HONEY

No. It is unrefined, with no sulphur treatment, no added sugar syrup and no colour. That is why the shade varies a little between batches.

Generally yes, roughly measure for measure, though it is slightly less sweet than refined sugar and carries its own flavour. In baking it also adds a little moisture and colour.

Because it is an unrefined agricultural product. Colour shifts with the season, the source and the batch. A sweetener that is identical every time has usually been processed to make it so.

Airtight and dry. Unrefined sweeteners attract moisture and will clump or harden if left open in a humid kitchen.

It is unrefined and retains some minerals that refining removes, but it is still a sugar and should be treated as one. We would rather say that plainly than make a health claim.

Yes, and that is normal for an unrefined sweetener rather than a fault. Warm the jar gently in hot water to loosen honey, or break up hardened sugar with a dry spoon.

It is still a sugar and raises blood glucose, unrefined or not. We would not position it as a diabetic product, and anyone managing diabetes should follow their doctor's or dietitian's advice on quantities.

Adulteration with syrup is common in this category, which is why we lab-test random batches. Honest signs at home: unrefined sweeteners vary in colour between batches, and real honey crystallises over time rather than staying perfectly clear forever.

It is unrefined and nothing is added - no sulphur, no syrup, no colour. That is also why the shade shifts between batches, which a heavily processed sweetener never does.