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What is Raw Honey?-Faith Apiaries

These days, many people ask for, and in fact, insist upon, buying raw honey. The disconnect is, very few people really know what it is.

Someone who is asking for raw honey is usually doing so because they have been lead to believe that it describes a product that boasts superior natural constituents. Because the average person really has no idea what goes into harvesting honey, there is little likelihood that they know what it means to maintain the raw nature of honey.

In fact, the term raw can be interchanged with the more meaningful term, not-patsteurized. Some honey is pasteurized in order to not only kill any living microbes but also to help the honey maintain a liquid state for a longer time. The granulation of honey is a natural process that should not be feared. Not all honey will granulate at the same rate so the commonly held conception that honey that never granulates is not real honey, is patently false. Detecting honey adulteration requires million dollar machines and regardless what you may have seen on social media, you can't detect honey adulteration at home.

The CFIA defines raw honey as honey that hasn't been significantly heated (beyond minimal temperatures for extraction) or filtered, keeping it close to its natural state from the hive. During the harvesting and packing process, honey needs to be warmed in order to flow for pumping and straining etc. Straining is necessary just to clean the honey of anything that's larger than 400 microns (in the case of my honey). A human hair is typically 50 to 100 microns (micro-meter) thick. Granulated honey can also be warmed in order to liquefy it again due to the preference of the customer. Essentially, the CFIA definition means, it's not pasteurized.

What temperature is safe? You'll get a thousand answers to that question and you might even want to make up an answer that suits yourself. The only safe limit that I have ever seen is found in the regulations for organic honey production in Canada. That safe maximum temperature is 47C. My honey is therefore not heated beyond 47C and usually not even that warm.

You will never buy pasteurized honey from a beekeeper directly, at least I am not aware of any beekeeper who pasteurizes honey. The equipment to do so is very expensive and there is no benefit to the beekeeper or customer that would justify that cost. Pasteurized honey is only found coming from large commercial packing facilities.

Most beekeepers will boast that their honey is not pasteurized but the fact is, that doesn't make them, or me, unique at all. It would be highly strange and unusual to find a beekeeper who actually pasteurizes their honey. This doesn't say that you shouldn't still look for that note on the label, and if it isn't there, you might want to question the beekeeper.

Producing raw honey is not difficult and is not rare or unusual. I'd say that almost all honey that comes from small producers would fall into whatever definition you might want to put on Raw honey.

Address:

32076 Road 89 North
Libau, MB R0E 1C0, Canada

204-232-5180
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We produce only the finest Clover and Wildflower honey.
Our nectar sources are those found in hay and marsh land
and include clovers, alfalfa, sweet clovers as well as a
myriad of seasonal wildflowers. These nectar sources give
our honey a unique, clean and natural flavour that cannot
be found in any other honey.