Raw Honey
What is Raw Honey?
Raw honey is the honey you get straight from the hive, with all of its natural health benefits. It undergoes minimal processing, and it maintains unique tastes and textures that are determined by the given hive’s location, climate, and surrounding floral species.
By contrast, “regular” or processed honey that you might find in a plastic bear at the grocery store has been so processed that many health benefits are destroyed or diminished, and it offers little variety in taste and texture. (Read more about the differences between raw honey and “regular” honey on the Buzz Blog.)
How is Raw Honey Harvested?
Once extracted from the beehives, raw honey undergoes minimal processing, if any at all, before it’s ready to eat. This processing is limited to light straining, which removes larger chunks of wax and bee particles, and to low heating, which can facilitate the bottling process.
Raw honey is not heated to temperatures that are high enough to destroy beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and other components of natural honey. (This means it will not be heated at a temperature over 118 degrees Fahrenheit.) The straining materials used for raw honey have large pore sizes through which pollen can still pass; cheese cloth is actually very popular for straining raw honey.
Because of this minimal processing, raw honey maintains a thick and creamy texture.
Raw honey is not mixed with any artificial sweeteners. Additives in honey and regular processing practices (high heat and micro filtration) can contribute to the thinner, syrupy consistency that many have come to associate with honey from the store.
The HoneyComber Club Promise
HoneyComber Club only shares and promotes raw honey varieties that meet the above criteria and have been sourced from that apiary’s hives. This means that the honey you get won’t be mixed with other producers’ honeys that could bring quality or floral source into question.
We’re dedicated to bringing you high quality raw honey varieties from trusted, honest, and hard-working beekeepers.
Read more about Raw Honey Crystallization, Raw Honey vs. “Regular” Honey, and Raw Honeys’ Health Benefits on The Buzz Blog!