Why does honey?……………..

Why does honey granulate and has it gone bad?
Honey that has granulated has not gone bad. Honey is a supersaturated solution and has a tendency to turn
towards a granulized state. Some honeys turn fast and some turn slow. This has to do with the types and amounts of the varied sugars present. To re-liquify, simply warm the jar in a pan of hot, but not boiling, water.

Why do different honey varieties have different colors and tastes?
No two nectar sources have the same chemistry. They have different combinations of sugars, minerals and enzymes. For example, very dark honeys, such as buckwheat or tulip poplar, have a high mineral content. This gives them their color and is also considered desirable by health food experts. Light honey, which is lower in minerals, is usually milder in taste.

Is eating honey good for my allergies?

It has been reported that eating local honey helps with allergies, and eating raw honey is even better.

What is raw honey?

Raw honey is honey that has not been pasteurized or finely filtered. Our honey is not pasteurized or finely filtered.

Why pasteurize honey?
Honey contains yeasts. These yeasts are very different from the yeasts used in bread, vinegar and alcoholic beverages. They will cause fermentation in honey with a moisture content over 18% to 19%. These yeasts can be killed by heating honey to 160ºF for a short duration of time. The heating of honey to high temperatures will also cause a delay or slowing of granulation by the dissolving of small sugar crystals present in raw honey. These crystals can initiate the granulation process. The heating of honey also thins it so it can be finely filtered.

Why not pasteurize honey?
Honey will deteriorate when exposed to heat. The higher the heat, the faster and greater the effect.
For example, honey has numerous enzymes. Most of these enzymes remain stable under 100ºF but have decreased activity when exposed to temperatures over 120ºF.

Do you filter your honey?
We coarse filter our honey to remove large debris, but do not fine filter our honey.

Why filter honey?
Honey is commonly filtered to remove sugar crystals, air bubbles, particles of beeswax and pollen and any other hive debris that may be present. Fine filtering of honey makes the honey bright and clear and removes anything that could act as a platform for sugar crystals to build upon and therefore facilitate the granulation process. Simply put, it gives the honey a longer shelf life without granulation and a better appearance for purchase appeal.

Why not filter honey?
The fine filtering of honey removes much of what makes raw honey a healthy and desirable food. This would include particles of pollen, beeswax and propolis.

  How should honey be stored?Honey should be stored in glass, stainless steel or food grade plastic containers. If the honey is to be used in a normal amount of time, room temperature is okay. If it is to be kept for some time, a dark place like a cupboard is good as honey deteriorates when exposed to light for extended periods. For customers that buy large amounts and want to store some of it for an extended period but want it to remain as good as possible, we suggest putting it in the freezer. If kept in the freezer, it will not granulate or deteriorate. The optimum temperature for granulation is 57ºF. As temperatures increase or decrease from this point, the tendency lessens. Honey will not granulate either at or below 30ºF or at or above 95ºF. However, honey stored for long periods at 95ºF or above will deteriorate.

What is beeswax used for?
Beeswax is used in candles and ornaments, lip balm, cosmetics and medicinal creams, as foundation for new honeycomb in bee hives, and in sewing to lubricate needles and thread. Beeswax keeps belts in vacuum cleaners, sewing machines and other tools from slipping. It is used to waterproof shoes, fishline and clotheslines, to lubricate doors, windows and tools, on skis, and bow strings, in furniture or floor polish, and so much more…