Water Content in Honey
Lexikon
Water content is one of the most important quality characteristics of honey, because it shows whether the bees have sufficiently thickened the nectar or honeydew and whether the beekeeper has extracted honey that was harvested ripe.
Water content is one of the most important quality characteristics of honey, because it shows whether the bees have sufficiently thickened the nectar or honeydew and whether the beekeeper has extracted honey that was harvested ripe. The lower the water content, the more the honey is protected against fermentation, because moist honeys provide a breeding ground for yeasts and can begin to ferment, which is initially noticeable as a fruity and later an unpleasant taste.
By law, the Honey Regulation prescribes a maximum water content of 20 percent, with up to 23 percent permitted for heather honey and baker's honey. If this value is exceeded, the honey no longer counts as table honey and may not be sold at all. The German Beekeepers' Association requires markedly stricter values for its trademark Echter Deutscher Honig (Genuine German Honey), namely a maximum of 18 percent, and 21.4 percent for heather honey. If only this stricter association value is exceeded, the honey may still be sold, but no longer in the beekeeper's jar with the DIB mark, only in a neutral jar.
In daily practice, beekeepers determine the water content themselves with a hand refractometer directly after extraction. A common mistake is extracting too early, before the bees have fully capped the combs, because then the honey is often still too moist. Damp storage or a damp extraction room can also raise the water content afterward, because honey is strongly hygroscopic and draws moisture from the air.