Honey is an extremely common food item to keep in your kitchen, and you might have an old jar or bottle in your cabinet right now. Whether you use honey daily or just a few times each year, you may not know what makes it low- or high-quality. Honey is one of the sweetest substances in the world and can provide various health benefits, which makes it an attractive substitute for sugar. Follow along to learn the differences between raw and artificial honey.
Notice the Scent
Raw honey has a unique aroma—floral but subtle. Additionally, heating and cooling can alter the smell of real honey. On the other hand, fake honey may not have any identifiable scent, or it could smell sour. Although it might take some practice to determine whether or not your honey is artificial based on smell, it’s worth a shot to give your honey a sniff.
Consider the Viscosity
One of the most notable characteristics of honey is its thick texture. With that said, you can use this factor to determine whether you have raw or fake honey. Raw honey is incredibly dense and takes a few seconds to shift when you move the jar or bottle. On the contrary, artificial honey tends to be runny and moves in the container as soon as you tilt it.
Test the Stickiness
While you most likely think of honey as a sticky substance, raw honey isn’t very sticky if you rub it between your fingers. However, fake honey will create a lasting mess when you rub it between your fingers because of the extra sweeteners and additives. This is a reliable test to determine whether or not you have high-quality honey.
Conduct the Bread Test
Bread is one of the most popular foods to top with honey, and you can use it as a test to set raw honey apart from artificial options. Simply drizzle honey on top of a slice of bread—natural honey will harden after a minute or so, but fake honey will soak in and make the bread damp. After this simple test, you can determine whether you’re eating honey with great benefits or a substance with added sugar.
Now that you know a few differences between raw and artificial honey, you may need to replace the jar of fake honey in your cabinet. Check out Crystal’s Honey online for a wide variety of natural honey for sale. This sweet substance can boost your health—just be sure you have the real thing.