Dark honey

[dustawaits]

I was given a big jug of honey from someone who had been the recipient of the honey.
Therefore I do not know how old it is. Heard it came from Sam’s. Possibly from USA, or a variety 
of other countries. 
When I tasted it this morning..it is bitter. Should I put this out for the bees or...?

[Use Less]

Honey almost never spoils. Honey that has gone bad ferments, in which case it isn't bitter, it's just plain nasty. It happens rarely.
Or something grows on the surface, which you generally would be able to see.
Dark honey comes from other pollen sources. In my area, beekeepers put hives around buckwheat fields in order to get that special, very dark, very strong honey. A fair number of people don't like buckwheat honey.
Is there someone familiar with dark honeys who can taste or sniff-test it for you? Dark honey reminds me of dark molasses, if that's any help.

[feather]

If you taste it and cannot enjoy it, you might want to give it away.
If it smells yeasty, it might have been diluted.
Bitter tastes, there are many of them in our foods, like lettuces, and cilantro, and celery, usually if they are harvested late.....but many people enjoy some bitter flavors in their food.

[dustawaits]

It was sealed. But since it has the possibility of coming from India, S. America
or other places, maybe USA..does not give a clue what the bees fed on. Yes
it looks like blackstrap molasses. Does not taste like molasses. It is sharply bitter.

Over my lifetime I have tasted many types of wild honey, or specific honey. Have been to
the bee federation meetings and tasted many honeys.
Is this pure? I doubt it. The lady that gave it to me was going to pour it on the ground... The
person that gave it to her did not want it....neither do I!

[feather]

You know what you like, that is good. If you feed it to your bees, what will it do to the honey they make, if it is molasses?

[dustawaits]

That is what I was asking, Will the bitter honey taint ? Not all goes into the hive
The bees need nourishment .

[copperkid3]

Unless you know for certain that the honey is not from hives that might have been infected with American or European foulbrood,

I WOULD NOT feed it to your own bees.  The chances for infection are too great to risk such reckless behavior.  And they may or may


not immediately consume it.  Which means that they could very well store it and then what are you going to do when you harvest your


honey crop?  The "taste" isn't going to change or go away.....

[dustawaits]

Thanks copperkid3, just the info I was looking for.

[Tim Horton]

Give it to someone to use as bear bait......