3 Simple Tests For Identifying Pure Honey At Home

Honey is one of the natural gifts of life; this byproduct has several health benefits on human and animal health. Good or pure honey is a substance with natural sweetness; it is a very strong antibiotic and anti-inflammatory substance. Honey is also a very good substitute for sugar. All these attributes belong to unadulterated honey, that is, pure honey. 

So how do you identify good honey?

Knowing good and pure honey seems esoteric; most of the honey consumers are naive, they gleefully accept anything called honey in as much as it has a brown color and exhibit that sweetness upon tasting. Some honey sellers actually sell sugar syrup as raw honey; this is not good enough. 

I will take you through three simple tests of identifying pure honey or raw honey at home or at the point of sale if time permits you. These tests are:

• Water test.

• Thumb test.

• Flame test.

1. Water test

Water is a universal solvent; it can be used to identify unadulterated and raw honey.

To do this,

Get a cup or bowl and fill it with water; add a tablespoon of honey into the cup or bowl. If the honey dissolves sparingly in the water; like, you see the honey around the cup or bowl. It means, it is adulterated honey. Pure honey will settle at the base of the cup or bowl.

2. Thumb test

You can as well test the authenticity of your honey with your thumb; it takes less than a minute to carry out this test.

To do this, put a droplet of honey on your thumb. If it spills around, it means the honey is not pure. Pure honey stays intact on the thumb.

3. Flame test

Pure honey supports burning. You can confirm the originality of your honey by using a matchbox and stick. Simply dip the matchstick in the honey, just the coated end alone.

Strike the stick on the matchbox, just as if you want to light it. If the matchstick lights with ease, it means the honey is pure and original; but if it does not, it means the honey is adulterated and not pure or good. 

In addition, the viscosity and quality of honey are determined by its maturity. Light honey is immature but thick honey is very mature. The color and taste of any honey are determined by the source of the pollen and nectar the bees fed on.

If the bees get pollen and nectar from a neem tree, the taste of the honey will be somehow bitter. Such honey is very medicine by the virtue of the healing property of the neem tree.

These are some facts you should know about honey before purchasing and consuming it. Take your time to carry out tests before consuming; if the result is positive, it means the honey is good for consumption if otherwise, I would advise you dispose the honey, as it may be detrimental to your health.

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