Honey https://greenelly.com/ is a valuable and healthy product that bees produce from plant nectar. It contains many carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that have a beneficial effect on human health. But, unfortunately, not all honey sellers are honest and offer a natural product.
Honey is often adulterated by adding sugar syrup, molasses, starch or other substances to increase its volume and sweetness. Such honey not only does not bring benefits, but can also be harmful to the body. How can you avoid falling for the tricks of scammers and test honey for naturalness at home? There are several simple and accessible ways that will help you determine the quality of honey without special equipment and reagents.
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Visually
The first thing you should pay attention to when buying honey is its appearance. Natural honey has a uniform consistency, without foreign impurities and sediment. It can be liquid or crystallized (candied), depending on the variety and storage conditions. Depending on the variety and degree of crystallization, the color of honey can vary from light yellow to dark brown. The smell of honey should be pleasant and aromatic, corresponding to the honey plant. If honey has a strong or unpleasant odor, this may indicate that it is spoiled or counterfeit.
Touch and taste
Another way to check whether honey is natural is to taste it by touch and taste. Natural honey should be viscous and sticky, not watery or dry. It should easily roll onto a spoon or finger, and not flow off them. To taste, honey should be sweet and delicate, without bitterness or the taste of chemicals. If you feel any foreign matter or sensation in your mouth after tasting the honey, this may be a sign that it is fake.
Solid or liquid
Another parameter by which you can determine the naturalness of honey is its state of aggregation. As we already mentioned, honey can be liquid or crystallized (candied). It depends on what type of honey you bought and how it was stored. Some varieties, such as acacia, remain liquid for a long time, while others, such as buckwheat, crystallize quickly. This does not mean that the honey has spoiled or been adulterated. Crystallization is a natural process that is related to the glucose content of honey and the ambient temperature. The more glucose and the lower the temperature, the faster the honey becomes sugared. If you want to return honey to a liquid state, then just heat it in a water bath to 40-50 degrees. But do not overheat honey, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties.
Testing with a piece of bread
Another simple way to check whether honey is natural is to use a piece of bread. To do this, you need to spread honey on bread and leave it for several hours. If the bread becomes hard and crispy, then the honey is natural. If the bread remains soft and moist, then the honey has been diluted with water or other liquids.