Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
THE VISUAL PROPERTIES OF HONEY
Thefirstthingyouwillnoticewhenlookingathoneythroughaclearglassjarisitsclar-
ity or visual properties. Some of the honeys I have collected appear cloudy or opaque,
while others are crystal clear. Cloudiness can be the result of air bubbles, pollen grains,
or other fine particles or materials floating in the bottle and does not necessarily mean
the honey is not tasty or acceptable. During the process of extracting honey from the
frames, air can get into the honey, producing a foamy layer on the top. Foam or froth in
honeyisunavoidable. Itusually risestothetopofthehoneyjarandwill eventually dis-
appear after the honey settles. For cosmetic purposes, excess foam should be removed
with a spoon or a strainer. When describing a honey's relative visual properties a few
terms are used:
clear, reasonably clear
, and
fairly clear
.
T
HE
C
OLOR OF
H
ONEY
The color of honey is determined by its floral source and mineral content. Honey color
varies naturally and comes in a wide range of tonalities, from water white or clear to
light yellow, gold to amber, purple to dark amber, and in extreme cases, black. I have
seen red honeys and even ones with a greenish tint. The best way to judge a honey's
colorisbyfillingasmallwhitecupabout
1
/
8
ofaninch(3mm)withasample.Thisway
youcanseethecolorofthehoneysample against thewhite backgroundofthecup.Use
a designated color fan called a
Pfund color grader
to compare the color of your honey
withthecolorsonthefan.Simplymatchthehoneysamplewiththeclosestvalue.There
is also another system that uses colored glass tiles with designated honey colors. The
seven designated colors of honey are water white, extra white, extra light amber, light
amber, amber, dark amber, and dark. Although there are variations on these accepted
colors, all honeys can be categorized in one of these seven colors. All honey tends to
deepen in color as it ages, but this change does not affect its flavor.
A
ROMA OR
N
OSE OF
H
ONEY
The fragrance or bouquet of a honey refers to its aroma or nose. Of our five senses, our
sense ofsmell is approximately a thousand times more sensitive than oursense oftaste,
and humans can detect 10,000 different odors but only five flavors. About 80 percent
of our taste buds are located in our noses, so most of our knowledge of what a honey
tastes like actually comes from our noses before we even experience the honey on our
tongues.Whatwemaycallflavorisroughly75percentsmell(olfaction)and25percent
taste (gustation). Each honey has a variety of aromas depending upon its temperature
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