FAQ: What is Raw Honey?

Question: What is Raw Honey?

Answer: Often when you see the word "raw" people begin running for the hills. Your response should be the opposite when it comes to honey. Raw honey is honey that has not been pasteurized or processed in any way. In most cases, a knife just warm enough to remove the honey from the comb is used. Then the honey is put into a centrifuge or through a simple filtration system to remove any "bee parts". The results are bottled for sale, that's it! Most commercial honey sold in the grocery store is not raw. It has been pasteurized and filtered to create a squeaky clean product, that is less likely to crystallize. What this also does is it takes a lot of the character out of the honey. Also when honey is pasteurized a lot of the beneficial vitamins and minerals are destroyed.

Is raw honey unsafe? The answer is no. Honey is considered a preservative. It's low in moisture and is hygroscopic. This means that any kind of harmful microbes won't take up residence in your honey. So your best bet is to purchase raw honey, it's safe, delicious, and better for you. Raw honey must be labeled at the grocery store, so just look for honeys that are labeled as being raw.