Now that sugar addiction is scientifically proven, more and more people turn to honey to satisfy their sweet tooth. In an attempt to make a healthy swap, they sweep off every last bottle of honey from their local supermarkets, unknowingly stocking up on even more refined sugar. How is that possible? It turns out, all honey is called the same, but not all of it is processed in the same way. The product that you should be buying is called Raw Honey. Full of nutrients, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, it is the nature’s sweetest candy and its best medicine. But how is it different from the product standing on your kitchen shelf and how to know if the honey is raw? As people who take care of the bees and harvest raw honey, we have some answers!
What is raw honey?
The definition of raw honey is the following – a sweet, light-gold/amber/dark brown food substance produced by honeybees that is pure, unpasteurized, unheated, and unprocessed. In fact, it would have been called just regular honey if it wasn’t for the dominance of processed foods on the market. Raw honey is honey in its initial form – straight from the beehive, just as nature meant it to be. The only way true raw honey is “processed” is by light filtration to eliminate impurities. Other than that, it is untouched, which allows preserving all the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
The honey that we see flooding the supermarkets is pasteurized. It is clear, has a smooth texture, even colour, and is never crystallized. Why pasteurize honey? To kill the yeast cells and bacteria that raw honey may contain, improve their appearance and shelf-life to increase the sales. However, there is one significant downside to pasteurization – it destroys the nutrients in honey, stripping it of all the benefits and leaving you with, well, plain glucose syrup! Some manufacturers even add refined sugar to the honey to enhance the taste. So while you are helping yourself to a spoonful of what you think is a natural sugar alternative, you are actually loading up on the very thing you try so hard to avoid!
So how to know if honey is raw?
Though commercial honey prevails on the market, some retailers do offer healthier alternatives. To make sure you are buying raw honey, look at the label. It should say “100% raw” or “unpasteurized”. Words like “organic” and “pure” do not indicate that the honey was unheated. If the label passed the test, look at the product more closely. Raw honey is cloudier and creamier than the regular one. It may also be crystallized or set, which some people perceive as an indication that honey has gone bad. However, it is not so. You can easily reverse the crystallization at home by putting the jar of honey into hot water. The high temperature will melt the crystals and make the product liquid again. However, be careful not to overheat the honey as it destroys all the healthy nutrients.
What is the best raw honey to buy?
Now that you know the definition of raw honey, you must be wondering where to purchase it. Raw honey is not hard to find. It is widely available at farmers’ markets, supermarkets, and grocery stores all over the world. And you will have no problem finding it using our “How to know if honey is raw?” guide. If you want to save time – shop online! On BeeBaltic.com you will find 100% raw, unheated, and unpasteurised honey harvested organically and ethically from the untouched meadows and forests of Lithuania. Our products are tested in certified European laboratories to ensure that the honey we provide to our customers is free from harmful bacteria, antibiotics, and pesticides. Clickhere to check out our selection of raw honey. Within our catalogue, you will find traditional forest and wildflower varieties as well as the Baltic alternative to famous Manuka honey! For more information about our products, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time!
Raw honey is honey in its initial form – straight from the beehive, just as nature meant it to be. The only way true raw honey is “processed” is by light filtration to eliminate impurities. Other than that, it is untouched, which allows preserving all the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
If the label says raw, you can be confident that it doesn't contain any additives. While some processed honeys contain added sugar or rice syrup, raw honey is just honey. Pure, natural honey — that's it.
The best honey you can buy is from a hyper-local, small-production beekeeper since it's more likely to be actual honey. Look for unfiltered, raw honey that still has bits of pollen present, since this is what gives the honey its flavor.
Raw honey comes straight from the hive to the bottle. The honey is never pasteurized or heated unlike store bought honey that does this for a number of reasons, mainly appearance and to increase the shelf life. Store-bought honey often has sugar added to it, raw honey does not.
Raw honey — comes straight from the hive and is available in filtered or unfiltered forms. Regular honey — pasteurized and may contain added sugars. Pure honey — pasteurized but contains no added ingredients.
Pure honey only means that it has not been cut with corn syrup, sugar or another ingredient to dilute it. Usually, pure honey has been heated for pasteurization and filtered at least once if not twice, which is what separates it from raw honey.
Raw honey tends to be a little more cloudy. than regular honey because of these traces of pollen, yeast, wax, etc, but that's not always the case. Just like any other honey, raw honey has different characteristics. dictated by what the honey is made from.
Busy Bee. For more than 50 years, Barkman Honey's flagship brand has delivered quality 100% honey to retail and foodservice operators with a promise of “Clearly Nature's Finest.” Busy Bee is traditionally processed honey and contains no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Ideally, honey should be stored at room temperature, so keep it away from stoves and other kitchen appliances that generate heat. You should also refrain from putting it in the fridge, as this can cause it to thicken and change its texture.
Thus, when shopping for honey, simply avoid products with any questionable ingredients that aren't honey (like sugar or corn syrup) that may lessen the health benefits of natural, raw honey.
In fact, honey including raw honey can contain the spore forming bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, that causes intestinal botulism (also called infant botulism). Intestinal botulism mainly affects children less than one year old.
As explained by Costco Connection, the bulk retail chain sources its honey from numerous suppliers and beekeepers. While some of the store's sweet products contain honey imported from Brazil and Argentina, others exclusively feature honey derived straight from the U.S.
For best quality, store honey for up to 12 months. After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. Honey can become cloudy, crystallized or solidified but this is not a safety concern. The honey can be microwaved or heated in a pan of hot water to clarify or melt it.
Sticks to the thumb – Place a drop of honey on your thumb. If it doesn't stick and drips away, it is not pure. Look & smell – Pure honey is always cloudy and not shiny in appearance and it has a hint of flowery smell, whereas an impure honey might be shiny, transparent and gives out the smell of sugary syrup.
Even though their colors range from what beekeepers call “water white” to “motor-oil black,” raw and unfiltered varietal honeys are almost always cloudy and opaque, with their natural pollen––and flavor––still intact. Shop for honey by cloudiness, not color, and you won't be disappointed.
Raw honey is only strained before it's bottled, which means it retains most of the beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that it naturally contains. Conversely, regular honey may undergo a variety of processing, which may remove beneficial nutrients like pollen and reduce its level of antioxidants.
Dabur Honey is entirely sourced from Indian beekeepers and conforms strictly with all the 22 parameters mandated by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) for testing Honey. In addition, Dabur Honey is also LCMS - MS tested for zero presence of antibiotics, as further mandated by FSSAI.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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