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Beekeeping products are very valuable for nutrition and for the treatment of certain diseases. Honey is a rather expensive product (it is not for nothing that it is called bee gold), and it is not surprising that it is often counterfeited. It is not always possible to identify real honey when buying. It happens that during storage, honey becomes liquid from above and thick from below, and most people believe that this is a sign of an artificial product. But this is not necessarily the case.
Why does honey exfoliate during storage
Layering of honey into solid and liquid fractions, which is connected with:
- it was collected too early;
- several varieties are mixed;
- it was stored in high humidity conditions;
- the product is overheated;
- it's a fake;
- natural processes.
Natural high-quality beekeeping product is candied during storage. Real bee nectar cannot be liquid for a long time. Why does honey sometimes exfoliate during storage? The first thing that comes to mind is a poor-quality product, a fake. But sometimes delamination has natural causes or storage errors.
Why does honey exfoliate
Natural causes
Often the separation into layers occurs due to the same ratio of fructose and glucose in the product. The fact is that under the influence of fructose, honey does not harden, but remains liquid. Conversely, glucose leads to crystallization. Usually there is not much fructose in bee gold, and separation does not occur. But, when the components were in approximately equal proportions, the honey stratified into liquid and thick. Of course, it is absolutely safe, it does not affect the medicinal properties.
When a certain sort of honey is bought, for example, lime or acacia honey, no one can guarantee that it does not contain nectar from other plants. You cannot order bees, even when the apiary is on large plantations, they can collect pollen and nectar from plants from a neighboring forest. This is also a possible reason that honey is liquid from above and thick from below.
Storage errors
Another reason why honey flakes off is improper storage. It is best to store this beekeeping product in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. It is not uncommon for beekeepers and intermediaries to sell a product at the market or along the road by displaying it on the counter. It is not recommended to buy such honey. Even keeping the product at room temperature for a long time can cause delamination. There should be no temperature difference, which can be observed even in room conditions when the seasons change.
Also, a possible option for why honey exfoliates is high humidity in the place where the product is stored. The fact is, it is a very hygroscopic substance, so moisture gets through a loosely closed lid. Therefore, you need to ensure that the can is closed tightly.
Beekeeper mistakes
Bee nectar collected too early - not ripe, contains a large amount of liquid - about 20%. Beekeepers, wanting to sell the product earlier, pump out the honey unprepared for storage. It should be consumed as soon as possible and if stored cold. Due to the liquid content in the product, fermentation will soon begin.
Beekeeper mistakes
Different varieties of bee treats have a different composition, so they may differ in consistency and crystallization time. Sometimes beekeepers mix different varieties. This is also a possible reason that honey was separated into fractions during the storage stage. Such a product is absolutely harmless and usable. It retains all the beneficial properties.
Seller wines
Sometimes unscrupulous sellers heat honey to make it marketable. If the temperature did not exceed 40 degrees, then there is nothing dangerous in this. Unless it will lose some of its beneficial properties. If the heating occurred at a temperature above 70 degrees, then a useful medicine becomes a dangerous poison. Therefore, it is better to buy it from trusted suppliers.
Bee nectar can be frozen for long-term storage. But if it is frozen and thawed several times, it is divided into fractions. In this case, there is a partial or significant loss of useful properties. In winter or spring, such a product can be sold on the market, so you should not buy it at this time. It is best to stock up on a treat in the fall.
The last most unpleasant moment - if the bee delicacy was divided into fractions, then perhaps it was really just diluted. This is done with sugar syrup, flour, starch, and so on. Basically, this is not dangerous food, but it is not used as a medicine - there will be no benefit from it.
If honey has split into two fractions
If honey has peeled off in the jar, this does not necessarily mean poor quality.
There are other reliable signs by which you can determine a poor-quality product or a fake:
- One liter of honey must contain at least 1.4 kg of weight. A low weight indicates an increased moisture content.
- There is no foam on a quality product. This means that fermentation has begun.
- A swollen lid also indicates that the honey has begun to ferment.
- The taste and smell should be rich in honey. An unusual taste or aroma should alert the consumer.
- The item being sold in the store has probably gone through the heat. There is no guarantee that the procedure was carried out without irregularities. Therefore, it is best to purchase beekeeping products from trusted manufacturers.
If, during long-term storage, honey became liquid on top and thick from below, but no signs of fermentation appeared, then it is not dangerous to use it. Another thing is that it is not very convenient. If the bottom layer is not too thick, just stir it. To make the product more uniform in consistency, it needs to be slightly warmed up.
If honey has split into two fractions
Short-term heating of honey will not do harm if the temperature does not exceed 40-50 degrees. To do this, put the jar in a water bath over low heat. Over time, the honey will begin to melt, the jar needs a little chatting to blend the layers.
If even a small amount of foam has formed on the surface, then such a product cannot be stored. The first step is to remove the foam and put the honey in the refrigerator. Then it needs to be eaten in a short time. Or continue the fermentation that has begun and make mead on its basis.
To prevent honey from flaking
In order not to delaminate the treats into dark and light colors, it must be stored correctly.
This requires the following conditions:
- Optimum temperature. Better 5-10 degrees, maximum 20, but you can also freeze. After defrosting, re-freezing is undesirable.
- Normal humidity. This indicator should not exceed 75%.
- Bee nectar can be stored in glass, plastic or a wooden barrel. The main thing is that the lid must tightly close the container.
- Lack of direct sunlight. It is best to store bee products in a dark place.
Young honey is best consumed in the first month after harvest. It is not suitable for long storage, because it contains a lot of moisture, which can soon stratify it and cause fermentation. In order to stock up on a healthy treat for the winter, it is better not to buy it earlier than October. Crystallization has already begun in such a product, but it has not yet frozen. It is more difficult to hide flaws in this case. The main thing is to buy such a not cheap product better from a supplier that values its reputation.
It is possible to determine the quality of bee gold one hundred percent only in laboratory conditions. Its delamination can have both natural causes and be a sign of product tampering. Since it is impossible to determine the quality at home, exfoliated honey should not be taken as a medicine. Also, do not give it to small children. In general, it is suitable for consumption and may well be used in cooking.
