Ways to test the purity of Honey at Home

Most of us use Honey as an alternative to refined sugar. Honey is a sweet golden nectar that is known for its unique nutritional and therapeutic properties. It is no less than an Elixir for our body as it is rich in anti-oxidants, has immunity-boosting benefits, is antibacterial, antifungal, and has healing properties. It is a natural sweetener and an energy booster. It is an excellent option for people who are on a weight loss routine. Besides this, it has unique moisturizing and nourishing properties which help to prevent the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the face, thus giving it a nice supple and glowing look. It is equally effective in getting a natural shine to your hair.

One of the key characteristics of pure honey is it’s distinct aroma. Honey is usually dense in dry, cold weather. However, it can be thin in regions with high humidity. Both Raw and Pasteurized forms of honey are available in the market. Raw honey is extracted from the hive and bottled directly. Pasteurized honey is first heated up and processed to remove all impurities. Pasteurized honey is less beneficial as it tends to lose some of its nutrients while processing. On the other hand, raw honey is unprocessed and hence retains all of its nutritional benefits.

Raw honey can further be categorized into two types:

• • One is the Farm honey. This is the honey that is produced by Beekeepers.
  • The other one is the Wild honey which is extracted from natural beehives.

If you are buying honey from a local vendor, find out about how the honey is obtained. Further look for the distinct sweet aroma, texture, and appearance of honey to get a fair idea of its purity. Also try to taste it. The honey leaves a tingling feeling in your throat.

However, if you are buying honey from a supermarket, you can keep the below aspects in mind:

• • Always check for the “Brand Name” and “Logo”.
  • Check the ingredients list for “additives” or “added flavors”.
  • Pure honey should ideally have only one ingredient-“Honey”.
  • Look out for words like pure, natural, organic, or forest honey.

However, even if the label reads pure, natural, organic or forest honey, there is always a chance that the honey that you buy might be adulterated. Hence it is best to run some tests at home to check its purity:

• • Water Test: Fill a glass with water and add a teaspoon of honey to it. Impure honey will easily dissolve in the water. However, pure honey will settle at the bottom of the glass.
  • Heat Test: When you heat pure honey, it caramelizes quickly. However, if the honey is impure, it becomes bubbly upon heating.
  • Vinegar Test: Mix a few drops of honey with a solution of vinegar and water. If the mixture starts to foam, then the honey is fake.
  • Flame Test: Pure honey is flammable. Take a matchstick and dip it in honey. Strike the matchstick on the box to see if it lights. If the honey is pure, the matchstick will light up easily as pure honey is flammable. If it is impure, it will not burn because impure honey contains moisture.
  • Blot Test: To see if honey is diluted with water, use blotting paper. Put a few drops of honey on the blotting paper. Pure honey will not be absorbed, whereas impure honey will leave a wet mark.

Since honey is consumed as part of our daily diet by many of us, we must check its purity before zeroing down on the brand for regular consumption. Many top brands were in the news about their failure to pass the purity test for the honey. (Source article).Hence, do your checks thoroughly before buying this superfood. Adulterated honey can result in compromising on the benefits for which you are consuming it.