When buying honey at a market or a specialized fair, be sure to ask the seller for a certificate for honey issued by a veterinarian. Even if this is a tray trade, the seller must have complete information about the manufacturer of honey. If there is no such information, it is better to pass by.
Also pay attention to which GOST the honey was certified. For buckwheat, linden, sunflower honey it is GOST R 52451-2005 “Monofloral honeys. TU “. The rest of the honey is certified according to GOST 19792-2001 “Natural honey. TU “If the certificate indicates the botanical origin of honey, then there must be an analysis for the pollen content. If you want to buy a large batch of honey from one vendor, take a sample of the honey to the lab first (100 grams is sufficient).
When buying honey in a store, read the label on the package in detail. It should indicate the standard, variety, botanical type of honey, the time and place of its collection, the name and address of the supplier.
How to store honey
Suppose you are lucky and you bought really high-quality honey (which in fact can only be confirmed by a laboratory examination). Now it must be stored correctly somehow. Honey requires careful handling.
Honey should be stored in a dark glass container at a temperature not exceeding 20 C and in a dark place. When stored under light in a transparent container, honey darkens. Wooden dishes must be waxed. Plastic dishes change the smell of honey over time. For long-term storage, you can put honey in the refrigerator.
If the crystallization process has begun in honey, this is normal and does not mean it is fake. Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugars. Glucose can precipitate in large crystals or crystallize throughout the volume. Different honey can crystallize in different ways and at different times. Some types of honey (for example, acacia, chestnut, honeydew) may not crystallize for years during storage, while other types (for example, rape) crystallize within a week after collection.
How honey is counterfeited
Is honey good for health?