Raw Honey

Description

Raw Honey: Frequently Asked Questions

Raw honey is extracted from the honeycomb taken directly from the beehive and strained to remove bee fragments and beeswax particles before bottling.

This retains natural enzymes, yeast, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, bee pollen, aromatics, and propolis.

Regular honey is heated and filtered, which destroys natural enzymes, yeast, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, bee pollen, aromatics, and propolis, changing its flavor and texture.

Raw honey is extracted from the honeycomb, strained, and bottled.

Raw honey has a thicker texture, an opaque appearance, and a more pronounced flavor than regular, processed honey.

Yes, raw honey is good for you because it contains the natural enzymes, yeast, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, bee pollen, aromatics, and propolis that it has in the beehive.

The health benefits of raw honey come from its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agents. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

• High in Antioxidants: Raw honey contains beneficial botanical compounds, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, that act as antioxidants to protect the body from free-radical-induced cell damage.
• Antifungal and Antibacterial Properties: Raw honey can suppress bacterial adhesion and anchorage, slowing the infection, making it an antimicrobial that kills bacteria
• Helps Healing Wound:  Applied to body surfaces, raw honey can sterilize wounds, decrease inflammation, help tissue repair, and lessen scarring from burns and lesions.

• Suppresses Coughs: Raw honey is widely recognized as a natural, effective cough suppressant and provides relief for sore throats.
• Promotes Digestive Health: Raw honey helps ease many gastrointestinal distress symptoms, including diarrhea, and is known to promote the growth of gut microbiota.
• Natural Sweetener:  The enzymes, yeast, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, and minerals found in raw honey provide more nutritional value than refined sugar.

Some disadvantages of raw honey include the potential to raise blood glucose levels, the possibility of causing allergic reactions in people sensitive to bee stings or pollen and the risk of infant botulism in babies under one year old, as it may contain Clostridium botulinum spores.

No, raw honey doesn’t need to be refrigerated; doing so causes it to solidify more than it already is. Honey can be stored at room temperature, ideally in a cool, dry, and dark place.

However, if you want to refrigerate it, it won’t hurt it.

No, 100% raw honey does not go bad if stored properly in a sealed container; it can last indefinitely, although it may crystallize or change color over time.

Honey’s high sugar content, natural acidity, and low moisture prohibit bacteria and other microorganisms from growing. Spoilage will happen only when moisture is present, enabling fermentation.

Mohawk Valley Trading Company’s raw honey is extracted from the honeycomb taken directly from the beehive, strained, and packed in glass jars.

This retains natural enzymes, yeast, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, bee pollen, aromatics, and propolis.

Our raw honey is predominantly composed of the nectar of a particular type of blossom or flower.

To capture the unique character and flavor of the blossom or flower, we study botanical bloom and flowering patterns when planning hive placement. The results include, but are not limited to, the following varieties of unfiltered, raw honey:

• Summer Wildflower
• Sunflower-Summer Wildflower
• Autumn Wildflower
• Adirondack Wildflower
• Goldenrod
• Buckwheat
• American Bamboo
• Apple Blossom
• Wild Maine Blueberry Blossom
• Orange Blossom
• Tulip Poplar-Black Locust
• Wild Cherry Blossom (Tulip Poplar-Black Locust)

No pesticides or herbicides are used in the areas where we set up our bee yards, and although it isn’t labeled or certified organic, our raw honey is as organic as any produced in the USA.

Here are a few words about Mohawk Valley Trading Company raw honey from one of the world’s most renowned chefs Tom Colicchio:

“If you’re looking for really great honey, here’s my first piece of advice to you: You’re unlikely to find it in a plastic squeeze bottle shaped like a bear.

My second piece of advice: Try these raw honeys from Mohawk Valley Trading Company. Raw honey is unfiltered, unheated and totally unprocessed, and contains all of the same pollen, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, aromatics, and amino acids that it had while still in the hive. I’m told that raw honey has all kinds of health benefits, but I love it because I think it tastes exactly as honey should and has a wonderful, spreadable consistency and a slightly crunchy, substantial texture.”

