Is Your Honey Real? Here’s How to Tell (And Why It Matters)
How to Determine What Is Real Honey vs. Fake Honey
In a world of mass production and processed goods, it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying “honey” that’s been adulterated or entirely faked with sugar syrup and additives. As a beekeeper and forager, I believe in the purity and power of raw, local honey—and I want to help you identify the real deal.
Real Honey vs. Fake Honey: What to Look For
1. Texture & Flow
Real honey is thick and viscous. When you drizzle it, it piles up before slowly spreading.
Fake honey is often runny and flows quickly. That’s a sign it’s been diluted or contains added sugars.
2. Aroma
Real honey smells floral, herbal, and complex. It carries the scent of the environment where bees foraged.
Fake honey often has little to no aroma, or a sugary, artificial scent.
3. Taste
Real honey has depth—it can be fruity, earthy, or spicy depending on the nectar source.
Fake honey tastes one-dimensional—just sweet.
4. Crystallization
This is where things get interesting—and it's also a big clue.
Why Real Honey Crystallizes
Crystallization is a natural process. In fact, it’s a hallmark of raw, unfiltered honey.
Here’s why it happens:
Sugar Content: Honey is mostly glucose and fructose. Glucose tends to crystallize over time.
Pollen & Wax Particles: These natural bits act as “seeds” that encourage crystals to form. That’s why unfiltered honey crystallizes faster.
Temperature: Cooler storage speeds up crystallization.
Crystallized honey is still perfectly good. Just place the jar in warm water to gently re-liquefy it—or spread it thick on toast and enjoy that creamy texture!
What’s Really in Fake Honey?
Fake honey—also called adulterated or counterfeit honey—is often marketed to look and taste like the real thing, but it's far from it. Instead of being made by bees from flower nectar, it's manufactured or diluted with cheap, sweet-tasting substances. Here's what commonly ends up in fake honey:
1. High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
One of the most common additives, HFCS is cheap and mimics the sweetness of honey. However, it lacks all the nutritional, enzymatic, and antioxidant properties found in real honey. It's also linked to health concerns like insulin resistance and inflammation.
2. Glucose Syrup
Derived from starch (usually corn or wheat), glucose syrup is added to bulk up the volume of honey and reduce costs. It also prevents crystallization, which is why fake honey often stays runny indefinitely.
3. Cane Sugar or Beet Sugar
Plain white sugar syrup can be mixed into low-quality honey to stretch it out. This is difficult to detect unless honey is tested in a lab for its sugar profile.
4. Artificial Colorants & Flavorings
To mimic the golden hue and floral aroma of natural honey, some producers add caramel coloring or synthetic honey flavorings. These additives don’t contribute any of the natural benefits and can actually signal heavily processed contents.
5. Water
Diluting honey with water is another way to increase volume. However, it thins the honey and makes it more prone to fermentation—a telltale sign of tampering.
Why It Matters
Fake honey doesn’t just deceive consumers—it undermines the work of ethical beekeepers, hurts pollinator-friendly ecosystems, and removes the very qualities that make honey special: its antimicrobial power, trace minerals, enzymes, and the biodiversity of the foraged plants.
Supporting local, raw honey not only keeps you healthier—it keeps bees (and beekeepers like me) thriving.
Trust What’s in the Jar: A Call to Action from The Foraging Bee
At The Foraging Bee, every drop of honey we harvest is raw, unfiltered, and never diluted. Our bees forage freely across wildflowers, clover, orchard blooms, and the native flora of the Similkameen Valley and Rain Bird Farms—creating small-batch honey that reflects the season and the landscape.
We don’t just sell honey—we steward it.
No shortcuts. No additives. Just the real, overflowing goodness of the hive.
When you buy from The Foraging Bee, you’re supporting:
Ethical, regenerative beekeeping
Healthy, chemical-free hives
Biodiversity and pollinator-friendly practices
A small business rooted in education, sustainability, and community connection
Ready to Taste the Difference?
Visit www.theforagingbee.ca or stop by one of our markets.
Follow us on social media for updates on seasonal honey releases, new botanical products, and workshops that bring you closer to the magic of the hive.
The Takeaway
Crystallization = authenticity.
Strong aroma = floral fingerprint.
Thick texture = no shortcuts.
Always support local beekeepers and choose honey that tells the story of the land and the bees who made it.
Let’s bee curious and stay connected to what’s real.
—Mark Vanderende | The Foraging Bee