As you stroll the aisle of your grocery store, you remember you need honey. When you head to the honey section, you are overwhelmed by the variety!

Your mind starts to buzz with questions like "How do I know which of these is raw?" "Do these honey varieties taste different?" "Why do I even care if it is raw?" "How do I even know if these are made by a real beekeeper and do I care!?" 

Listen, all these are valid questions. In an age of so much, it's hard to hone in on what is real and what isn't. We're hear to help, so lets take it one step at a time. 

1) What is real honey? What are the benefits or raw honey?

Real, raw honey is honey that is unprocessed straight from the bees. When flowers bloom bees collect the nectar and bring it back to the hive. They slowly and surely fill up their honey comb with that nectar and dry it in the process. The sticker it gets, the more honey-like it becomes. Honey is nectar! We don't pasteurize our honey, we just do a basic filter it for bits of wax and other nature bits. That means our raw honey still has all of the good stuff in it like pollen particles, enzymes, antioxidants and more. Those things make honey crystallize too, which is that kind of sugary, grainy texture and how we make creamed honey. Raw honey is great for sore throats, burn wounds, face wash, etc. 

2) Okay, I'll buy into the raw honey, BUT how to I know if it's raw?

Great question and the only SURE way to know is to know your beekeeper. Are you surprised? Another easy test, if you're in the store and can't  give them a call (or just don't like talking on the phone)? Check to see if it's crystallized. It might be a little annoying, but at least you know, without a doubt, that you're honey is raw. If it's heat treated and ultra filtered, it won't have the things that make it crystalized. It's perfectly good to eat, some even like it better, and you know it's raw! 

3) Why do I care if my honey comes from a beekeeper?

I'm sure you've heard that bees are in danger. While there may be a bit of sensationalism around that, bees are struggling. We loose about as many hives as we make every year, and that is about industry standard. Making sure that you where your honey comes from is helpful. Then, you know that not only are you directly supporting the American honey bee population, but you are supporting your local honey bee population. As in, those same bees that produced that jar of honey, may have come to pollinate the plants in your yard. Learn more about our team here. 

4) Do these honey varieties even taste different? 

100% they should taste different. Each one of those honey varietals is produced from nectar from a different plant. That's where their name comes from, like Tupelo honey for example. As beekeepers we need a high concentration of plant life in order to make those different varieties of honey. We don't do much other than bottle it up for you and when you taste one to another you'll taste the difference! Not convinced? Try our trio sampler which has three of our best selling honey varietals so you can try them and become a believer. 

If you have more questions on raw honey email us directly at info@beefriendsfarm.com or message us on social media!