Honey

[Scarlett]

Hi there. I am quite new to being completely raw and l'm always learning. Is raw honey the same as unpasterized honey?
Cheerfully
Scarlett

[RawFoodieMom]

I would have to say no. Even if it's unpasteurized, it doesn't mean it hasn't been heated. Most raw honeys will say "raw" on them. Another clue is if the honey is liquidy, it's not raw. Raw honey is solid, and you have to scoop it with a spoon to get it out.

[spicyfull]

Any honey comes from Bees and they have to ingest it and regeritate it in order to make honey.............

[Davylp25]

Anyone know where you can get bulk raw honey? Instead of all these lil jars?

[Conscious Midwife]

Honey is not considered vegan by most. But you can find large jars a farmers markets and middle eastern grocers. ( in the US)

[Vanessa]

Honey is a flower product, not a bee product. Yes, the bees carry it, but they do not produce it. So really- it is vegan.

I'd try a co op for bulk raw honey....

[PATH301]

RawFoodieMom,

Raw honey is solid, and you have to scoop it with a spoon to get it out.

I always buy the raw type. It's really thick and it will pour out of the jar if you have enough patience. The kind that I get at the HFS is sorta a light whiteish color. And yes it's much quicker if you use a spoon to get it out. -

[JennaBoBenna]

The honey I get that is labeled "raw" all over it is really easy to pour. I've never seen solid honey before

[rawbeliever]

yep, i've gotten honey straight out of the hive, and it was liquid dripping out of the honeycomb.

[madmel]

There are honeys that will solidify quickly, they are usually of a creamy white colour - it depends on the flowers/trees the bees are using. Not every solid honey is a truely raw honey.

mel

[alex]

Honey is a very interesting food!

It is the only natural food that does not spoil.

It is almost always considered to be non-vegan. There is a new category used by some called 'beegan' - a vegan who eats bee products.

Recently honey has started being used to treat wounds that are not healing, with very good success.

Apparently, Alexander the Great's body was covered in honey after his death and transported back to Greece without decomposing.


alex

[rawnora]

Yes, honey is an interesting substance. Although I ate it in transition and don't begrudge new raw fooders from enjoying it if it keeps them from eating worse things, honey is not an optimal food. The reason why it has such a long shelf life and is used to preserve things (like Alexander's body) is that it contains acids that keep it from decomposing over time, and that means they don't break down in our bodies when we eat them either. The body cannot digest them, so it must only eliminate them and in the meantime it uses minerals from the bones and teeth to neutralize them. This may be where honey gets it reputation as bad for dental health. Dates are a much better choice for sweeteners, as they have no toxic constituents.

Best wishes,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[RawFoodieMom]

I had a conversation through email with a local beekeeper about if his honey was truly raw, and he gave me a lot of insight into the process. I really wish I could find the email now. But basically, yes when the honey comes out of the hive it is liquid, and it's raw of course, but within a month or 2, it turns to solid. So if the liquid honey you bought just came out of the hive recently, it could be raw. He said that most beekeepers expose the honey to heat because it's easier to get out of the hive and into the packaging. But it's beekeepers with patience that can sell raw honey, LOL. The kinds of honey you see in the store that are pourable for months are not raw. So unless the honey was just put in a package for you from the hive within a month or so, it should be basically solid.

He used to sell honey on eBay, but he hasn't for a few months, he had expressed a LOT of frustration about sellers on eBay listing their honey on eBay as RAW when he knew it was not.

[Lay-Lay]

I buy from a hive less then a mile from my house. They do not harm their bees in any way. I buy huge jars. They do not cook at all. I have watched them take the honey out of the hives and put it into the jars. My honey from there pours pretty easy because it is right out of the hive. I really don't use too much honey. I enjoy it in nutmilk shakes and lemonade. It has a much different tastes then dates and things such.

[Sheryl]

Interesting idea Nora...

My understanding was that honey was stable because it has a very high sugar content combined with a lower water content. This means there's not enough water to support life of bacteria, mould, fungus. When these things land on it, the extra sugar / low water dehydrates them and they do not grow. Preserving food with white sugar is another example of this, as is the long shelf life of maple syrup, agave etc.

I did find one reference to the acid in honey though "Neutralize the acid in honey by adding 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of honey used, but if the recipe already calls for soda, don't add more." . This refers to a cooked recipe of course!

What exactly is the acid? I'm curious and would like to read more.

Cheers,
Sheryl