# Mislabeled honey variety



## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

I just wonder what you guys think of this...

I went to a grocer in Helen, GA and bought some amber colored honey labeled Sourwood for a premium price over wildflower honey. Not only was it *not* sourwood, but I could easily identify the majority tulip poplar and slight blackberry honey taste. It had a slight bitter aftertaste and was just BAD. 

I mean, what if someone had come to the appalachians and heard of the superb Sourwood honey and bought this crap and badmouthed sourwood to his/her friends?

Would you guys do anything? Tell the grocer, write the other bker a letter? I was pretty disappointed with the obvious attempt to pass off bad honey as a premium honey.

[ May 13, 2006, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: Branman ]


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

There was a packer in VA that did business under
the name "The Sourwood Honey Company". Needless
to say, the word "Sourwood" was in very large
print on their label.

This little con lasted for a few months until
the state food and label people had a quiet
talk with them, and told them how big the fine
was going to be for their shenanigans.

GA must have some similar group within either
their health or agriculture departments.

If all the Sourwood honey sold was actual 
100% Sourwood honey, the higher elevations 
along the Blue Ridge in June and July would look 
like the California Almond groves in Feburary!









They don't, so it isn't.


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## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

Agreed it's not all 100%, but I would even be fine with 50%+...this stuff would be lucky to have 5%. Regardless of percentage, I would say the determining factor of what qualifies as sourwood would be taste.

I realize taste is subjective, but most "sourwood" honey I've purchased has had the same great buttery cinnamon taste.

[ May 13, 2006, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: Branman ]


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## Dick Allen (Sep 4, 2004)

The local Fred Meyers sells different varietal honeys for a higher price in their 'healthy' foods section of the store. They are all about the same color. Some of the varieties sold include maple, orange, blackberry, fireweed. I bought a jar of their 'fireweed' honey once that was supposedly produced in Oregon. If it had any fireweed nectar in it, there wasn't much that my taste buds could determine. It was the same dark color and tasted the same as the cheaper honey sold in the jam, jelly, syrup section of the store.


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## RAlex (Aug 18, 2001)

I have a good market for buckwheat honey. Last year I ran out and bought some that was dark like buckwheat * almost* but failed the taste test. At one of my yards I get some bamboo honey that lokks like the stuff I bought and tastes just like it  . I mentioned it him ,we are friends , so didnt really get mad bout it. I did explain that those customers know their buckwheat and if I had sold that to them I surely would have lost some of them. I do have some bamboo bottled but it is labled as bamboo ...Rick


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