all about Raw Honey

What makes honey “raw”, anyways? When you visit your local market or grocery store, you’ll often find many variations of honey - and as beekeepers, we always look for raw honey options. When honey is labeled as “raw”, this means that the honey inside that jar came directly from the honeycomb found in the beehive, without any processing such as fine filtering or heating.

Unlike processed honey, raw honey is not pasteurized (lowly heated), often has an opaque appearance, and can vary in color and texture in the most fascinating and delicious ways. Raw honey preserves its flavors by maintaining the integrity of pollen, microbes like food yeasts, and a variety of different sugars such as fructose. According to Mariah McDonald, an Herbalist and Beekeeper, honey becomes pasteurized once the glucose is cooked out of it, which also means that honey will not crystallize. Mariah recommends prioritizing local and raw honey in order to ensure that your honey has the antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, because once the honey is heated – it simply turns into a sweetener.

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the Foam on top

White honey foam is the air bubbles that have floated to the top of the jar, capturing some of the most nutritious bits found in raw honey, pollen, propolis and wax. This is a sign that the honey has not been subjected to high heat or extensive filtration, which can strip away the beneficial nutrients found in the honey when initially extracted from the comb. Honey foam is light, flavorful, healthful - a delicacy - consider yourself lucky if you find this elixir of life at the top of your honey jar.

Crystalized Honey

Crystalization is normal, a natural transformation that is caused by glucose crystals forming and separating from the water, and is a sign of pure, real honey, not a sign of spoilage. Crystallized honey has a wonderful crunchy texture and can be used as is for a thick spread on toast, mixed into hot beverages, or used in baking.