Three ways to test if the honey you're buying is pure

To get the full benefits of honey, you should make sure what you’re buying is pure

It is not unprecedented to find adulterated products at the supermarket. To get the full benefits of honey however you should make sure what you’re buying is pure. So how do you find out?

The simplest way is to examine the label of the honey jar and check for additives and sugar content as well as flavourings. You want to see the minutest percentage of additives; that’s the one you should buy or one with no additives.

If for some reason you can’t find the information on the bottle the following three methods will reveal whether the honey is pure or fake.

The water method

Pour some water into a glass and place a spoonful of the honey you want to test into it. Lightly jiggle the glass. If the honey liquefies and begins to mix with the water it is not pure. On the other hand if the honey just settles at the bottom of the glass in a lump it is pure.



The fire method

You will require a candle with a cotton wick for this method. Dip the wick of the candle into the honey you want to test and try lighting the candle with a matchstick. If the wick burns the honey is pure, however if it doesn’t burn that means water has been added to the honey.

The bread method

Spread a spoonful of honey on a slice of bread. Pure honey when spread on a slice of bread hardens the bread within minutes. However if the honey is contaminated it will wet the bread due to the moisture content.