Especially in the winter season, honey consumption increases in most households. We like to sweeten our tea with it or add it to onions in the case of mild colds, or we swallow a teaspoon a day as a preventative measure to strengthen our immunity. However, honey will only have medicinal properties if it is a natural and chemically unprocessed raw material.
Honey directly to the beekeeper
In our conditions, it is ideal if we buy honey directly from the beekeeper. If you know him personally or if you already have a good experience with him, you can be sure that you have received a quality product that you should not be afraid to consume.
If you get honey at the supermarket, you can sometimes cheat yourself, because it is possible that you will choose honey modified with sweeteners and syrups, and instead of healthy substances, a lot of sugar and E.
Different colors of honey
You absolutely cannot tell false honey by its color. This is the attribute by which people often choose honey: more often they reach the so-called dark forest honey. The problem is that it is the one that is changed most often: dye is added to it to give it a better color, or sweeteners or syrups or water to regulate it.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with clear honeys, which are mostly produced in spring, especially when the rapeseed is in bloom.
You can also meet the so-called kneaded honey, that is one that has a more rigid consistency, usually significantly light: its quality then basically depends on the quality of the production process itself.
Crystallization of honey
Honey is sweet and naturally crystallizes. So if we buy honey and for you it solidifies or crystallizes in a few weeks, it is certainly not a sign of poor quality. Conversely, if the honey does not crystallize even after several months, it indicates that something is wrong: preservatives must have been added.
It could be a problem if it starts to crystallize in only a few places – this would indicate that sweeteners or syrups have been added to the honey, which begin to crystallize earlier than the honey itself.
Try it at home
There are several ways to find out at home if the honey is genuine and of good quality. Probably the simplest is to dip a spoonful of honey into cold water – if true, it will sink to the bottom and won’t dissolve at all at first. Another option is to apply it on absorbent paper: the real one does not absorb, the false one does.
You can also try the iodine tincture trick: put a spoonful of honey in a glass of water and add iodine tincture. If the honey turns blue, you have come across a fake product.
Photo: Shutterstock
–
