Characteristics of Honey

Honey is yummy 

Honey has a delicious, varied, delicate flavor. The flavor depends on the nectar bees gather to make the honey. Honey from dandelion nectar tastes different from honey produced from linden tree nectar or lavender nectar. Nectar variations can result in different color, and texture as well. 

Heating honey above about 110 degrees F changes honey flavor. (The exact temperature is controversial. In Utah honey is raw when it has not been heated above 117 degrees. We don’t recommend heating honey, but it may get hotter than this in a hot beehive in the desert.) Fermentation can also change this flavor. 

Lavender plants yield delicious lavender honey.

Dandelion honey is popular for making mead. 

Honey is viscous

Honey is runny and flows quickly when it is warm, and moves very slowly when it is cold. (Bottling honey in January is tricky business.)

Another retro Grandpa Andersen photo.

Honey has low moisture content

Honey has less than 18.6% moisture. Ours is usually closer to 12%. When water the water level is higher than 18.6%, honey will ferment. In the beehive, the nectar collected is higher in moisture than honey. Bees add enzymes from their body to the nectar, cure it and evaporate water out of it to make it into honey. 

Honey is hygroscopic

Honey will absorb moisture from its surroundings. This can be problematic in humid climates, as honey may absorb enough moisture from the air to ferment. In Utah, this is rarely a problem. Historically, honey has been used on wounds because of its ability to absorb moisture and its antimicrobial properties. 

Honey is acidic

Honey has a pH around 4. (Range 3.4 to 6.1, according to Wikipedia). PH 4 means that it is about 1,000 times more acidic than plain, neutral water. 

Honey lasts

Honey can be stored indefinitely, providing it stored in a dry, pest-free container.