There are many misconceptions around that liquid gold that is so highly sought after by the humble beekeeper. The "all natural" food craze has brought more demand on local honey than has ever been seen before. Luckily, the general public is becoming more and more aware that the stuff you typically find on the store shelf is not the pure honey that they are led to believe that it is. In the following I hope to shed further light on the dark secrets surrounding this sweet reward.
"ORGANIC HONEY" Yeah right!
You see this term thrown around often at your "side of the road" honey stands or flea markets. Seeing the term "organic" used on honey often makes the buyer thinks that the honey they are buying is worth the significantly increased price. However, let us take a closer look at what it really means for honey to be organic.
In order for honey to be truly organic, all flowering nectar sources that a bee may visit (about 2-3 miles in each direction of the colony) have to be organically grown and completely free of any chemicals. Think about that for a second, COMPLETELY FREE OF CHEMICALS. These chemicals include pesticides or herbicides used often on crop fields, various pollution through exhaust and spillage from vehicle travel, household chemicals, etc. This means that the beekeeper's apiary can never have a vehicle of any sort within at least 3 miles of it.
Furthermore, the beekeeper can never use many of the various chemical treatments that most beekeepers typically use to aid in the prevention of pests and diseases. Also, bees can never be provided anything beyond truly organic honey as a supplemental feed during those times of year that there are no natural nectar sources. Feeding bees during this time is a standard practice by beekeepers as a means of keeping a colony healthy and strong to make most use of the nectar flow when it does arrive.
There are other requirements to be considered truly organic when dealing with honey. Some of these requirements include having the honey processing area inspected and certified. It also means that there are several pieces of commonly used equipment, like screened bottom boards, that are not allowed for use in an organic honey farm.
Organic honey is not entirely impossible, just highly unlikely. I for one cannot think of many, if any, areas of the United States that would meet the criteria for organic honey while still providing a plentiful enough nectar flow for a surplus honey crop. So, when you see "Organic Honey" on your local flea market table, ask the beekeeper what steps they took to earn that label. Also keep in mind that it is typically just a matter of up-scaling their product to set it above the rest and justify the higher price tag.
Store Bought "Honey"
As most people have likely heard, the stuff on the store shelf labelled as "honey", is not always accurate. What does this actually mean? Is the store REALLY selling artificial sweetener labelled as "Honey"? The answer, not entirely. Yes, most of the stuff you find on the store shelf does have honey in it. In fact, it is likely that it is mostly honey. However, there are several overseas honey producers, whom are responsible for a majority of the Nation's honey supply, that supplement their honey product with artificial sweeteners like corn syrup or rice syrup. For a truly in depth discussion on how deceptive the overseas honey industry really is, check out a show on Netflix called "Rotten". The very first episode, "Lawyers, Guns & Honey", explains in full depth all the serious issues with the commercial honey industry.
Also, if you happen to find actually pure honey at the store, it is far more altered than you would find from your local beekeeper. In the commercial honey industry, there are a few common practices that mean for a more shelf stable and appealing product. Let me explain a little further. Truly natural honey that has been minimally filtered will crystallize (or become extremely thick and maybe even hard) over time. All truly raw honey will do this due to the higher pollen content. It is very natural and actually a sign of quality honey. Keep in mind, true honey, even when crystallized, pretty much never goes bad. It has been known to still be edible after over a thousand years. Crystallized honey is still very edible and can be "re-liquefied" if the jar is simply warmed in a bath of warm water.
However, crystallized honey does not look appealing on the store shelf. As a method to prevent this natural state of honey, many commercial beekeepers use ultra filtration methods to remove most of the pollen from the honey, which is part of the cause of crystallization. The problem with this method, the pollen content of the honey is much of what makes honey a naturally beneficial sweetener. The pollen content is what you need to consume if you are using honey as a source to treat seasonal allergies. Consuming pollen from local sources, via local honey, will help your body build a tolerance to those local plants that causes you so much grief each year.
Another common practice by commercial honey producers is to heat the honey to make it easier to bottle. Hot honey runs thinner and therefore extracts and bottles faster. The issue with this is that many studies show that the beneficial enzymes in honey can be killed at temperatures higher than 110 degrees fahrenheit.
What should you do as a honey consumer?
The short answer, get to know a local beekeeper and purchase your honey directly from them. I get several requests from people across the Nation for my honey. I ask them the reason they want to purchase my honey and typically it boils down to they want real honey to help with their allergies. I truly appreciate their support but suggest that they find a local beekeeper in their area. My honey, here in Arizona, will not help with the allergies of someone in Illinois. So, search your area for a local beekeeper (the closer to you the better) and ask about their process for honey production. If they seem as though they would prefer to keep their process a secret, look elsewhere. If they seem excited and proud to share their process and they do not use ultra filtration or heating methods, they should be your only honey provider. So, if you are in the West Valley area of Arizona, feel free to reach out to us for your honey needs. Thanks for reading and happy beekeeping!
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