Contaminated, altered honey.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

I purchased 2 different types of honey from a large company in Western USA.  One of the 12 ounce jars of ?pure, raw, filtered? honey taste similar to molasses.  A strong taste of molasses.  This particular jar of honey even has a color of light molasses.  The honey I purchased was ?Montana clover? and ?California wild flower.?  The Montana clover Honey is light colored and most impressive.  The California wild flower I believe has molasses added to the honey.  Both jars of honey test pure when added to water.

Now here is the question: have you ever tasted molasses in pure honey?

I have my suspicions that the California wildflower honey is altered, however I don?t wish to falsely accuse a company of wrongdoing.  That is why I will not state the company name and ask the above question.

In the USA, custom officials seize tons of altered imported honey every year.   Honey with cheap sugar additives.  The profit ratio of cheap sugars to honey is 1:10, that is cheap sugar is 10 cents compared to 90 cents of pure Honey so the incentive to dilute pure honey is very profitable for exporters that deal in tons.

[Dallasbeek]

I bought some buckwheat honey in Thurmont, Maryland, on my way to Gettysburg, PA, that is very dark, almost purple,  and reminds me of molasses.  The store owner and his brother planted some acreage in buckwheat for their bees.  Some people really like buckwheat honey and some hate the taste.  I wish I had about 30 acres I could plant in buckwheat and set my hives right in the middle of it.  See if you can find some buckwheat honey and compare to what you're suspicious of.  Or pay to have it analyzed and file a complaint if it turns out to be altered.

[Kathyp]

Buckwheat.  My favorite and very much like molasses. 

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

So Ms. Kathy, are you saying buckwheat honey taste like, or similar to molasses?
Blessings

[little john]

Van - I just 'did a Google' - and here are some typical comments ...

Buckwheat honey does not really taste of buckwheat ? it is a dark-colored honey  with a rich, molasses taste.

Buckwheat honey's full-bodied flavor isn't for everyone, but once accustomed to it, some people fall in love with its lingering aftertaste. Its dark color and taste are reminiscent of molasses, and it's a favorite in Europe.

This honey is a very dark honey and also has a pleasant sweet taste to it. Buckwheat honey is pungent in flavor with molasses and malty tones and a lingering aftertaste. 

It sounds as if your concerns are probably unfounded ?
LJ

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Ok, Buddy, Sir Lil John, that answers my question.  I gonna presume the honey is the real deal.  I never knew honey could taste like molasses, however there are so many varieties and I have only tasted a few including that (medical Honey) Manuka(sp) from Ireland, I think.  Tasted like honey with a cough drop,,,,, about $40.00 for 4 ounces, high grade, certified and unpleasant to my taste buds.
Thanks Lil John.
Blessings

[BeeMaster2]

Van,
The honey I collected my first year was very dark. It had a good floral taste the first year. A bottle of it ended up on a shelf and a few years years later I found it and the honey was really dark and it had a strong licorice taste. Sometimes honey will darken and change the taste.
Jim

[little john]

You guys have got me thinking about planting some Buckwheat - as it's one of those plants I've often thought about planting, but have just never got around to it.

Question - does anyone know if raw Buckwheat groats from a whole-food shop can be used as seed ?  'Cause as a foodstuff, it's less than a quarter of the price of certified seed.
LJ

[Dallasbeek]

LJ, you'll need to plant a large field of it to be able to harvest frames (or combs from top bar hive) of mostly buckwheat honey.  I've seen seeds in some catalogs that were not too expensive by the pound. 

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Thanks everyone, I am going to buy some buckwheat honey, the dark stuff.  I have never tried so This will be a new taste experience.
Blessings

[AR Beekeeper]

Van;  To me our local Sumac honey has a bit of a molasses taste, especially when first extracted.  It doesn't take much of the Sumac to alter the color and taste of Clover honey, so I would usually harvest the Clover in early June just before the Sumac flowers.  Some people prefer the darker honey, I think it is good also, but the light sells better. 

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Sumac, is this the poisonous vine Im seeing around these parts, in Arkansas?  We talking the same thing Ar?

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Yes, AR, I extract in June also,,,,,,, to avoid Bitterweed, I did not know about the sumac.  Thanks for the information.  In N. AR, my bees produce a very, very light, mild honey from blonde color pollen.   In July the Honey will darken due to different pollens, orange in color.

In this area, there is a red pollen, blood red, that fluorescent under UV light.  Do you know what plant or trees yields this blood red pollen?
Blessings

[little john]

LJ, you'll need to plant a large field of it to be able to harvest frames (or combs from top bar hive) of mostly buckwheat honey.  I've seen seeds in some catalogs that were not too expensive by the pound. 

I was thinking more of engaging in some guerilla seed-spreading around local field margins to provide a token ongoing source of nectar after the main (miserable) flow that occurs around here, rather than aiming for a honey crop - although that would certainly be nice !
Apparently buckwheat produces nectar 4 weeks after sowing, so it sounds as if successive sowings will be necessary from April/May onwards.  The only snag I can foresee is that many of the farmers around here rotovate their field perimeters (very much into 'neat and tidy'), and so the buckwheat may encounter a precarious existence.   That's what I'm looking for a very cheap source of bulk seed - 'cause I'm expecting to lose a lot of plants.
LJ

[AR Beekeeper]

Van;  The only poison plants I am aware of is Poison Ivy and Poison Sumac.  I don't think the Poison Sumac grows in this area.

