Honey

Honey is the thick, sweet food honey bees make from plant nectar or other secretions of living plants, adding enzymes and drying it down inside the comb. Its plant source largely decides its color and flavor, from nearly clear and mild to dark and strong.

How to choose Honey

  • Color. USDA sorts honey into seven color classes, from water white to dark amber, read on a color grader called the Pfund scale. Lighter honey usually tastes milder.
  • Grade A. The top USDA grade calls for at least 81.4 percent soluble solids, which means no more than about 18.6 percent water. Color plays no part in the grade.
  • Raw. The United States has no federal definition of raw honey. It generally means honey that has not been heated or filtered.
  • Blends and flavors. Honey mixed with another sweetener cannot be sold simply as honey and must be named as a blend. A flavored honey has to name its flavor.

About Honey

Honey is made by honey bees from the nectar of plants or, less often, from other secretions of living plants. The bees add enzymes and evaporate water until the nectar thickens. Its two main sugars are fructose and glucose. More than 300 kinds are sold in the United States, from mild clover to dark buckwheat with notes of molasses and malt.

Most jars hold extracted honey, spun from the comb by centrifugal force and then strained or filtered. Comb honey is sold inside its wax comb, which is edible, and cut-comb jars add chunks of comb to liquid honey. Whipped honey is sold already crystallized so that it spreads at room temperature.

Keep honey covered and somewhere dry, without refrigeration. When baking with it in place of sugar, reduce the other liquid by a quarter cup for each cup of honey, and keep the heat moderate, because honey caramelizes easily.

At a glance

Made from
Plant nectar or plant secretions, concentrated by honey bees
Main types
Liquid, whipped, comb, cut comb, flavored
Label terms
Grade A, raw, floral source, blend
Unopened
About two years for flavor; keeps far longer

Honey questions

Why does honey crystallize, and is it still good?

Crystallizing is natural. The glucose in honey slowly comes out of the liquid as tiny crystals, and some varieties do it quickly while others hardly ever do. It does not mean the honey has spoiled. To make it pourable again, set the jar in warm water and stir until the crystals melt, taking care never to boil or scorch it.

What does a flower name such as clover or sage mean on a honey label?

It means the producer can show that plant was the chief floral source of the honey, which is the condition FDA sets for using the name. It does not promise that every drop came from one flower. The name is still a good guide to taste, because the flowers set the color and flavor; wildflower honey comes from a mix of undefined blossoms.

Why shouldn't babies eat honey?

Honey can carry spores of the bacterium behind infant botulism, a rare but serious illness. Before age one, a baby's gut is not developed enough to keep those spores from growing, so the National Honey Board advises waiting until after the first birthday. Older children and adults are not at risk in the same way.

Sources: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service; US Food and Drug Administration; National Honey Board; University of Florida IFAS Extension.

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