How to Distinguish Natural Honey and Artificial Honey

Pure honey should be labeled as such.

Natural honey is used in cooking, beauty treatments, wound/disease management and weight loss. It is an energy source rich in vitamins and minerals, and offers anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. Real honey usually is expensive, and imitation honey has been developed to offer a less-expensive alternative. There are three basic classes of honey: natural (pure), adulterated and artificial. Natural honey is made from raw honey, adulterated honey contains natural honey but also other ingredients, and artificial honey is made of syrup from sugar or corn, additives and food coloring.

Instructions

1. Read the label. Manufacturers should list all the ingredients on the container. If the honey is not pure, it should say so on the label, including the percentage of real honey that is in the bottle, if any.

2. Rub some of the product between your index finger and thumb until it disintegrates -- some will be absorbed into your skin if there's honey; pure honey is a good skin regimen. Natural honey is not sticky. If what you rub is sticky, it has sugar or artificial sweetener in it.

3. Place a few drops on notebook or tissue paper. Pure honey will not perforate the paper for a long time because it does not contain water.

4. Drop some honey near ants. Bees instinctively build beehives on trees and between rocks. They add an additive to the honey in order to protect it from pests, such as ants. Ants will not disturb natural honey.

5. Mix it with an egg yolk and beat with a fork. If the honey is pure, the yolk will look like it has been cooked.

6. Fill a glass of water and add 1 tablespoon of the product. Pure honey will lump and settle at the bottom, while adulterated and artificial honey will start dissolving.

7. Spread it on a slice of bread. Natural honey will harden the bread in minutes. Adulterated and artificial honey will wet the bread because of the water content.

8. Real honey will give you a tingling feel in the back of your mouth just before swallowing. Adulterated and artificial honey cannot achieve this.

9. See if it crystallizes over time. Imitation honey will remain looking like syrup, no matter how long it is stored, while real honey will crystallize.

10. Dip the tip of a matchstick in the product and then strike to light it. Natural honey will light the match easily and the flame will burn off the honey. Fake honey will not light because of the moisture.

11. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons to a microwave-proof bowl. Heat on high power until hot. Natural honey will caramelize quickly and never become foamy. Adulterated and artificial honey will become bubbly and difficult to caramelize.

Tips & Warnings

• If all possible, buy directly from the beekeeper. Many beekeepers sell honey directly at their bee farms to consumers. You can also use the opportunity to ask questions regarding how their bees are raised, what flowers are used to produce the honey, and many educational information about honey bees.

• Pure honey contain 0% water. Water will promote fungi growth, and bees do not want that happen to their combs.

• Do not feed pure honey to infants under 1. Depending on the kind of pollen used to produce the honey, it is known that certain honey can contain a bacteria that will cause stomach cramps and blood poisoning that the immature immune system cannot handle.

References

• Bizcovering: Tip Distinguish Real or Fake Honey