Honey is a sweet, viscous food substance made by honey bees and some other bees. Bees produce honey from the sugary secretions of plants or from secretions of other insects, by regurgitation, enzymatic activity, and water evaporation. So, is honey gluten free?
Yes, honey is naturally gluten free. However, some unique products and brands with flavored honey may contain gluten ingredients. Additionally honey may be cross contaminated with gluten products if manufactured in a facility that also produces gluten containing foods. Other gluten-free alternatives to honey are Coombs Family Farms Maple Syrup and Public Goods Organic Agave Syrup.
In this article, we will discuss how honey is produced, the benefits of honey, important information about honey, the nutritional information for popular brands of honey and additional honey products. Let’s dig in!
Contents
What is Honey?
Bees make honey by gathering nectar and pollen from flowers and plants. The bee collects the nectar and store it in their special honey stomach. In the beehive, bees pass the nectar from mouth to mouth from bee to bee to decrease the moisture content of the nectar. When a portion of the moisture is gone, this changes the nectar to honey.
Uses of Honey
Honey has many uses both internally and externally. Honey can be enjoyed with food, on cheeses, pizza, in tea, as a sweetener in baked goods etc. Honey can also be used eternally on the body. In hospitals it is sometimes used for healing burns and wounds. It can be found in many products like skin care products, antiseptic ointments, acne treatment, hair products and more! Honey has many uses.
How Long Can You Store Honey?
Honey is one of the only foods that never spoils. Honey should be store honey is at room temperature, in the pantry or on a shelf, and out of sunlight. Under normal storage, honey will not rot or ferment. However, honey tastes best during its first few years after produced. You may still find an expiration date on bottles of honey and that because it is required by food stores, but that date is simply to meet food stores regulations.
Crystallization of Honey
It’s perfectly normal for honey to crystallize and does not mean that the quality of the honey has changed. All honey is primarily composed of two types of sugar: glucose and fructose. Honey varieties high in fructose rarely crystallize, like Tupelo Honey. Honey varieties high in glucose have a stronger tendency to crystallize over time. Crystallization is natural and does not affect a honey’s flavor. Honey is least likely to crystallize if stored at room temperature. To re-liquify your crystallized honey, stand the lightly sealed jar into a container of warm water for 20 minutes, or run under a hot tap. The honey will gently liquefy. You will want to stir it to speed even heating.
The Health Benefits of Honey
Raw honey has so many benefits.
- Honey is antimicrobial. The sugars can kill bacteria, and there are natural peroxides that form when honey is put on the skin that also help kill bacteria.
- Raw honey is an also a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants work by protecting your body from cell damage due to free radicals.
- Raw honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Research has shown the raw honey can kill unwanted bacteria and fungus. Manuka honey can be used to treat wounds by boosting healing time and reducing infection. However, please note honey that is used in hospital setting is medical grade meaning it is inspected and sterile. It is not advised to treat cuts with honey you purchase from the store.
Who Should Not Consume Honey?
Children younger than the age of one, should not be given honey. Spores called botulinum endospores are found in the natural environment of dirt and dust, and the spores can contaminate honeys. Infants do not have the immune system to destroy these spores and can contract botulism from honey as well as other foods that have the spores. Adults and older children with a developed digestive system can destroy the spores.
Raw Honey Versus Manuka Honey
The difference between raw honey and manuka honey depends on how the honey has been extracted and where the honey comes from.
Raw honey is extracted directly from the honeycomb. Raw honey, fitting for its name, has not been filtered in any way and has not been heated to get rid of any impurifications.
Manuka honey is collected from the honeycomb and comes specifically from bees collecting nectar from manuka plants. Manuka is rare and expensive; this is because the Manuka bush doesn’t grow everywhere. Manuka honey is usually darker in color and has a thicker texture than raw honey.
Gluten Free Honey Brands
Nature Nate’s Raw and Unfiltered Honey
Ingredients:
- Honey
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp, 21g):
- Calories: 70
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 18 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Protein: 0 g
Savannah Bee Company Tupelo Honey
Ingredients:
- 100% all natural honeybee honey
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp, 21g):
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Protein: 0 g
Mike’s Hot Honey
Ingredients:
- 100% pure honey
- Real Chili Peppers
- Vinegar
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp, 21g):
- Calories: 70
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Protein: 0 g
Bushwick Kitchen Bees Knees Meyer Lemon Honey
Ingredients:
- Wildflower Honey
- Meyer Lemon Juice Concentrate
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp, 21g):
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Protein: 0 g
Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey
Ingredients:
- Raw monofloral manuka honey
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp (21g)
- Calories: 70
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Protein: 0 g
Philosphie – Green Bee Honey
Ingredients:
- Raw Honey (Unfiltered)
- Green Dream Superfood and Protein Blend
- Organic Spirulina
- Organic Maca
- Organic Mesquite
- Organic Hemp Powder
- Organic Chia Seeds
- Organic Vanilla
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp, 21g):
- Calories: 65
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Carbohydrate: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 16 g
- Protein: 3 g
Other Gluten free Honey Products
Beekeepers Naturals B.Chill Honey Raw Honey and Hemp
Ingredients:
- Raw Enzymatic Honey
- Hemp Extract
- Coconut Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)
- Sunflower Lecithin
- Vitamin E Tocopherols
Nutrition Facts (Per ½ tbsp):
- Calories: 20
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Protein: 0 g
Savannah Bee Company Whipped Honey with Chocolate
Ingredients:
- Pure honeybee honey
- Fair Trade Cocoa Powder
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 tbsp, 21g):
- Calories: 60
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 13 g
- Protein: 0 g
Bushwick Kitchen Bees Knees Salted Honey Straws
Ingredients:
- Wildflower Honey
- Brine (Salt Flour, Water)
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 Straw):
- Calories: 15
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Protein: 0 g
Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Drops, Ginger
Ingredients:
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Organic Manuka Honey
- Organic Brown Rice Syrup
- Ground Ginger
- Echinacea
Nutrition Facts (Per 2 drops):
- Calories: 50
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrate: 12 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Protein: 0 g
Gluten Free Honey Alternatives
Coombs Family Farms Dark Robust Organic Maple Syrup
Ingredients:
- Organic Maple Syrup
Nutrition Facts (Per ¼ cup, 60 mL):
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Carbohydrate: 53 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 53 g
- Protein: 0 g
Public Goods Organic Agave Syrup
Ingredients:
- 100% Pure Organic Agave Syrup.
Nutrition Facts (Per 2 Tbsp, 30 mL):
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Carbohydrate: 32 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 29 g
- Protein: 0 g
Better Together Lyle’s Golden Syrup
Ingredients:
- Refined Sugar Cane
Nutrition Facts (Per 2 Tbsp, 30 mL):
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Carbohydrate: 34 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 34 g
- Protein: 0 g
Related Questions
Is Honey Vegan?
Vegans try to avoid or minimize all forms of animal exploitation, including that of bees. Therefore, honey is not vegan. There are other plant-based sweeteners that vegans can optimize like maple syrup.
Is Honey Keto?
We have the answer to that in another article here.
Is honey Whole30 compliant?
The Whole30 dietary approach requires that no added sugar in any form, natural or manmade, is used. Therefore, honey cannot be used while following the Whole30 diet.
How Much Honey can 1 Honeybee Make?
In its lifetime, a single honeybee will only produce around 1/12 teaspoon of honey. Based on this statistic, it would take approximately 11,064 bees to make 1 gallon of honey!