08/20/2024
We filled 40 - 3/4 lb jars of raw honey from this summers honey harvest. The article below does a great job of explaining the nutritional content, flavor profile, and health benefits of darker colored honey. Our last harvest consisted of light amber honey and the difference is remarkable.
The USDA sorts honey into seven color-based categories. They are, in ascending order of darkness, Water White, Extra White, White, Extra Light Amber, Light Amber, Amber, and Dark Amber.
Plants have varying mineral contents depending on climate and soil conditions, and a higher concentration of minerals in the nectar correlates to darker honey. Higher quantities of minerals also mean higher levels of antioxidants, so the darker the honey, the more antioxidants it contains. Antioxidants work to eliminate free radicals, destructive chemicals that damage the cells in our body and can even alter the coding of our DNA. There is no way to avoid free radicals — they are a byproduct of our bodies turning food into energy — but a diet rich in antioxidants can protect cell health and even repair damaged DNA.
Honey also contains a variety of beneficial vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, ascorbic acid, and pantothenic acid. It is also rich in minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, phosphorus, and zinc. One of the principal reasons that dark honey is dark is the fact that it contains less water than light honey. Less water diluting the honey means there is a higher concentration of the aforementioned vitamins and minerals. It's not just increased proportions though, as research suggests dark honey actually contains more total nutrients than light honey.
Darker honey varieties have a much different flavor profile than lighter ones. Generally speaking, light honey is milder than dark honey, but the differences are more nuanced than that. Light honey can actually taste sweeter overall, though the flavor profile is less complex with the unique floral notes being far more subdued. Dark honey varieties have a more pungent taste and aroma, characterized by strong notes of molasses and malt.
If you prioritize the nutritional aspect of honey or desire a more potent and complex flavor profile, you'd be better served by a dark honey variety such as dandelion, thyme, chestnut, buckwheat, wildflower, or jarrah. Darker honeys, especially those marketed for their health benefits, tend to be more expensive than light versions. Dark honey may also be harder to find in stores than light honey.
Read More: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1247811/nutritional-difference-light-dark-honey/
