Electrical conductivity

Definition

Minerals and organic acids conduct; sugars do not. Conductivity therefore tracks ash content closely and is quick to measure. The standards place the boundary at 0.8 mS/cm: above it a honey is generally honeydew, below it floral. Chestnut is the recognised floral exception and is named explicitly in the rules.

Honey records that discuss this

• Greek fir honeyMildly sweet, resinous and faintly caramelised, with a soft woody character and none of the sharpness of the darker honeydews — considerably gentler than its colour suggests.

Guide records that discuss this

• Minerals in honey, and what conductivity measuresThe mineral fraction of honey is well under one per cent, contributes almost nothing nutritionally, and is one of the most useful numbers in the analytical panel — because it separates floral honey from honeydew without anyone tasting anything.