Editing Honey (section)

=== Indicators of quality ===
High-quality honey can be distinguished by fragrance, taste, and consistency. Ripe, freshly collected, high-quality honey at {{convert|20|°C|°F|abbr=on}} should flow from a knife in a straight stream, without breaking into separate drops.<ref name="Honey production">{{cite web |author=Bogdanov, Stefan |date=2008 |url=http://www.bee-hexagon.net/files/file/fileE/Honey/Honey%20ProductionCorr.pdf |title=Honey production |work=Bee Product Science |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305184128/http://www.bee-hexagon.net/files/file/fileE/Honey/Honey%20ProductionCorr.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2009}}</ref> After falling down, the honey should form a bead. The honey, when poured, should form small, temporary layers that disappear fairly quickly, indicating high viscosity. If not, it indicates honey with excessive water content of over 20%,<ref name="Honey production" /> not suitable for long-term preservation.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Allan, Matthew |url=http://www.beedata.com/data2/basic_honey_processing.htm |title=Basic Honey Processing |journal=Beekeeping in a Nutshell |volume=5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010217104623/http://www.beedata.com/data2/basic_honey_processing.htm |archive-date=17 February 2001}}</ref>

In jars, fresh honey should appear as a pure, consistent fluid, and should not set in layers. Within a few weeks to a few months of extraction, many varieties of honey crystallize into a cream-colored solid. Some varieties of honey, including tupelo, acacia, and sage, crystallize less regularly. Honey may be heated during bottling at temperatures of {{convert|40|–|49|C|F}} to delay or inhibit crystallization. Overheating is indicated by change in enzyme levels, for instance, [[diastase]] activity, which can be determined with the Schade or the [[Phadebas]] methods. A fluffy film on the surface of the honey (like a white foam), or marble-colored or white-spotted crystallization on a container's sides, is formed by air bubbles trapped during the bottling process.

A 2008 Italian study determined that [[nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy]] can be used to distinguish between different honey types, and can be used to pinpoint the area where it was produced. Researchers were able to identify differences in acacia and polyfloral honeys by the differing proportions of fructose and sucrose, as well as differing levels of aromatic [[amino acid]]s [[phenylalanine]] and [[tyrosine]]. This ability allows greater ease of selecting compatible stocks.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1021/cen-v086n035.p043 |journal=[[Chemical & Engineering News]] |year=2008 |volume=86 |title=Keeping Tabs on Honey |pages=43–44 |issue=35}}</ref>