Welcome Farmanons!
Letās talk about the different buzz words you see on honey labels and what they mean, hint, itās probably not what you think.
Important Announcement!
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Honey Terms
(You may think Iām nuts talking about honey so muchā¦ hintā¦ I am! But thatās because I think its amazing!)
So, youāve probably noticed many different terms describing honey on the side of the honey jars in your grocery store. Words like raw, all natural, unpasteurized, wildflower, organic, unfiltered, 100%Ā are all terms used to describe honey, buzz words if you will.Ā Letās cover each one:
Raw -Ā Raw honey has not been heated to the point of pasteurization (no higher than 118Ā°F). The benefit of not heating honey over 118, is that the naturally-occurring enzymes, vitamins and minerals are preserved and you get the full benefits of them from eating raw honey.
Pasteurization - Pasteurization is a process that destroys the yeast found in honey by applying high heat, well above 118 degrees. This helps extend the shelf life and makes it smoother.
Unfiltered Honey - Refers to the term ultrafiltration, which is a specific kind of filtration used in the food industry, and should not be confused with other light straining methods generally used in the honey industry. When applied to honey, ultrafiltration involves adding water to honey and filtering it under high pressure at the molecular level, then removing the water. It is a much more involved and expensive process, which results in a colorless sweetener product that is derived from honey but is not considered honey in the U.S.Ā Most honey processed by local beekeepers is strained to remove particles, but is not filtered.
Organic Honey - Is a psyop š
Organic honey is produced from the pollen of organically grown plants, and without chemical miticides to treat the bees. Buying organic honey claims to ensure that you avoid contact with pesticides that may be sprayed on or near the plants visited by honeybees. Of course, bees usually fly up to 2 miles from the hive looking for flowers, which means that all the flowers within this 2-mile radius must be certified organic in order for the honey to truly be organic.
Itās also important to remember that honey labeled āorganicā is not necessarily raw or minimally processed unless labeled as such. Much of the certified organic honey available in the United States is imported in large quantities from Brazil or other foreign countries and undergoes pasteurization and heavy filtration. Look for both raw and organic on the label.
Pure Honey - A āpure honeyā label means that you are getting 100% honey, without any other ingredients (such as corn syrup, which is sometimes added to industrial honey to reduce costs). However āpureā honey alone doesnāt always tell you much about the varietal or how the honey is produced, so itās good to look for more information to make sure youāre getting all the benefits you can from honey when itās produced in the most bee- and environment-friendly way. For example, pure honey could be pasturiezed or ultra filtered.
Wildflower - This is an extra descriptive term used to describe honey that is made from pollen of wild, naturally growing flowers in the area of the hive. To be honest, most local honey is probably wildflower due to the nature of honey production and the amount of pollen required by a hive to produce honey. Special plant descriptive terms can be used for hives located in orchards or areas predominantly growing certain crops or fruits such as āorange blossomā.
Crystallization - Honey is a super-saturated solution of primarily two sugars: glucose and fructose. It is a natural process for some of the sugars in a super-saturated solution to eventually come out of solution.Ā All *GOOD* raw honey will crystallize due to glucose. Some reasons for honey crystallization are:
Bits of pollen in raw honey provide an excellent substrate to encourage crystallization.Ā
Low water content in honey helps to keep if from fermenting, but also allows easier crystallization.Ā
Nectar from different flowers varies in its ratio of glucose to fructose and can influence how fast crystallization happens.Ā
When honey crystallizes, it becomes thicker (if tiny crystals are forming) and cloudy as more crystals form). Some crystallization results in a coarse sugary texture and some in a creamy texture. You canāt prevent it, but you can delay crystallization by keeping your honey in a warm location above 72 degrees Fahrenheit, maybe near the stove (not the cold cupboard against an outside wall).
If your honey crystallizes, eat it! It tastes amazing! If you donāt like it crystallized, place the jar in a pot of warm water at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit for around 15 minutes.
Regulations
Itās important to note that none of these terms for describing honey are regulated by the FDA or USDA.Ā These agencies only require that blended honey with sweeteners be labeled properly. So there is a real gray area in these certifications for honey due to the nature of how honey is made.Ā
Whatās more is most organic honey comes from other countries where it is definitely not regulated and the honey is highly refined through pasteurization.
As you can see, you canāt always go by what the label says. I recommend tasting different sources to find a supplier that tastes good to you, preferably from someone you can trust. Like me š¤ Getchu Some! 100% raw, unfiltered, unpasturized, wildflower honey.
WAGMI
Farmer