What is a Refractometer?
Its a fancy name for a small tool that may leave one wondering - “what is a refractometer?”
A refractometer is an important tool for analyzing honey quality. Specifically, it measures moisture content, analyzing how much water the honey contains.
To use the tool, a small amount of honey is spread onto the tip, which contains a window where light passes through. Because the speed of light changes as it passes through liquid, the refractometer is able to measure this change, determining the water content of the applied substance. By peering through the refractometer, one can read the levels as they are shown on the internal gauge (like a thermometer, levels move vertically along a numerical scale). It uses the principle of “refraction”, hence the name of the tool.
Most honeys are between 14% and 18% water. A honey with a lower moisture content is said to be of higher quality. If it is measured to be over 18%, there is too much water, meaning that the honey could quickly ferment and spoil.
Honey also absorbs water from the environment, so it is important, especially in humid climates, to keep honey sealed!
All of our honey batches are measured with the refractometer prior to packaging, so that we can be sure our jars contain only the highest quality honey! 🍯