FAQ
What is honey?
Honey is a sweet, viscous (thick) substance produced by bees from the nectar of flowers. After bees remove much of the nectar’s water and add enzymes, it develops the honey characteristics you’re familiar with.
Why has my honey become so thick and granular?
In its natural state, some honey will eventually crystallize. It will do so more quickly if exposed to lower temperatures. Though honey is just as sweet and delicious in its crystallized form, you can easily liquefy it to make it easier to pour. To liquefy your honey simply place the container in warm water and gently heat the honey until the crystals dissolve.
How do bees pollinate plants?
As bees travel from blossom to blossom in search of nectar, they brush against the pollen-bearing parts of a flower (anther or stamen) and pick up pollen. When the honey bee goes to another flower for more food, some of the pollen from the first flower sticks to the second flower. In this way, the flowers are pollinated.
What is the white foam on top of the honey?
What you’re looking at is ‘honey foam,’ which is a result of the tiny air bubbles in the honey escaping to the top. This is due to air bubbles trapped in the honey during processing and packaging. When the packaged honey rests, the air bubbles work their way up to the top of the container, creating the foam. There is nothing wrong with the honey or the foam.
Why does the honey seem to be runny?
Higher moisture honey is less viscous than lower moisture honey. Natural honey moisture ranges considerably based on environmental conditions, such as amount of rain in the area where the bees made the honey. Thus, the consistency may slightly vary from bottle to bottle.
Is your honey pasteurised?
All our honey remains unpasteurised, though we do gently warm some of our honey to liquefy the crystals and to delay crystallisation (solidifying). This warming process is not considered pasteurisation since honey is naturally bacteria-resistant. Gently warming the honey allows us to create a pure, easy-to-pour product – something most consumers desire.
Will eating local honey help with my allergies?
Many people consider local honey the best tool to fight hay fever because it contains the pollen from the local flowers which might have caused allergic reaction to the sufferers. Some beekeepers think that an area of 5 miles in radius could be considered local
Why can't I feed honey to my baby less than one year of age?
Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause infant botulism - a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies (under one year of age). botulinum spores are present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and improperly canned foods. Adults and children over one year of age are routinely exposed to, but not normally affected by botulinum spores. Honey is safe to consume during pregnancy and lactation. While infants are susceptible to the infant botulism, adults, including pregnant females, are not. The concern for babies stems from the fact that infants lack the fully developed gastrointestinal tract of older humans. Since the mother is not in danger of developing this condition, the unborn baby is protected.
Does honey have an expiration date?
Honey stored in sealed containers can remain stable for decades and even centuries! However for practical purposes, a shelf life of two years is often stated. Properly processed, packaged and stored honey retains its quality for a long time..
How do I substitute honey for sugar?
When substituting honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe. For baked goods, make sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25°F to prevent over-browning; reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used. Because of its high fructose content, honey has higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness..