How to tell if honey is fresh Checking honey at home

16.11.2016 0

Everyone knows that honey is a valuable product that has not only excellent taste, but also a number of useful properties. This is a great medicine, the basis for various masks, and just a delicious treat.

Benefits and signs

The following medicinal properties of honey are distinguished:

• strengthening immunity;
• fight against viruses, bacteria;
• saturation with vitamins and microelements;
• blood purification, removal of toxins;
• fight against various inflammations;
• the establishment of metabolic processes in the body;
• positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular system;
• normalization of the intestines;
• stimulation of reproductive functions;
• awakening a healthy appetite;
• strengthening hair and nails.

But for honey to benefit us, first of all, it must be natural and of high quality. We can buy it in almost any grocery store, and we are given different varieties of it to choose from. But can we be sure that we are buying a quality product and not doubt its authenticity? How to recognize it? Are all the requirements for the quality of honey met? To begin with, let's figure out how to check honey when buying, distinguish between a natural product and not buy a fake?

Appearance

Honey of any variety, as a rule, should be transparent and have a uniform consistency. These are indicators of the quality of honey. If the consistency is not such, it means that various impurities are present in the product.

In no case should there be foam and bubbles on the surface of the nectar. This indicates the fermentation of the product, and therefore the addition of water to it. In natural - only elements of a natural nature can be present - wax, pollen, particles of honeycombs. The color depends on its variety, but should also be uniform.

It is important to know!

Many sellers resort to such a method as heating candied honey. There can be no question of any benefit here, moreover, such a procedure can lead to the formation of harmful substances. In autumn or winter, do not buy a product of a liquid consistency, most likely it has been melted, since at this time of the year the late varieties are already crystallized.

You can ask the seller to dip a wooden stick into it and lift it up to show how the liquid flows down. A stream of natural honey will be continuous, and a poor-quality product will create splashes. You can also check the quality of the product by rubbing a drop between your fingers. If you feel no lumps and it absorbs easily into the skin, this product is fresh and natural.

Taste and smell

Natural honey is moderately sweet and has a slightly tart taste. After tasting it, you will feel a slight sore throat. If you feel a caramel flavor, then it has been melted.

High-quality honey has a bright, fragrant aroma, and fake honey has almost no smell. However, it should be noted that there are also varieties that themselves have a faint smell, so you need to take this point into account when buying.

Weight

As for the weight? For example, a liter jar of honey will weigh about one and a half kilograms. If the jar is very light, most likely water has been added to the honey product.

Brief description of honey varieties

1. Buckwheat - in most cases, the color is rich brown or amber. It has a bright taste with bitterness, intense specific aroma. It contains many useful trace elements. It is used to treat various heart diseases, normalize blood pressure. A very valuable variety.
2. May - it has a yellow color, it tastes pleasant and sweet. The product does not crystallize for a long time. Has healing power. Considered medical, it is used to treat many diseases.
3. Linden - light yellow color. Transparent. It is considered useful in the fight against colds. It is considered to be a valuable variety. Increases endurance, develops memory, has immunostimulating properties. This type of bee collects during the flowering period of the tree.
4. Donnikovy - it belongs to the white varieties, it is almost colorless. It has a vanilla scent. Helps with infectious diseases, normalizes blood pressure.
5. Mustard - this variety has a rich gold color and an almost imperceptible smell. Treats joints, used for diseases of internal organs. This type of honey is also beneficial for the skin.
6. Acacia - the color is almost transparent. When candied, it becomes white. It has a special bright aroma, delicate taste. Almost never causes allergies, has a powerful tonic effect. This is a nectar that has been tested for many years. It is also used in diseases of the nervous system. It is considered one of the most valuable varieties.
7. Raspberry - in this form there are light colors. It contains many vitamins and has great nutritional value.
8. Clover - its colors range from light amber to rich. It has a very persistent aroma. It is used as a preventive measure for colds, as well as a general tonic. Helps in the treatment of burns.
9. Chestnut - can be light and dark. Contains various nutrients. It has an expressive aroma and a slightly bitter taste. Very useful for blood circulation. Also where else can it be used? Used for diseases of the stomach and kidneys.
10. Sunflower - has a bright yellow color, sometimes greenish. It contains a large amount of glucose. Thick, sweet and slightly sour. Useful for the heart, to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Used for neuralgia, and also used as a diuretic.
11. Fireweed - transparent, has a greenish tint. Rich in many vitamins. Used for nervous diseases, for colds.
12. Hawthorn is a dark variety. It has a bitter taste and a very specific aroma. Rare view. The use is indicated for intense mental and physical exertion, for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, to stabilize pressure.
13. Motherwort - this variety is golden in color, with a sharp aroma. It is used for neurosis, insomnia, as well as in violation of metabolic processes in the body.
14. Burdock - this species has an olive color, fragrant aroma and original taste. It has highly effective medicinal properties. It is used as a strong antiseptic, as a diuretic. It should be noted that this product is able to prevent the development of cancer. Effective in dermatological diseases.
15. Wild - unfortunately this is a rarity. Bees that produce this product can be found most often in nature reserves.

More carefully, you can determine the quality of honey at home. To begin with, it should be said about what this valuable product consists of.

Composition of honey:

• water;
• glucose;
• fructose;
• sucrose;
• vegetable protein;
• enzymes;
• essential oils.

Home methods for determining the quality of honey

1. Water. Put a little composition in heated water. If the product immediately melted, and did not remain a lump at the bottom, then it is natural. You can also add a spoonful of honey to tea - the color of the natural product will become darker.
2. Milk. Everything is simple here: milk will curdle if low-quality honey is added to it.
3. Iodine and vinegar. Pour into a glass of warm water, then add a spoonful of nectar. Next, add two drops of iodine there. If after a few minutes the water is blue, then starch has been added to it. The richer the color, the more starch in the product. You can add vinegar to water instead of iodine and find out if honey contains chalk. When present, the water will tend to sizzle. It should be noted that the admixture of chalk masks not the best state of the sweet product, and also increases its weight.
4. Bread. Spread honey on a piece of bread. The product will lie in an even layer, and will not drain from the edges, and the bread under a layer of a quality product will become harder. You can also put some bread in the bowl. If a couple of minutes later the bread softens, your product is not of high quality, sugar syrup has been added to it.
5. Paper. Take a piece of toilet paper, napkin or newspaper and put some honey on it. After a few minutes, turn the paper over and take a look. If a wet trace is found, it is not natural.
6. Indelible pencil. Put a drop of honey on paper (not too thick) and spread it. Take an indelible pencil and swipe over the area where the honey has been applied. If bluish streaks appear, your honey contains starch or flour used to thicken it.
7. Hot wire. Dip the wire into the composition and remove it back. If the wire remains clean, then there are no foreign impurities in the honey. If sticky accumulations remain on it, this indicates the opposite.
8. Ammonia. It will be checked like this. One part of honey should be mixed with two parts of water. Then you need to add a couple of drops of ammonia there and shake the mixture well. If it turns brown, it means that starch syrup has been added, which significantly takes away its most valuable properties.
9. Heat test. Hold a tablespoon of honey over the fire. A product containing impurities will ignite or char. If the product melts evenly, then this will indicate its authenticity.

Video: how to check the quality of honey at home, ways to check honey at home.

I would like to touch on the topic of testing honey for sugar in more detail. Unscrupulous beekeepers often feed sugar to bees or resort to adding sugar syrup to honey. There are also several ways to check for sugar.

• if sugar is added to honey, it will give it the smell of sweet water. The taste will be cloying, and the color will be unnaturally white;
• honey with the addition of sugar syrup is not tart, without aroma, perfectly transparent. During storage, it is gelatinous;
• if you add a "sugar" product to tea, then this tea will become cloudy. When adding high-quality honey, the tea will only darken slightly. Natural bee product does not precipitate;
• in hot milk, honey without adding sugar should dissolve and sink to the bottom of the container.

Checking the naturalness of honey by its consistency also deserves special attention.

1. Dip the spoon into the container of honey and swirl it several times. High-quality honey will not drain from it, will not spread over the surface, but will easily wind up. It will drain gradually, forming an even slide.
2. Dip a teaspoon into the honey, and then take it out and watch how the honey flows from it. Natural should flow in large drops, and most of it will remain on the spoon. Natural mature is very viscous, and unripe is liquid.
3. If candied honey is divided into a crystallized part and a liquid one, this also indicates its immaturity.

Thus, there are several signs of low-quality honey.

• crystal transparency;
• bright shine;
• bitter, sour or caramel taste;
• foam and bubbles;
• lack of aroma;
• unnaturally white color;
• bundle.

Now you know how to determine the quality of honey at home. If for some reason you do not want to resort to the methods described above, then just wait a few months - time will put everything in its place.

Unscrupulous beekeepers often add syrup, starch or chalk to their products. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how to check honey for naturalness. You can carry out manipulations at home or directly upon purchase, which we will talk about today.

How to check honey for naturalness - external signs

Before you determine the quality of honey, you need to know what to focus on when buying. Do not hesitate to try products or check their viscosity, smell, evaluate the consistency.

No. 1. Color

1. The final shade base depends on the variety of the beekeeping product. In particular, honey can be pigmented black, yellow, brownish or even white. However, in all of the above options, it must retain transparency.

2. If there are impurities in the composition, the products will become cloudy or precipitate. The presence of white grains is a sure sign that starch or chalk is present in honey.

3. An excessively light shade indicates a possible addition of sugar. Acacia honey, which is cloudy in structure, is included in the list of exceptions. This is due to the duration of crystallization. Clover honey, in turn, is whitish.

No. 2. Taste

1. Do not be afraid to try products if the seller offers. Since it will be much easier to check honey for naturalness directly at the point of sale than at home.

2. A high-quality beekeeping product is sweet, sugary, tart. There is no sour aftertaste and bitterness. Real honey will cause a sore throat.

3. If sugar syrup was added to the composition, honey will taste like sweet water. In cases where it smells or tastes like caramel, it means that it has been heated.

No. 3. Smell

1. Before you determine the quality of honey by smell, you should know that there are varieties that are not too fragrant. Subsequently, you can conduct several tests at home, but for now, study the properties.

2. So, first you need to find as much information as possible about the variety that you like. Smell is especially important.

3. The main types are fragrant and odorous, but not overly sharp in aroma. At the same time, the fake product has almost no smell. Also, if impurities have been added, the smell will be distorted.

No. 4. Consistency

1. Completely natural honey is soft, delicate, similar in texture to cream. Definitely homogeneous. When distributed over the skin, it is absorbed in a short time, you just need to rub it in. A fake, in turn, accumulates incomprehensible grains and lumps.

2. When deciding how to check honey for naturalness, you need to take into account the season of the year. When stored at home, the product is already candied by winter, while in spring and summer it is liquid. From this it is worth concluding that it is simply impossible to buy a liquid product in winter. If you succeeded, the honey melted.

3. If the honey is really of high quality, it is enough to wind it on a spoon. You will see how a viscous and dense spiral literally forms art, and the form itself changes slowly as it drains. If the composition is excessively liquid, it will drain in a short time (such honey quickly deteriorates).

No. 5. Viscosity

1. A real beekeeping product descends from a spoon in an elastic stream. In the bowl where it falls, a hill appears, which spreads very slowly and noticeably.

2. If the jet breaks when putting honey into the bowl, it will become like a spring. That is, it will gently pull itself up to the base of the spoon, gather in a large drop, and again try to pull itself down.

3. But sugar honey is not endowed with all these characteristics. It falls with splashes and drops, without forming a slide in the saucer and, moreover, without imitating a spring.

The best ways to check honey for naturalness

The following methods will allow you to both check honey for naturalness and stock up on some knowledge. Each method is suitable for implementation at home, it remains only to choose the appropriate option.

No. 1. Iodine

Mix together 230 ml. slightly warmed water (28-30 degrees) and 20 gr. honey. When the solution becomes homogeneous, drop iodine into it (1-2 drops). If the product is made with the addition of flour/starch, the honey will turn blue.

No. 2. Vinegar

Prepare a solution of 15 gr. honey and 130 ml. water. After stirring, pour in 10 ml. vinegar. If the contents of the cup hiss, then the product is of poor quality.

No. 3. Water

How to check the quality of honey, now we will tell. At home, the implementation of the plan is quite simple: enter 15-20 gr. into hot water. bee product. If it lies in a “slide”, you have fake honey in front of you. If it melts quickly, the quality is excellent.

No. 4. Bread

Fill a small saucer with honey, send a square of bread crumb inside. If the honey is natural, after 25-30 minutes it will be absorbed by the pores of the bread. The slice itself will remain intact and gain partial hardness. If the seller diluted the honey, the bread crumb will soften.

No. 5. Indelible pencil

If there is a prohibited "rarity", use a chemical pencil. Because it will be faster to check honey for naturalness. At home, the procedure is as follows: grease a sheet of paper with honey, draw a line with a pencil and evaluate the result. In the presence of bluish stains, the beekeeping product is stuffed with chalk or starch.

Other ways to check honey for naturalness

Many amateur beekeepers give their bees sugar syrup. Workers' nectar is made in any case, but it is devoid of value. In such a situation, it becomes necessary to check products for sugar.

So, how to check if honey is real?

No. 1. Napkin/newspaper

Lay out a piece of newspaper, tissue paper, or blotting paper. Drop honey on the surface, detect for 25 minutes. If after this period the circle around the droplet becomes wet, you have a low-quality product. This method allows you to detect a fake by 99%, but 1% of natural varieties of honey is included in the list of exceptions and leaves a wet mark.

No. 2. Wire

You will need stainless steel wire. Heat it up with a lighter or hold it over a gas burner. Dip it in a container with honey, take it out and evaluate the result. In the presence of sugar, the sticky mass will turn black, pure honey does not leave behind soot.

No. 3. Hot milk

Another sure way to check honey for naturalness. Its implementation at home is extremely simple. Warm up the milk, dip a spoonful of beekeeping product into a glass with a drink. If he curled up, you have a clear fake.

No. 4. ammonium chloride

Connect 60 ml. water with 30 gr. honey, add a drop of ammonia. If you notice that the solution has become brownish, the bee product contains molasses on starch.

No. 5. Tea

Prepare warm tea with medium or low brew. The drink drops 20 gr. honey and stir. If it's not fake, the honey will make the tea darker and won't precipitate.

Varieties of honey and their benefits

Before checking honey for naturalness, decide on the variety that you plan to purchase. Then, at home, proceed to authenticate.

No. 1. Lime

Honey has shown itself well as a remedy with antipyretic effects. The product has a diaphoretic effect. It has excellent expectorant and bactericidal properties.

No. 2. Chestnut

To bypass cardiovascular pathologies and eliminate problems with the digestive system, consume chestnut honey regularly. It has good antimicrobial activity. This variety helps men fight impotence.

No. 3. Buckwheat

Buckwheat honey is considered an effective tool in the prevention and treatment of beriberi, anemia and cardiovascular pathologies. The bee product quickly restores strength after blood loss and improves blood composition.

No. 4. fireweed

The systematic consumption of fireweed honey will allow you to bypass the development of beriberi and seasonal colds.

No. 5. Floral

Such honey should be eaten by women. It has a positive effect on the reproductive system, it is possible to prevent or cure gynecological problems. Flower honey has analgesic and soothing properties.

No. 6. with bee bread

Honey is famous for its immunostimulating effect. It is recommended to consume it after recent operations or protracted illnesses.

No. 7. Lugovoi

To cope with constant headaches and normalize sleep, it is worth systematically taking meadow grass honey.

We figured out how to check honey for naturalness. It is worth exploring a few more tips that will come in handy at home.

1. It is easy to understand how to know the quality of honey. When stored at home, the product begins to crystallize after only six months. If during such a period the honey has not been candied, it is not real. Keep the product in a dark room in a glass container.

2. When buying a fresh composition from the apiary, pay attention to whether there is foam at the top. If it is, honey will soon ferment. The product of beekeeping must be infused in the combs for a certain period. So he is recruited natural antibiotics.

3. We learned how to test honey. But there will be no difference whether it is real or not, if the apiaries are located along a busy road. Such a product is harmful to humans due to the accumulation of toxic substances. Avoid such purchases.

4. Honey is considered immature if after some time the contents of the container have stratified. That is, part remained liquid - the other was sugared. The product is recommended to mix thoroughly and consume in the near future.

5. When buying, always trust only yourself and do not trust the seller. Remember that honey is measured in kilograms, not liters. Therefore, only 1 liter. treats will weigh about 1.5 kg. If the mass is significantly less, then the honey is diluted.

How to check honey for naturalness, you already understood. Decide on a variety. Men are advised to purchase dark varieties. Women, on the contrary, it is better to feast on light honey. Also, when storing at home, follow simple rules.

Natural honey is valued for its medicinal and nutritional properties. The benefits for humans are due to the fact that the list of minerals in its composition is similar to the minerals in human blood. This product has bactericidal properties that depend on the amount of enzymes it contains. So, in taiga varieties, the diastase number can reach 40. That is why even Koch's stick cannot withstand more than 3 hours in honey. Products such as butter, meat can be stored in it for several months without spoiling. If the product is natural, it cannot cause infection or poisoning. But how to determine whether honey is natural or fake if it is one of the three most falsified products?

According to the statistics of Rospotrebnadzor, every fifth jar on the beekeeping market is a fake. Only in order to get a tablespoon of the product (about 30 gr.) 200 bees have to work all day.

To increase the number, beekeepers go to different tricks:

• add foreign products to increase the mass and density (starch, flour, chalk, sugar syrup);
• feed the bees with sugar;
• heated, giving a more attractive look to customers;
• pass off an artificial product as a natural one.

The sale of unripe honey is common. Beekeepers do not wait for its maturation and start pumping out even in the midst of honey flow. As a rule, the reason for this is the lack of cells. Such honey is not enriched with enzymes and quickly turns sour. By consistency, it is liquid, since in its composition water can sometimes be twice the norm.

Artificial honey is produced so carefully that it can only be distinguished from natural honey in laboratory conditions. But people who buy in the markets, apiaries, shops have neither a microscope to determine the composition, nor a device that measures humidity. Therefore, the question arises, how to determine the quality of honey when buying available means and methods?

It is better if before buying there will be an opportunity to get acquainted with information about the varieties, characteristics and properties of a valuable product.

Classification

The classification is based on a regional basis, method of extraction, color. So, if the bees collected nectar from one plant (buckwheat, linden, acacia, linden, maple), then the result is a monofloral product. If the apiary was located in the meadows, among the flowering steppe, in the garden, then it will be mixed (polyfloral).

Bees can produce honey not only from the nectar of flowers, but also from the sweet juice secreted by plants and from the secretions of insects living on plants (pad). Honey obtained from honeydew is called honeydew. It does not have a pronounced aroma and taste, often dark brown in color, sometimes with a green tint, and is considered second-rate.

According to the method of extraction, the product can be:

• gravity - independently flowing from the honeycombs;
• centrifugal - obtained by pumping out of honeycombs in a honey extractor;
• cellular - sold in sealed combs.

What to look for when choosing

The first minimum you need to know when going shopping is what color the variety you plan to purchase has and how it happens, so as not to get confused in the information on the label.

Each variety has its own color, which varies from all shades of yellow to brown:

• linden honey has an amber color,
• buckwheat suggests all shades of brown,
• floral - light yellow,
• clover almost colorless,
• sunflower - golden yellow.

High-quality honey is transparent, regardless of color. If there are additives, then it will be cloudy and sediment is possible in it. There may be blotches, but it is absolutely harmless. These are particles that are not filtered out during pumping.

According to taste data, only a honey sommelier can determine a quality product.

The specialist advises to take a small amount and, as it were, “smear” it in the mouth over the tongue. At the same time, it should feel tickling. Then take a breath and on the exhale there should be an aftertaste.

But such defects as acid caused by fermentation, caramel taste as a result of heating, strong bitterness can be identified by an inexperienced buyer. Honey has a pronounced aroma. If it was diluted with syrup, the smell will be barely distinguishable.

If you rub a little honey between your fingers, then it is absorbed into the skin and its consistency is uniform. If grains are felt and lie down unevenly, this indicates a low quality of the product.

In shops and fairs, on containers sold, labels with information on the amount of sucrose are required. According to GOST, it should be contained in the range from 1 to 6 units. If the bees were fed with sugar syrup, then the number of units can reach up to 30.

Also, each beekeeper must have a veterinary passport of the apiary. You should not be shy to ask him, because this is the only way to find out that the nectar was collected by non-sick bees.

How to determine the quality in the fall

Harvest in Russia ends at the end of August. After that, beekeepers begin to drive honey, and it goes on sale. Fresh product is thick in texture but not creamy. If so, then it's not honey of its own shrinkage - it's whipped . Often low-quality varieties are whipped, thereby turning them into expensive, and sometimes elite ones. When whipping, useful components are lost, and the output is only a sweet cream. In addition, if in a liter jar of fresh honey there is almost 1.5 kg, then whipped honey is half as much. It only benefits the seller.

Alcoholic taste, sour smell, hissing when stirred and bubbles on the surface, indicate that the honey has fermented. As a rule, this happens with unripe honey, when the beekeeper hastened to collect it.

A natural product contains up to 21% water, so it is viscous in consistency and 1.5 times denser than water. One liter of a quality product should weigh 1440 grams. Weighing is one of the methods for determining quality.

It should be taken into account that linden honey is slightly lighter, flower varieties are heavier. Autumn varieties are not liquid, with the exception of those taken from acacia and mountain chestnut.

Winter nuances

In winter, honey cannot be liquid. If a liquid product is sold in winter, it means that it has been exposed to heat. You should know that at temperatures above 40, only minerals remain, and enzymes are destroyed. When heated above 60, carcinogens are formed. The use of such honey can lead to diseases of the central nervous system and malignant neoplasms.

In winter, the quality is determined by crystallization. The mass must be homogeneous without delaminations. If the honey thickens at the bottom of the jar, but remains liquid on top, then it is immature. But there are subtleties here too. So, spring varieties crystallize faster. The more glucose in the composition, the faster the crystallization. Its level, in turn, depends on the botanical origin. For example, sunflower honey contains a large amount of glucose and can often crystallize in honeycombs. Therefore, a bee gift can thicken both in 2 weeks and in a year. If the grains in the crystallized product are large, then it contains more glucose, if small, then fructose.

Home quality testing

There are many ways to determine honey for naturalness at home.

The simplest and most affordable methods to determine honey for naturalness:

1. The presence of additional substances, such as chalk, molasses, starch, can be detected by dissolving honey in water in a ratio of one to two. If the honey is fake, the water will become cloudy and sediment will gradually begin to form. If vinegar is dropped into the solution and gas bubbles are released, it means that chalk has been added.
2. Starch or flour in the composition is determined by a solution of iodine. To do this, it is enough to drop a drop of iodine solution into honey, if it turns blue, then there are impurities.
3. When adding honey to warm tea, the drink may darken, but it should not form a precipitate.
4. Ripe honey, if poured from a spoon, winds like a ribbon without interruption. A trickle of unripe honey will surely break. A quality product will not spill out of a spoon if it is turned over, but if it is sugary, it will definitely drain.
5. If mature honey is poured in a stream in one place, then a hill should form and the higher it is, the less humidity. A product with a high water content will spread without forming a heap.
6. Maturity can be determined by dropping a drop on a paper napkin. The drop should retain its shape and not be absorbed into the paper.
7. A piece of bread dipped in a quality product hardens. If the bread spreads, then it is fake.

Product storage

Often, fans of a natural natural ingredient have a question, how to store honey at home? There are some nuances, under which a useful product will not lose its useful properties for many years.

The storage temperature of honey should be constant. He is afraid of light, so there is a storage rule with conditions: warm and dark. With the right content, honey retains its properties for decades. Experts believe that for each year of storage, two diastasia units are lost.

Plastic and metal utensils are unsuitable for storage, it is better to use glass, ceramics, wood or aluminum containers.

Crystallization is a natural phenomenon that does not affect the quality of the product. But if there is a desire to use liquid honey, then it cannot be heated. In order for it to melt with the preservation of all useful properties, it is enough to put the jar in warm water, which must be changed. If stored in conditions of high humidity, then even a quality product can turn sour, as it easily absorbs moisture.

And cosmetology. In order for its effect on the body to be positive, you should pay attention to its properties during the purchase.

How to check the quality of honey? The answer to this question is simple. The most accurate results will give a laboratory analysis. But checking its taste, color and other characteristics using special tools also gives good results.

Unscrupulous sellers sometimes try to hide the signs of a damaged product or make the product look more appetizing by mixing in various substances. To protect yourself from this, you need to know how to recognize natural honey and how you can check whether honey is natural or not.

Checking honey for quality and naturalness by eye

You can check honey not only at home, but also directly at the point of sale. When buying a product, you must know the signs of natural honey and not fall for counterfeit.

Taste

The first diagnosis of honey is carried out by checking for naturalness by sampling and evaluating its taste. The taste should be pleasant burnlearning aftertaste in the throat. If the taste has a hint of caramel, then most likely the product succumbed to thermal heating. The sugary sweetness indicates the addition of sugar.

Color

The color of the creation of bees depends on the plants from which it was collected. Summer flower varieties are light yellow, amber, brown. Regardless of the color, a quality fresh product has transparent structure and does not contain precipitation.

Smell (aroma)

Natural has a pleasant smell and fragrant aroma, which is incomparable to anything. Fake smell has no. The aroma depends on the plant from which it is collected. Even an inexperienced consumer can distinguish between buckwheat and linden honey by its taste and aroma. When buying, you should pay attention to the fact that the aroma does not contain the smell of smoke, caramel and fermentation.

Density and viscosity

Viscosity is an important criterion in determining its maturity. A mature product contains 18% water, while an unripe product contains 21% or more. If honey contains 25% water, then its viscosity will be six times less than that of mature honey, so it is not difficult to determine this parameter visually. Observations should be carried out at a temperature not lower than 20 degrees.

To do this, a tablespoon of fresh bee dessert is turned over in quick circular motions. If it wraps up on a spoon, then it is mature, if it drains, it is not. Mature product forms long strands when draining from a spoon and lies on the surface in the form of a small hill.

However, the viscosity also depends on plants. from which it was collected. This must be taken into account. Clover nectar is also very liquid. Linden, buckwheat and fireweed are also considered liquid.

Consistency

The consistency of a quality bee product is uniform and tender. Its drop is easily rubbed between the fingers and absorbed into the skin. A counterfeit cannot boast of such an ability. It usually remains on the fingers in the form of lumps.

Important! Crystallization of various honeys is a natural process, and its speed depends on the type of product and the temperature of the contents. The ratio of fructose and glucose in the product is one of the parameters of the intensity of crystallization. A high fructose content indicates slow crystallization.

Checking honey for naturalness using improvised means

Consider ways to test honey using improvised means.

Yoda

Checking honey with iodine is carried out for the presence of impurities of flour and starch. To do this, prepare its solution with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and add a few drops of iodine. If the solution changes color to blue, then impurities exist, if the color does not change, there are no impurities.

vinegar

With the help of vinegar essence, you can determine the presence of chalk impurities. To do this, dissolve it in water (1: 2) and, if there is a precipitate, add a few drops of vinegar essence. If, as a result of a chemical reaction, the solution began to foam, then this indicates the release of carbon dioxide, therefore, an admixture of chalk exists. In the absence of vinegar essence, you can use simple vinegar, but its dose must be increased to 20-25 drops.

ammonia

With the help you can determine the impurity in the product of starch syrup. To do this, mix it with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and add a few drops of ammonia. After mixing, according to the results of the experiment, we can conclude that there are additives. The brown color of the solution with a precipitate indicates the presence of molasses.

Milk

With the help of fresh, you can determine the falsification with an admixture of sugar. If you dissolve a teaspoon of bee product in hot milk and it curdles, then this sign indicates the addition of sugar to the product.

Important! A more accurate test of honey for sugar is carried out using silver nitrate (lapis). You can find it in a pharmacy. In a 10% aqueous solution of the product of bees, add drops of lapis. If we observe turbidity around the drops and a white precipitate, the solution contains sugar.

Water

Testing honey with water is the simplest and most basic. It determines the presence of impurities in the product. To do this, pour water into a transparent glass beaker and add 1 tsp. honey. The solution is stirred until homogeneous. A quality product should dissolve completely. The solution should be cloudy, but without sediment. If sediment falls to the bottom, this indicates the presence of impurities.

a piece of bread

sheet of paper

To determine the maturity of the product, a sheet of paper or ordinary toilet paper is often used. To do this, a large drop of honey is dripped onto it and after 20 minutes the result is evaluated. If a wet mark up to 1 mm thick forms around a drop on paper, then the honey is mature, if the mark is much thicker, then such a product is better. do not buy.

stainless steel

Hot stainless steel wire is used to determine impurities. If, after immersion in the product, its surface remains clean, then this indicates its good quality. In the case of sticking of different particles, the honey product has impurities.

Important! Honey should not be heated above 50 degrees, otherwise it will lose all its beneficial properties.

chemical pencil

Before you test honey with an indelible pencil, you need to know that its action is based on a change in color when it comes into contact with moisture. It is necessary to dip the pencil into the bee dessert and draw conclusions from the result of the reaction. If the pencil has not changed color, there is no admixture of sugar syrup, and the honey is mature.

Other ways to check the quality of honey

There are many ways to determine which honey is natural and which is not, but there is no 100% certainty that the results are correct. Let's take a look at the ones that seem the most revealing.

heating

How to distinguish natural honey from fake using heating? We put a small jar with a tablespoon of bee products in a water bath and heat it for 8-10 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 45 degrees. Open the lid and appreciate the smell and aroma.

Lack of smell is the first sign of a poor-quality product. If heating in a water bath is carried out for about an hour, then natural honey should exfoliate, and the fake will remain homogeneous.

weighing

An easy way to determine the density of honey and therefore its water content. It should be noted that the less water, the higher the density. A glass jar with a capacity of 1 liter is weighed on a scale. Pour 1 kg of water into it and mark the level of the lower meniscus on the glass.

Later, the water is poured out and the jar is dried. Next, pour the purchased product into the jar to the mark and weigh it. The mass of a substance is determined by the difference between a dry and filled jar, which is equal to its density. According to the table set it water content.

To buy a really high-quality bee product, and not a fake, it is important to know how to check honey for naturalness. With equal success, this can be done both in the laboratory and at home. Cunning folk methods include checking with iodine, chemical pencil, water, vinegar, milk and other improvised means.

What is counterfeit Natural honey is usually mixed with sugar syrup, beet or starch syrup, saccharin, chalk, flour and other impurities.

How to check the quality of honey?

The first thing you should pay attention to when buying is its consistency. Many varieties crystallize already 2 months after harvest. This process can be slowed down only by storing the product in a hermetically sealed form. However, almost all honey does not remain in a liquid state until winter. Therefore, if you find such a bee product on the shelves, then most likely it is a fake.

Attention! Liquid honey sold in winter indicates: falsification of the product; about deliberate removal from a crystallized state by heating, which deprives it of all healing properties. You should also be wary of candied honey in the summer, as this means that it is last year's.

How to check honey for naturalness

The quality and naturalness of a bee product can be determined in two ways: "by eye" and with the help of special tools. Let's consider the first method in more detail.

