difference between raw honey and honey

[temackh]

What is the difference between raw honey and honey. A man selling honey in a small shop tried to tell me his honey was "pure". I found Mountain Ridge Raw Pure Honey " at a local Kroger store. :confused:

[BDraw]

I'm not positive, but I am thinking "not raw" honey must be cooked, at least in the packaging process. In order to get that lid on and sealed, they must at least do a water bath (cook in boiling water). It may still be pure, as no additives added, but not raw.

I buy raw directly from a bee keeper. The jars, usually plastic, are not vacumn sealed or anything. Ask around, somebody you know may know someone who keeps bees and sells raw honey.

Good luck!

[TimmyC]

Commercial honey has been heated and filtered, giving it a golden amber color and a clear looking consistency. Raw honey is more milky in its coloration and has particle flecks in it. These flecks are small pieces of
natural matter such as pollen, honeycomb bits, broken bee wing fragments, (http://www.avsweb.com/health/kim/honey.htm)propolis, etc

source: http://www.avsweb.com/health/kim/honey.htm

[Kris]

Is it true that all raw honey is solid at room temperature? I have tried two brands that claimed to be "really raw," and both were white-ish and solid, but not the same as creamed honey -- much smoother and not grainy at all. The only problem with these raw honeys is that I prefer to eat local honey, but all the bee people around here seem to heat and cream their honeys.

BDraw, do you special order raw honey from the beekeeper, or does he/she normally sell it that way?

[Sharon in Colorado]

It needs to say unheated on the label. If it says raw or uncooked, it could still have been heated at high temperatures.

Pure just means it's all honey, doesn't necessarily mean that the honey was or was not denatured.

[BDraw]

Kris -- I've been very lucky, happen to find a local supplier, and pick some up when I need it, if his bees were prolific that year.

This year I've been even luckier, a friend passes it on to me. The bees hives were on their land and they had plenty to share.

And sometimes it gets solid. A beekeeper told me that it depended on what the bees feasted on. I figured he knew what he was talking about, so accepted that idea.

I've also been told that if you can get bee locally, it will help allergy season go smoother for you. Of course that was pre-raw, when allergies really gave me fits.