Honey Types, Tips, and Recipes

There is nothing sweeter in life than honey. One of the most unique foods on earth produced for us by bees. It comes in many different colors, textures, and flavors. And has so many uses from sweet to savory dishes.

Here are some things you want to look for when buying honey:

🍯 Don't expect a varietal honey to taste exactly like it's source.

Let say you find a raspberry honey and it has a strong raspberry flavor. Check the container, is it 100% pure honey? Likely it's honey with added flavor to it. A raspberry honey that was made by bees collecting pollen from raspberries blossoms will a little tartness to the flavor but won't taste like raspberries. I prefer buying honey that doesn't have any added flavorings.

🍯 What country was the honey produced in? Can you authenticate the source?

There is a lot of fake honey out there. To make a profit, honey will be cut with other sweeteners. If the honey you are buying is too cheap to believe that I highly doubt you are getting the real thing. Imported honey is the biggest issue. You need to see if the honey is coming from a source known for faking honey and even that can be tricky as fake honey can be re-routed through different countries. I try to support U.S. beekeepers but occasionally if I feel good about the source will buy a honey from another country that comes from a nectar source not available in the U.S.

🍯 Will the honey crystalize?

Different types of honey crystalize at different rates. A quick search should give you that information. Some will start once you open the jar and other types it will be rare if ever. If I know a honey is going to crystalize on me fast, I will save that honey for things like tea, in which the honey will "melt" into.

Below you will find all the blog posts on my site on the topic of honey. Don't miss my Honey Varietals post for a list of different types of honey i have tried in the past. I also answer questions like Do Killer Bees Make Honey? and What's the Difference Between Clover and Wildflower Honey?. I have recipes that utilize honey like Honey Cornbread Crackers.