Checking honey "by eye"

By taste Checking honey at home begins with a taste test of the product. The taste of a natural amber dessert is pleasant, tart, giving off a floral or herbal sound. It should melt on the tongue, covering with a tingling, slightly burning aftertaste. It leaves no residue, solid particles or crystals behind. A light shade of caramel gives out warm honey, and sugary sweetness is an admixture of sugar.

By color

Knowing the varieties of honey will help you easily identify a fake. As you know, each type of bee product has its own characteristic shade. For example, the linden variety is distinguished by an amber color, the flower variety is golden yellow, the mustard variety is creamy yellow, and the chestnut variety is dark brown. But all of them, regardless of color, are transparent and pure. Fake honey is a little cloudy and has a sediment.

By smell

The quality of honey is easy to determine by aroma. A natural product smells of floral or herbal notes, while a dessert with an admixture of sugar, starch or flour has no smell - neither pleasant nor pungent.

By density and viscosity

Dip a thin wooden stick into the honey and then slowly pull it out. Real honey will follow her with a long thread. When interrupted, the thread forms a turret on its surface, which is then slowly absorbed by the product. If honey becomes similar to glue and drips from the stick with small splashes, then you have a surrogate.

By consistency

When making demands on the quality of honey, pay attention to its consistency. The natural product of beekeeping is characterized by a thin, viscous, delicate structure. It rubs well between the fingers, melts and is absorbed into the skin, while the fake leaves lumps on the hands, characterized by a rough texture.

Attention! Foreign substances are mixed into honey for three reasons: to hide the signs of a damaged product; to give it a natural and appetizing look; to add weight.

However, it is quite easy to bring unscrupulous sellers to clean water. Honey can be checked with iodine, chemical pencil, vinegar, alcohol, paper, hydrochloric acid and other items.

Determine the admixture of molasses

Mix one part of honey with 2 parts of distilled water and add a few drops of ammonia. Shake the mixture. If the solution turns brown and precipitates of the same color, then the product is mixed with starch syrup.
You can determine its presence in another way: dissolve honey in two parts of water and add 2-3 drops of hydrochloric acid and 20-30 g of wine alcohol to the mixture. Turbidity of the solution indicates the presence of molasses.

Detect the presence of flour or starch

Consider how to test honey with iodine for the presence of flour or starch impurities. Dilute the product with distilled water and drop a few drops of ordinary iodine into the solution. The blueness of the composition is a clear sign that flour or starch has been mixed into the amber dessert.
Attention! The darker the color, the more starch is contained in the bee product.

Checking for chalk

Dissolve honey in water and add a few drops of acetic acid (essence) to the mixture. If the solution boils, emitting a characteristic hiss and releasing carbon dioxide bubbles, your dessert is “stuffed” with chalk.

"Unmasking" Sugar

In connection with the increasing cases of falsification of the bee product, many people are interested in the question: how to check honey for sugar? You can do this in several ways:

The sugar product betrays with its head its suspiciously white color, taste reminiscent of sweet water, lack of astringency, and a slight smell. Add it to hot milk, and if it curdles, you have a fake mixed with burnt sugar.

In a cup of weak tea, dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey, and then inspect the liquid. Sediment at the bottom of the cup is a sign that the quality of honey leaves much to be desired.

Dip the bread crumb into the dessert and leave it in it for 10 minutes. Then take it out and inspect. Softened bread indicates the presence of sugar syrup, hardened bread indicates a quality product.

On a piece of paper (newsprint or toilet paper), which absorbs moisture well, put a little amber dessert. If it “smeares” on paper, leaving wet marks, or seeps through it, you bought a surrogate with an admixture of sugar syrup or water.

How to test honey with a chemical pencil

A chemical pencil is an effective tool that you should definitely take with you to the beekeeping market or fair. Its peculiarity is that it changes color when it comes into contact with moisture. Before buying honey, immerse the instrument in it. If it changes color, it means that they are trying to sell you a product diluted with water under the brand name of natural. Checking honey with a chemical pencil is also carried out in order to identify impurities in sugar syrup.

The easiest way to check quality

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water and leave the composition for 1 hour. The sediment formed at the bottom of the glass or flakes that have floated to the surface indicate the unnaturalness of the bee product.

Fake, dissolved in water, will precipitate

2. Drop honey on paper and set it on fire. If the product is of high quality, only the paper will burn, and the honey will remain untouched - it will not char, burn or darken. The counterfeit will turn brown and melt slightly, leaving the characteristic smell of burnt sugar in the air.

On honey, sometimes there are vivid evidence of its naturalness - particles of pollen or wax, wings of bees. However, this fact cannot be a 100% guarantee.
When buying, pay attention to the main indicators of honey quality - color, smell, viscosity and consistency. Subject it to all the listed methods of verification and enjoy the great taste of a natural product.