Is there really a difference in Honey?

Question

I normally buy organic clover honey at whole foods.....32oz is $7.99 but recently I saw a 5 pound container for sale at a "discount" grocery store for $8.99. the savings are tempting but is there a nutritional or quality difference worth the price disparity?

Answer 1

Yes- there are various grades of honey, and various types. Light honeys, such as clover, alfalfa, and orange blossom are best for teas, glazes, and other light applications. Dark honeys, such as buckwheat and wildflower, are your best bet for baking.

Organic honeys are often local-grown, fresh harvested, and not heat-treated. If local, they also contain local pollen, which has been proven to provide some allergy relief. Locally grown means sustainable practice. Finally, organic honey is one of the foods where organic really makes a difference- as flowers tend to concentrate pesticide residues.

Answer 2

I think ALL honey is organic. The only difference you might see is taste. Clover honey means that the bees gathered nectar from clover blossoms. A cheaper brand might have been made from other flowers and blossoms that give the honey a different taste. Of course, a lot of the cost is in the packaging and a 32 oz jar probably costs about the same as a 5 lbs jar. But 32 oz is a lot of honey. If you don't use it soon enough, it will crystallize into sugar.

Answer 3

There is no way to keep honey totally organic. You can't tell the bees where to get pollen.

The cost of honey is determined by it's color and mildness of taste. No honey can be 100% anything because you can't control the bees. Lighter will cost more.

The 5lb. is about 80 ounces. 5lb's of honey for $8.99 is really cheap. So cheap I'd be afraid of the taste.

Nutritionally, it should be the same. But steer away from the super cheap honey - it's probably a lower grade due to the taste. If you are using it for baking, it probably won't matter.

Answer 4

There are thousands of types (flavors) of honey depending upon where the bees got their nectar to give the honey its particular taste. In the organic honey you probably would not find the traces of insecticides that you might find in non organic honey but I really don't think the price differential is worth the cost for organic honeys. The nutritutional value of honeys I believe is fairly the same across types and brands though but check the labels and compare to make sure.

Answer 5

I don't know how they can claim honey as organic..the bees go where they want, soooo. I think honey is honey and they allow them to call it organic if it has less than whatever than another brand but nothing is absolutly organic in this world. So, to me it makes no difference. The one thing I know about honey in refernce to it helping allergies is it should be made locally fo that purpose because it boosts your immune system against the local pollens and allergies. So, that's my opinion. good luck.

Answer 6

The only real difference is not how it is harvested, but where it comes from. Local honey (within 50-80 miles of your home) is better for you because it can build your tolerance to the pollens in your area if you have pollen allergies.

Answer 7

yes,organic is always the best if you do buy the other brand, make sure its all natural not blended