Honey... Tell Me is it Real?

by Margaret DeStefano

You've seen them. Those jars and honey bears full of golden liquid. They're mostly not honey at all. It’s syrup that tastes something like the real thing. Commercially processed honey has been heated to high temperatures, which destroys the wealth of nutrients it had when fresh out of the hive. It’s often diluted with water and highfructose corn syrup to make it more manageable, and to stretch the product out. Its valuable pollen is taken out by forcing it through tiny filters. The result is a liquid that’s pretty to look at but is pretty much dead. Here is what to look for: 1) Check the label. If the label states the name and contact details of an apiary close to home, you’re likely to have the real thing in your hands. Also, labels that reveal the presence of additives reveal fake honey. 2) Real honey crystallizes over time, while honey diluted with high-fructose corn syrup stays pour-able forever. 3) Drop a little honey into a small bowl of tap water. If it dissolves right away, it’s fake. Real honey takes a good amount of stirring to melt. 4) Taste it. Can you taste more than one flavor, like different flowers or herbs? That’s real honey. Fake honey only tastes sweet, with a little honey-like flavor.