HONEY

Recently I have been asked many questions regarding the honey therefore I wanted to provide you with a little more information:

• Raw unfiltered honey undergoes a purification process after extraction from the frames, this usually involves putting it through a sieve to separate wax cappings/debris from the product and it is not affecting it quality in any way. This is the only process my honey undergoes.
• Many people think that granulated/set honey is of lesser quality than the runny product. In fact, it can be the opposite. All honey will remain runny for some time after extraction, but after that thanks to the pollen grains within the product, the natural crystallisation process begins. This is the proof of the quality. It’s worth asking oneself why shop-bought honey always stays runny and never sets? There are a few answers to this but mainly this is due to the extensive filtration process through membranes which catch all the goodness from the honey (equipment no hobbyist beekeeper could afford)! These are then sold separately to the pharmaceutical industry or similar.
• Honey is extracted a maximum of two times a year (late spring and late summer) so between November – May honey is as fresh as the previous harvest.
• Beekeepers selling honey are obliged by law to indicate a best before date…this is just to indicate how old the product is. In fact, honey does not have a best before date. Probably many of you know the story that honey found in the Tutenhamun’s tomb was still suitable for consumption (over 3000 years later).
• Information for the hayfever sufferers: It is believed that honey – especailly honey from your local area containing local pollen – can help with your condition (I’m one of you) but the process of desensitisation has to stat before the pollen season begins. Try to start as early as possible to feel the benefits from doing so.