How to Tell If Your Honey Is Real

It might be surprising, but honey is one of the most commonly faked foods in the world. Some products sold as "pure honey" have been stretched with cheap syrups made from rice, corn, beets, or cane sugar. So how can you tell if what's in your cupboard is the real thing?

How honey gets faked

• Adding syrup: Sugar syrups are blended into honey to increase volume.
• Feeding bees syrup during a nectar flow: Bees then store syrup in the comb as if it were honey.
• Harvesting too early: Unripe, watery honey is dried by machine rather than by the bees.
• Hiding the origin: Honey can be shipped through other countries to disguise where it came from.

The viral home tests don't really work

You've probably seen videos promising to reveal fake honey in seconds. Unfortunately, these tests are unreliable:

• The water test (real honey sinks and doesn't dissolve): Most syrups are also thick and sink.
• The thumb test (real honey stays put): Thickness depends on water content, temperature, and flower source, not purity.
• The flame test (real honey lights a match): Results depend mostly on moisture.
• The paper towel test: Again, this measures water content, not authenticity.

Modern honey fraud is sophisticated enough that even basic laboratory tests can be fooled. Advanced methods like NMR testing are what professional labs use to detect it.

What Actually Helps

1. Know your beekeeper

The best protection is buying from someone you can talk to. A local beekeeper can tell you where their hives are, what the bees are foraging on, and how the honey is harvested and handled.

2. Watch for crystallization

Raw honey naturally crystallizes over time. Crystallization doesn't prove honey is real, and some real honeys stay liquid a long time, but honey that stays perfectly clear for years on the shelf has usually been heavily processed.

3. Read the label carefully

Look for a clear country of origin, and be cautious of labels that say things like "honey blend" or list more than one ingredient. Honey should contain only honey.

4. Be skeptical of very cheap honey

Real honey takes a lot of bees, flowers, and work to produce. When a big jar costs less than a bottle of syrup, that's worth a second look.

5. Notice the flavor

Real honey has character. It tastes of flowers and changes with the seasons. If a honey tastes like nothing but sweetness, it may be heavily processed or blended.

Our promise

Our honey comes from our own hives. We lightly strain it and leave it raw, with nothing added. You're always welcome to ask us how it was made.

Wondering whether raw honey is worth it? Read Why Should I Choose Raw Honey Over Regular Honey?