Our guide to raw and UNFILTERED honey
Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurized, or processed in any way after being extracted from the hive. Because it is unprocessed, raw honey retains its natural enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are often lost during pasteurization.
What is raw honey?
What floral source is Huneebee honey coming from?
Huneebee sells wildflower, polyfloral honey. Wildflower honey is honey that is made by bees that collect nectar from a variety of wildflowers and other blooming plants. Because the nectar comes from multiple types of flowers, the flavor, color, and aroma of wildflower honey can vary significantly depending on the region, season, and the specific mix of flowers available to the bees.
“Polyfloral" honey means it is derived from the nectar of many different plant species, as opposed to "monofloral" honey, which is primarily sourced from one type of flower (like clover or orange blossom).
Wildflower honey is prized for its complex and diverse flavor profile, which can range from light and fruity to rich and robust, depending on the specific wildflowers involved. Many people also value it for its potential health benefits, as it may contain a wider range of antioxidants and nutrients due to the diverse plant sources.
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Unfiltered honey is only strained to remove larger particles. Unfiltered honey retains more of its natural components, including small amounts of pollen, propolis, and beeswax, that are often filtered out in commercial honey Because it hasn't been finely filtered, you may see small particles suspended in this honey. These particles contribute to health benefits, as they have nutritional and potential allergy-relief properties.
What does it mean when honey is “unfiltered”?
No! Crystallized honey is not bad for you; in fact, it's perfectly safe to eat and still retains all its nutritional benefits. Crystallization is a natural process that occurs when the glucose in honey separates from the water and forms crystals. This can happen more quickly in raw or unfiltered honey, as it contains more pollen and other particles that can promote crystallization.
Crystallized honey may have a thicker, grainier texture, but its quality, taste, and health benefits remain intact. If you prefer liquid honey, you can gently warm the crystallized honey by placing the jar in warm water or briefly microwaving it to return it to its liquid form. Just be careful not to overheat it, as excessive heat can degrade some of its beneficial properties.
Honey is generally not considered vegan. Vegans typically avoid all animal products and byproducts, including honey, because it is produced by bees. The ethical concern for many vegans revolves around the exploitation of bees in the commercial honey-making process, as bees are often subjected to practices that can harm or stress them, such as artificial breeding, wing clipping, or the destruction of hives during commercial honey production.
Huneebee Project does not engage in many of these commercial honey production practices, and prioritizes our honey bees’ health and well being over our honey harvesting quantities. All honey that is harvested from our hives for human consumption is excess and not required for the bees’ well being or survival.
Honey is generally considered kosher. Despite being produced by bees, honey is not considered a direct product of the bee's body. Instead, honey is viewed as a substance that bees collect, process, and store, without it being a secretion from their bodies.
Because of this, and because we strain our honey to remove larger particles like any bee parts and do not include any additives, all jarred Huneebee raw honey is kosher.
My honey has crystallized - does this mean it’s gone bad?
Is honey considered vegan?
Is Huneebee’s honey considered kosher?
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