RAW HONEY VS STORE HONEY

Most people purchase their honey from the grocery store. The honey they buy is usually yellow in color and very mild. People love it. But is it honey?

China has been banned from selling honey to the US because it is cut with corn sugars and is sometimes contaminated. But China gets around this ban by selling to Canada. Then big food outfits buy honey from Canada, thus purchasing the Chinese honey. Even though the bottle says 100% HONEY - should you trust it?

I don't.

The United States makes over 300 different kinds of honey while my state, Kentucky, makes over 30 honeys like Tulip Poplar, Clover, Buckwheat, Black Locust, Redbud, Wildflower, etc.

The nectar of the plant from which the honeybee harvests determines the color, taste, and texture of the honey. Each honey will be a different color and flavor from another.

For Example: Black Locust Honey looks like water and is very sweet while Buckwheat honey is dark brown and has a very strong taste to it.

Tupelo Honey is only from the nectar of the Tupelo tree which is found down South and Western Kentucky. It is prized for its stability.

Buckwheat Honey is from the nectar of the Buckwheat plant, which is culitivated as a ground crop. This honey has more anti-oxidants in it than any other honey in the world except for one honey that comes from New Zealand.

Clover Honey is from the nectar of the White Dutch Clover plant which grows in your yard. The honey is mild and various colors of yellow from very light to a tan.

Honey should always have a moisture facture of 14% to 18% water. Sometimes if the nectar season is rainy, the honey is 19% but no more. Beekeepers always test the water content of the honey before extracting it. I have tested store bought honey and the water factor is much more. That product is not considered honey by the USDA or by real beekeepers.

*Just a note. Test this on honey at room temperature. Turn the bottle upside down. If the bubble goes fast to the top, that means that the honey is thin. The exeption is if is the honey has been sitting in the sun. Heat warms the honey and will thin it, making the bubble float faster. That does not mean the honey has too much water. It just means the honey is warm.

Regardless of the type of honey, the bottle should always say "raw" or "unfiltered" or "unheated" honey. To eat a pure, 100% nectar honey, you should buy a "raw" honey from a local beekeeper.

Will you be paying more for it than buying from a grocery store? Yes, you pay more for a fabulous product. My mother always said, "Buy the best. It will serve you well." Good local honey should be around $8 to $12 per pound while store honey is around $2.50 per pound. Buckwheat Honey can command $15 per pound.

Real or raw honey has amino acids, proteins, and minerals in it. It can help with plant allergies, be put on minor burns and cuts. It is an almost perfect food.

What is "raw" honey? Raw means the honey has not been treated, adulterated or heated. It means it is 100% honey from plant nectar made by honeybees. It is the real thing!

Buy from a local beekeeper and you will be supporting local farming plus sustainable food.

*Remember not to give raw honey to children 1 year or younger.