Honey Color

From Water-White to Black

Honey color is measured on the Pfund scale, ranging from 0mm (water-white) to over 114mm (dark amber). The USDA grades honey color commercially: water white, extra white, white, extra light amber, light amber, amber, and dark amber. Each grade corresponds to a range on the Pfund scale and can be measured precisely using a Pfund grader or spectrophotometer.

The color comes from the nectar source. Acacia and orange blossom produce some of the lightest honeys. Wildflower and saw palmetto produce medium ambers. Buckwheat, Brazilian pepper, and avocado produce the darkest. The specific pigments responsible include carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and melanoidins formed during the enzymatic conversion process.

Color and Nutrition

Research consistently confirms that darker honeys contain higher concentrations of minerals and antioxidants. A University of Illinois study found that the antioxidant content of honey correlated almost linearly with color: the darker the honey, the more antioxidants. Dark buckwheat honey had 20 times the antioxidant activity of light acacia honey in their testing.

Color Changes Over Time

Honey darkens with age. The Maillard reaction, a slow chemical interaction between sugars and amino acids, gradually deepens the color of stored honey over months and years. Heat accelerates this darkening, which is one reason extensively heated or pasteurized honey tends to be darker. Crystallized honey also appears lighter than its liquid form because the sugar crystals scatter light differently.