WHAT IS RAW HONEY
WHY IS IT BETTER THAN PASTEURIZED
Real raw honey comes straight from the beehive and is a potent superfood sweetener gathered by one of the most profound creatures on planet earth, the honeybee.
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Unlike much of the processed honey most people are used to, raw unpasteurized honeys are nothing like these common, highly glycemic watered down versions. Pure honeys are unheated natural sweeteners that still retain all of the nutrients, enzymes and medicinal compounds that honey is known for.
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Honey in this state is a living food high in antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties used throughout the ages to reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and aid digestive functions.
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Raw honey can either be filtered or non-filtered yielding a number of consistencies ranging from a pourable thick syrup to a dense crystallized paste. Non-filtered honey is by far the most medicinal honey available, containing fragments of nutritious constituents, like propolis, bee pollen, small flecks of honeycomb as well as different active enzymes beneficial to human health.
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Some types of raw honey are minimally processed to produce either a more fluid texture, clearer color or to strain out these particles to create a more uniform product. All honey labeled "raw" is never, however, heat pasteurized.
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BEWARE OF LOW QUALITY PASTEURIZED COMMERCIAL HONEY
Many of the commercial honey products found in mainstream grocery stores are ultra-filtered, removing most of the nutrient-rich elements. They are then high heat pasteurized which kills all beneficial microorganisms and other health enhancing components. Pasteurization and extreme processing destroys almost 100% of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and antibiotic properties typically found in abundance in true beehive honey.
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Some honey is not even honey, but low quality Chinese exports that are blends of either high fructose corn syrup, beet sugar, lactose syrup with very little honey content. These honeys also typically have antibiotics added to them. Often referred to as "funny honey" by small scale honey producers, this type of honey can be sold cheap and has been known to drive local beekeepers out of business.
Some corporate honey manufacturers are also known to promote abusive and inhumane beekeeping techniques that involve high fructose corn syrup feeding and artificial insemination as well as the killing of the queen bee and replacing her with a younger artificially raised queen.
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We highly recommend supporting either local or small scale companies who embrace traditional local, in-season-only, low-stress beekeeping methods that ensure happy strong bee colonies. The best honey is produced by beekeepers who maintain these respectful and healthy beekeeping practices.