Honey

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
I have also been told that some of the "commercial" honey may also have been cut with corn syrup.

I tell people that my honey is raw and strained. See I rub it through strainer cloth which takes out nearly all of the bits of ?? I also explain why it looks a little cloudy. It is because I have to cold bottle and if you look close you will see that there lots of tiny air bubblesthat are trapped in suspension. If the honey is allowed to rest undisturbed in a warm place much of that air will float up and the honey will get more clear.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
best as I can tell, raw means unheated. filtered means it's been run cold through a filter to get the bits and pieces out - may be bee parts or bits of wax or propolis etc.

pure honey may have been heated, filtered, or heated and filtered (heating makes it easier to filter) but basically pure means it hasn't had anything added to it. commercial honey can have some percentage water added (don't remember the percent) and still be called 'pure'.

if I've got any of that wrong, someone set me straight

I'm glad that you used the word "pure". I found this term on a bottle of local honey. It only said pure. But didn't say "raw".

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Another point that we have missed here is that pure hone never spoils, will keep for very a long time, and nothing grows in honey. It needs no refridgeration.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
best as I can tell, raw means unheated. filtered means it's been run cold through a filter to get the bits and pieces out - may be bee parts or bits of wax or propolis etc.

pure honey may have been heated, filtered, or heated and filtered (heating makes it easier to filter) but basically pure means it hasn't had anything added to it. commercial honey can have some percentage water added (don't remember the percent) and still be called 'pure'.

if I've got any of that wrong, someone set me straight

I'm glad that you used the word "pure". I found this term on a bottle of local honey. It only said pure. But didn't say "raw".

ask the producer what that means to them. some folks don't label the same way, but they use the same process. theirs might be pure and raw, even if it doesn't say raw... you have to ask.

 

[trailchick]

Don't forget the propolis!!!!
It is a product that the bees gather from tree sap, that has great healing properties.

The bees use it as a glue for bonding things together and to mummify critters that get into
the hive...I scrape it when everI can, and if you taste it - your mouth areas might go numb.
I put it nto my lotion bars to help with healing and as analgesic!!!
It will look slightly different than the wax, more gooey, and will be
on the edges to bind supers together and such.

I agree about what the other posters have said about honey processing.
Too high a heat will damage honey.

The bees will gather from many sources, which will make each harvest unique.
We had some one year that was near a good large watermelon patch-the watermelon harvest
was late so the bees got whole lot of watermelon fruit, not nectar, as we saw them gathering.
The honey from that harvest was red- & taste unsurpassed......

 

[kuntrygirl]

All this talk about heat, I was wondering about putting honey in hot tea. Is that bad? Will the hot water (heat/temps) destroy the "good" stuff in honey.

 

[trailchick]

No, it is the processing and storage of the honey that has been heated to a great degree
itself that reduces the shelf life of honey...
Drinking it in hot tea will not be a detriment to you....

 

[kuntrygirl]

Does any use Manuka Honey?

 

[CountryChick561]

I have honey bees. They are cute little fuzzy bugs. They are not at all aggresive. I can work in the garden while they are right beside me on the flowers. You should start a hive. They are fun to have. The honey is SOOOOO good. I couldn't help myself, I had to go dip a spoon in the fresh filtered honey.

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
X2 and

from West Michigan! This is my first year of bee keeping and I learned so much. Oh and that honey was so good. We have all these blueberry fields next to us and the honey has its own special taste