The Sumac that produces honey is the bushy plants that grow along the highways and in fence rows and produces masses of red seed pods in the late summer.  There are several different types, Smooth Sumac, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac, they all produce nectar here.  The Winged Sumac blooms last here, about the first week in July.

I like the honey they produce, it is dark amber, darker than the Clover, with an after taste that reminds me of molasses. 

[Dallasbeek]

Van;  The only poison plants I am aware of is Poison Ivy and Poison Sumac.  I don't think the Poison Sumac grows in this area.

The Sumac that produces honey is the bushy plants that grow along the highways and in fence rows and produces masses of red seed pods in the late summer.  There are several different types, Smooth Sumac, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac, they all produce nectar here.  The Winged Sumac blooms last here, about the first week in July.

I like the honey they produce, it is dark amber, darker than the Clover, with an after taste that reminds me of molasses.

Don't forget castor beans.  Do they grow there?  The castor bean plant contains ricin, but also castor oil (remember that when you were a child?)

[Oldbeavo]

Van
In southern Oz the Mistletoe pollen is red, stands out in the frame against the more normal yellowish pollens.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Thanks Beavo, yes we have mistletoe in this neck of the woods.  Way up in the trees, to high for me to see the blooms.  Yes, red, red, red, stands out in the frames but kind of rare, not very much which makes sense as mistletoe is rare in comparison to other foliage.
Blessings

[yes2matt]

What a helpful thread!

My honey this year looks and tastes like I mixed molasses into corn syrup. I don't prefer it, but some others really do! 

And

I have lots and lots of smartweed and other buckwheat-cousins around. More every year it seems (I think the ducks do quite a bit of spreading of "weeds"). I never thought to associate the two observations.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk

[paus]

The native Americans made a tea from sumac, as well as  naturalist.  The berries have a strong lemon taste that are a pain to chew but do have a surprising tartness.  They make a very pleasant lemonade and of course sweeten with sugar or honey.

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

Yes, paus, I have seen that variety, a bush with red seed pods.  Very tart to taste, red seed clusters in the late summer, early Fall.  I believe the leaves turn red in the Fall too.  The bush grows to a height of say 6 ft.  Is this to what you are referring???
Blessings

[paus]

Yes that is the variety only it grows as much as 10 feet in bottoms.  May I correct my error, Native Americans do not make tea from naturalist, my high school grammar teacher is turning over in her grave

[Kathyp]

Cause as a foodstuff, it's less than a quarter of the price of certified seed.
LJ

Call your feed store.  It's often used as a cover crop and you can get big bags of it usually for less than the little bags.  They may need to order it in for you.

[little john]

Cause as a foodstuff, it's less than a quarter of the price of certified seed.
LJ

Call your feed store.  It's often used as a cover crop and you can get big bags of it usually for less than the little bags.  They may need to order it in for you.

Thanks Kathy - cover crop seed quantities sound about right.  I visited a 'Whole-Food' shop earlier today, only to discover (in the small print) that their bags of 'Natural' BuckWheat have been roasted !

Another plan I have - for the longer-term - is to grow a couple of hundred Bee-Bee Trees (Tetradium Daniellii) from seed, and then hand these out gratis to any locals who want to 'Save the Bees' <chuckle>.
LJ

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

BUCKWHEAT HONEY:  I ordered earlier and received this day buckwheat honey.  My first time to taste, I like the taste, a hint of smoke, a hint of molasses,  and very lite licorice flavor.  Darker than molasses, with a pleasant taste.  Maybe not for everyone, what is?  I thanks the beeks for their suggestions on this thread.
Blessings

[Dallasbeek]

BUCKWHEAT HONEY:  I ordered earlier and received this day buckwheat honey.  My first time to taste, I like the taste, a hint of smoke, a hint of molasses,  and very lite licorice flavor.  Darker than molasses, with a pleasant taste.  Maybe not for everyone, what is?  I thanks the beeks for their suggestions on this thread.
Blessings

Was it anything like what you described in your original post?

[Michael Bush]

I've had what was billed as buckwheat honey that was quite pleasant to my tastes and other buckwheat honey that had a bitter aftertaste.  I can't say what the difference was.  Perhaps the good tasting buckwheat had something else in it that mitigated the bitter aftertaste.  Perhaps the bitter aftertaste was some other source that added that to the buckwheat.  I can't say but generally I like buckwheat and it is very reminiscent of molasses though not identical.

[bwallace23350]

The two best monfloral honeys I have ever had were tupelo honey and lavender honey. My family has a business around where tupelo honey is produced and we sell it. If they have a good harvest this year and the price is low I can send people some. I had a friend go to Europe and he brought me back true lavender honey from Southern France. It was simply wonderful and I hope to get some again soon. I do have a friend who has an uncle who lives in southern France adn I might pester them into getting me some more the next time he comes for a visit.

[Michael Bush]

Tupelo would be in my top five favorite honeys.  It would be hard for me to narrow it to the top 5, but sourwood would be my favorite.  Eucalyptus is pretty nice.  Thyme honey was very good.  Basswood, black locust, sumac... all very good.

[Acebird]

Nothing has ever tickled my fancy more than back yard honey.  According to the comments that I have gotten around this country some others agree.