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Honey – Nothing like it!

Honey is a sweet, viscous food product that is produced by bees from the nectar, sap, and pollen of nearby plants, trees, and flowers. Weather, floral nectar, and geographical region are all factors that influence the flavor sweetness, and consistency of honey. Commercially produced honey is typically found in the liquid form but there are various types of honey depending on the extraction, processing, and manufacturing processes.

Crystallized honey

Crystallized honey is a hardened and solidified type of honey that is formed through a natural and spontaneous process of glucose crystallization. Crystallized honey is commercially produced, but the process can also occur naturally over time. Depending on the manufacturing process and sugar content, crystallization can occur over several years or within a few weeks. Additionally, this process is accelerated in colder temperatures. Honey that has become crystallized over time can be reconstituted into liquid honey by gently heating the substance. Commercially produced and packaged Crystallized honey is pure honey extracted from the honey comb. No heating or filtering is performed in order to retain its original flavor and aroma. Due to its enhanced flavor and because crystallized honey is thicker, it is typically used as a spread for toast or other baked goods.

Pasteurized honey

The majority of store bought honey is liquid and has been through a pasteurization process. After the honey has been extracted from the hive, it is heated between 150 °F and 170 °F for no less than 15 minutes and cooled rapidly. The heating process breaks down sugar crystals and produces a darker, liquefied form of honey. After the heating process, the honey is filtered in order to remove contaminants such as pollen, wax, air bubbles, and other particles. Pasteurization will delay the crystallization process and is also intended to kill food borne bacterial cells and yeast spores that can be harmful. Pasteurized honey is the most common variety of honey sold in stores and has many uses as natural sugar substitute. It is commonly used on everything from sandwiches and ice cream, to coffee and tea.

Raw honey

Raw honey is the purest form of honey available. Unlike pasteurized, filtered, or liquid honey, raw honey does not go through the pasteurization process and is not filtered or heated above the hive temperature of 90 °F. This type of unprocessed honey has substantial amounts of natural vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, and has many health and dietary benefits. Since raw honey is not filtered or heated, it is significantly thicker than traditional liquid honey and contains particles such as pollen, beeswax, and propolis. With scores of health and nutritional benefits, raw honey has been utilized throughout the years for its numerous therapeutic and healing properties. With anti bacterial, fungal, viral, and inflammatory effects, raw honey has been used to cure and treat everything from the common cold and allergies to infections, digestion, and respiratory conditions. Since raw honey is considerably thicker than liquid honey, it is ideal for use as a spread or topping. Honey aficionados prefer this type of honey because it retains more of the natural flavor and enzymes not found in processed honey.



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