I’ve used Great Value Clover Honey liquid for the past year or two, to add that distinctive honey flavor to teas, cereals, and of course, to any recipe that calls for honey such as buckwheat pancakes or waffles. This all-natural honey product of the USA is a pleasing substitute to table sugar and corn syrup-based syrup products, as it supplies the unique natural honey flavor that makes real honey so worth the little extra expense over the man-made varieties artificially-flavored corn syrups.
The Great Value grade A clover honey, distributed by Walmart stores, has 60 calories per tablespoon, and appears to equal agave nectar in terms of sweetness. However, I’d suggest that you not use honey in place of these other sweeteners, as its flavor interacts differently with the foods you put it on. Thus, the resulting flavors may not be what you desired or expected.
All natural honey, though it consists of practically pure sugar, also has some nutritional value, as it is typically unbleached, thus preserving the natural compounds within that come from the flowers and plants from which the bees gather it.
Benefits, Features, Pros, and Advantages
- Impresses the tongue as a, moderate-strength honey flavor, and has a strong honey aroma; a definite and pleasant scent.
- Dark amber in color; a bit lighter than pure maple syrup a bit darker than the light varieties of agave nectar. So it can darken the colors of foods or beverages you put it in.
- Dissolves completely, though not so quickly in hot drinks. It’s harder to dissolve than agave nectar or maple syrup; especially in cold drinks. However, I get around this by heating the honey in the microwave for ten seconds or so. That softens it enough to make dissolving it in beverages a snap.
- Requires just one stirring for complete dissolving, as it does not tend to separate after it’s completely dissolved in beverages; once you get it dissolved that is.
- A honey lover since I first learned about it over three decades ago, I’m pleased that through products such as this offering from the Great Value brand, all-natural honey has certainly moved into widespread distribution and sale here in North America.
- Have never experienced any intestinal or stomach problems from this product.
- This honey indeed has a very thick, honey-like feel to it, and is thus, significantly thicker than maple syrup or agave nectar.
- To my palate, the honey flavor is of no lower quality than that found in name brands such as Thrifty Bee, Sue Bee, BeeMaid, et al. However, this clover honey is still just as sweet as the name brands (most honeys have equal sweetness), and is similar in its dark amber color.
- When people discuss the classic taste of honey in tea and on pancakes, they must have had the Great Value brand of clover honey in mind indeed.
- I’m pleased that the Great Value brand of this dark amber all natural clover honey has become so ubiquitous through Walmart.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, Limitations, and Health Concerns
- Remember: Honey has significant calories (approximately sixty calories per tablespoon). So, it can put weight on you, if consumed in excess.
- Found exclusively at Walmart grocery stores. So you might not be able to get it if there’s no Walmart near you.
- They package this honey in a flexible plastic bottle; no doubt to support squeezing of the bottle to force out the thick contents. Plus, plastic packaging weighs significantly less than glass, and so, reduces the overall cost of the product. However, I still prefer glass bottles for all honey products to minimize leeching of the plastic compounds into the honey, from the bottle, and potentially altering the flavor. This leeching can increase when the honey is heated in the microwave. So give me glass. I’ll pay a little more for it, and incur the inconvenience of having to use my microwave oven to thin the honey in order to easily remove it.
- The 48-ounce bottle does not have a squeeze-out spout honey dispenser; just a lid that covers a wide mouth on the top of the bottle.
- To adequately sweeten my tea, I must use three to four tablespoons of most any honey product including this one. This differs markedly from the liquid stevia products I use, that require far less than one tablespoon. This can balloon the cost of honey as a tea sweetener and add lots of calories besides. However, this is true of all honey products I’ve tried, and so, is not endemic to the Great Value brand of clover honey being reviewed here.
- If spilled, any honey can draw bugs, just as spilled sugar or sugary syrup might. Like you would with sugar, take care during clean-up that you leave no sticky honey behind that could attract ants and roaches. It’s a cinch to clean and quite water-soluble. So a wet dish rag effectively removes spills. The darkness of this clover honey makes it easy to see if spilled on counters and tables. Fortunately though, since this honey is so thick compared to agave nectar and maple syrups, one usually has plenty of time to pick up a tipped-over bottle before the honey spills out.
- Great Value all natural clover honey can indeed cost more than sugar per pound; though it’s somewhat cheaper than the Maple Grove Farms syrup, ounce for ounce. I currently pay roughly $8.32 for one 48-ounce (three pounds) bottle, which lasts several weeks when used exclusively to sweeten my morning tea, or lasts through perhaps ten to fifteen pancake or waffle meals.
Our Rating
To tie this review up: I’d recommend Great Value all natural clover honey, and would rate it at 95 out of 100.
Where To Buy Great Value All Natural Clover Honey
Look for the clear plastic bottle with the white label that is capped with a blue lid exclusively at your Walmart grocers. You’ll probably agree that you need sacrifice no sweetness to gain the health benefits of natural maple syrup found in this product.
Cautions and Warnings
But moderate on consuming any honey, because though this sweetener may be healthier than sugar, it nonetheless still contains about as much sugar as agave nectar and maple syrup. Enjoying this product in moderation therefore, is likely the healthiest way to pleasure yourself with it. Still though, if you must consume calories to experience great honey flavor in food, then this pure honey product from Great Value is among the healthiest, most nutritious sources of sweetness per calorie available. So enjoy it.
References
Revision History
- 2015-01-28: Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, tweaked the content, and rearranged category and tag assignments.
- 2014-11-30: Added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, extended the References section, and updated the content.
- 2012-03-08: Originally published.