Honey is a superfood known for centuries for its many benefits on the body. Its antioxidant content and its richness in nutrients make it an anti-inflammatory recommended for the treatment of several pathologies. However, there are several versions on the market and sometimes it is not easy to disentangle the true from the fake in its composition before deciding to buy it. One is pure and presents various benefits while the other is much sweeter and is far from having the same virtues. Discover in the article how to make this difference!
What is "real honey"?
Pure honey is that produced directly by bees, the fruit of mother nature! It is full of minerals and enzymes. You will usually find it accompanied by the "natural" or "organic" label, but you must be careful to read the ingredients on the labels to ensure the components.
Here are 11 effective ways to check the origin of your honey and make the right choices for future purchases. This is important to benefit from the best nutrients that pure honey offers as well as its antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant actions.
What is "false honey"?
"False honey" is the industrial honey artificially manufactured by companies, which is often a more or less concentrated mixture of fructose, starch, sugar juice and glucose, the benefits of which are much lower compared to its version. pure.
Viscosity
One of the first aspects in checking the purity of honey is its viscosity. Indeed, if the industrial honey is quite sticky due to its sweetener content, pure honey is not sticky and does not leave this sticky effect on the fingers. It is therefore easy to distinguish.
Texture
Pure honey has a dense and thick texture to the touch while false honey is more liquid and therefore discharges more quickly. It is possible to perform the test by placing a little on the finger and observing its speed of flow. This should be quite telling about the nature of the honey in question.
Smell
Pure honey often gives off a floral scent with a pleasant scent, especially if it is based on elements such as orange blossom, mint or lavender. Industrial honey, on the other hand, has practically no smell, or a bit sour hints can come off. A quick olfactory test will quickly detect the true from the false.
Heat
In the fire test, true honey will tend to thicken to form a caramelized sauce while false honey will create foams and form bubbles without actually caramelizing. These distinctions are useful for differentiating between the two.
Bread test
If you spread a slice of bread with pure honey, the latter will quickly harden and dry on the dough in less than a minute or so, the honey adulterated otherwise will rather wet the bread and moisten it without being able to dry.
Dissolution
Natural honey is not soluble in water and will instead settle to the bottom of the glass if mixed with this element. False honey dissolves more easily in water and often disappears without a trace, almost instantaneously in water, which is synonymous with its impurity.
Match test
Try to keep a match lit in honey, if the latter is pure you will see the sparks sound on its surface, if it is adulterated the flame will be extinguished very easily due to its high humidity that overcomes the heat of fire.
The impurities
Organic honey sold by acupuncturists will often be mixed with small particles (pollen, bee's body, bee hive ...) that are completely harmless to health and can be consumed without danger. Industrial honey will look much more transparent and homogeneous.
Taste
The taste of pure honey is light and dissipates after a few moments of consumption, fake honey meanwhile will tend to be much sweeter, it follows that its taste remains longer in the mouth. This is usually a clue that does not fail!
Absorption
If placed on blotting paper or fabric, the natural honey will not be absorbed by the latter and will not stain them either because it will not penetrate their pores. Industrial honey, on the other hand, will be quickly absorbed by these elements and leave a trace of damp discoloration on it.
Label
When in doubt, read the honey label carefully before you buy it. The latter is supposed to stipulate as the only ingredient: honey! You would have understood it. Nevertheless, companies are adding artificial flavors, molasses, sugar, additives ... What really does not make honey anymore!