 100% pure and authentic.
The bitter truth is that scammers have found a way to cheat on international testing methods.
Store-bought honey is usually sterilized, and the composition of the product may also contain additives and preservatives that affect its quality.
This can often lead to health problems, allergies, and many other concerns.
Therefore, it is always best to check the purity of honey to ensure that you are consuming a reliable and safe product.
Recently, many consumers are wondering how to recognize the purity of honey as they discovered that raw organic honey has many benefits. Raw honey is known as:
- Fighting free radicals in the body because it contains a high percentage of antioxidants
- It prevents mild infections due to its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties
- Fight digestive problems by improving gut health
- Boosts immunity thanks to all the phytonutrients it contains
- Soothing Sore Throat
- wound healing
- Improves the texture and appearance of the skin
- Improves hair health
These health benefits can be compromised when you have honey that is loaded with chemicals, additives, preservatives, and more.
Hence, you should check the purity of the honey to ensure that you are not relying on the wrong brand or product.
10 ways to check the purity of honey!
- Is it liquid or thick?
The best way to test the purity of honey is to drop a small amount of it on your thumb.
Pay special attention to the way the honey moves.
If it is dripping or spreading like water or any other liquid, it could be unclean.
The reason for this is that pure honey is thick and liquid, not liquid.
This is the easiest way to check the purity of honey.
However, if you're not sure about it, don't worry because we have some easy tips that you can follow!
- Does it dissolve in hot water?
Another easy way to test the purity of honey is to add a teaspoon of the product to a cup filled with hot water.
You don't have to stir the honey with a spoon, but you can speed up the process.
Check if the honey is completely dissolved in the water.
If it has completely melted, then sugar syrup has been added to the product.
As a result, this is a strong indication that the honey is not pure! On the other hand, if the honey goes straight to the bottom of the cup in a thick lump, it is pure.
Note that sometimes, honey can work with additives like honey while testing the water.
Therefore, it is best to use at least one other test from this list to be 100% sure of results when testing the purity of honey.
- Is it flammable?
Now, you'd probably never think of honey as flammable, because it's so thick and wet.
To test the purity of the honey, you should dip a wick or cotton ball into the honey and then try to set it on fire (safely!).
If the cotton or wick begins to burn, the honey is pure and no water has been added to it.
However, if it does not burn, it is likely that water has been added to it, and therefore it is not completely pure or original.
- Does it swell easily on a paper towel?
Everyone has paper towels in their home, and here's a chance to use them for more than just cleaning.
To test the purity of honey, you need to tear off a small square from a paper towel or a thick napkin (let's not waste!) and drop a drop of honey on it.
The unrefined honey will be almost completely absorbed by the paper towel.
You will see nothing but a wet spot after some time.
On the other hand, pure honey is too thick to be easily absorbed by a paper towel.
You can tell the authenticity of honey if it tends to sit thickly on a napkin or paper towel.
Note that honey mixed with sugar syrup can be as thick as pure honey.
As a result, adulterated honey products cannot be absorbed with paper towels.
- How do you react to vinegar?
If you had a penchant for chemistry and fun experiments as a kid, you will love this quiz! To check the purity of honey, you need to collect some water, honey, and 2-3 drops of vinegar extract in a bowl.
If nothing happens, then your honey is pure.
On the other hand, if your honey starts to foam, it means that it is adulterated.
Foaming usually occurs because the vinegar reacts with the ingredients in the honey, creating a reaction that tells you something is wrong.
- How do you react to heat?
This is another very simple way to check the purity of honey. Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey to a saucepan and place it on the stove over medium heat.
When the honey warms up, you should see the color turn red. Honey caramelizes very quickly when exposed to heat.
On the other hand, if you see even little bubbles or foam in the honey, it means that the honey is adulterated.
- Does pure honey freeze in the refrigerator?
Many people use a freeze test to check the purity of honey.
It is important to note that pure honey crystallizes very easily, which means that it can be frozen in the refrigerator.
When honey is taken out of the refrigerator, it will return to its normal consistency and can be used as needed.
Note that sometimes, unpasteurized honey also freezes in the refrigerator, depending on the preservative used in it.
Therefore the freezing test should ideally be combined with another test so that you can be sure that the honey you drink is indeed pure.
- What is the color of pure honey?
When you want to check the purity of honey before you buy it, you can look at the color of the product that you can see through the bottle.
It is important to note that pure honey can range in color from light transparent to dark brown, and if the product is within this color range, it is pure.
On the other hand, if a brand offers honey with a flavor other than brown, it may contain additives such as food coloring.
- Do ants love it?
Ants love sweet things, and if you toss in a little sugar or chocolate, you know it won't take long to attract them.
If you want to test the purity of the honey, note that pure and adulterated honey attracts ants.
However, the difference between the two lies in the ant connection speed.
When honey is mixed with water, the scent of the product spreads quickly, attracting ants at a faster rate.
On the other hand, the smell of unadulterated honey takes a long time to dissipate, and chances are you'll be able to clean up the mess before the ants realize that a delicious meal is waiting for you!
- Does it expire?
Pure honey does not expire.
This means that you can enjoy a jar of honey until it is completely gone.
However, if you notice that your honey has started to smell or taste a little off, it may be an adulterated product.
Of course, the method of checking the purity of honey requires long-term exposure to the product.
However, as I've read, some additives allow the adulterated product to work as well as honey during tests.
This special method can alert you if a brand is selling adulterated products so you can make informed decisions next time!