Not only do we use raw honeys from Mohawk Valley Trading Company at Craftbar, ’wichcraft and Colicchio & Sons, but I keep a jar of the stuff on my desk at all times.”

Reviews

What I was not prepared for, was the ultimate beauty and taste that the Mohawk Valley Trading Company’s Raw Honey would give. I was in awe of nature’s Raw wonder- pure, unpasteurized Honey. When I first tasted the Wildflower Honey, I had to stop and truly appreciate the incredible taste. It was as if I was eating a bouquet of Earth’s most beautiful flowers. Sweet, Floral and completely intoxicating- I have never tasted something quite like it, and I am not exaggerating in the slightest. Wildflower Honey is also known as Polyfloral honey as it is collected from the nectar of various flowers. I absolutely loved the taste of the Wildflower Honey- and so did my family! I had to hide it away so I could test it on my face!
Bailey Rose
What I was not prepared for, was the ultimate beauty and taste that the Mohawk Valley Trading Company’s Raw Honey would give. I was in awe of nature’s Raw wonder- pure, unpasteurized Honey. When I first tasted the Wildflower Honey, I had to stop and truly appreciate the incredible taste. It was as if I was eating a bouquet of Earth’s most beautiful flowers. Sweet, Floral and completely intoxicating- I have never tasted something quite like it, and I am not exaggerating in the slightest. Wildflower Honey is also known as Polyfloral honey as it is collected from the nectar of various flowers. I absolutely loved the taste of the Wildflower Honey- and so did my family! I had to hide it away so I could test it on my face!
Bailey Rose
Jonathan and I have purchased raw honey before, so I thought I knew what we’d be getting. But when we sampled the varieties sent to us I was shocked. I mean, shocked. Jonathan and I both said “wow” about a dozen times each.
First, I’d never sampled different varieties of honey before. I was shocked to find that the flavors vary drastically between the different types. Not just an, “Oh yes, this is a tweak on the same old thing.” But a night and day difference between each jar. The wildflower honey tasted like sugary sunshine and summertime. The tulip poplar honey tasted sweet and rich with hints of deep flavor, like honey and brown sugar made a honey love child. And the buckwheat honey was the deepest, earthiest sweet substance I’ve ever tasted, with a rich, deep, pleasantly intense woodsy flavor.
Domestic Geek Girl
Not a week later, I got a box with four different jars of the most beautiful tawny-colored honey. Not only is it beautiful, the flavor is so different than any honey I have tasted. It is thicker, richer and more floral than anything I have ever used.
Dana Treat
Both honeys definitely are sweeter and fresher than anything you can find at the supermarket. The buckwheat honey is dark and rich, and almost has a molasses-like quality. The orange blossom honey is golden and super sweet.
Is gorgeous a word that can be used to describe food? These flavors are simply gorgeous…
Chantilly
Our second-place winner is from Mohawk Valley Trading, Co. “Apple cider!” “Brown sugar!” “Oh-my-lanta!” We all giggled at the last exclamation of delight as Angie nearly melted like warm caramel taking scoops of the amber honey. Her smile turning with such satisfaction we all retreated back to sample that honey again and again. It was now he one to beat.
Charity Mack
Our first-place winner is also from Mohawk Valley Trading, Co. A floral honey that we couldn’t verbally describe because our mouths were shut “Mmmm-ing!” and “Yummm-ing!” its deep flavors. “I love it! The best!” they exclaimed. Rich with complex notes of floral meets warm raisin-butterscotch. Its white color is deceiving, like warm summer raindrops that soon show the complexity of a rainbow through their delicate orbs, the wild cherry honey continues to reveal layers of flavor as it moves across the tongue. Lemon and holiday spices come to mind as the hints of brown sugar mix between.
Charity Mack
Using honey as part of the peach simple syrup I made was inspired by the fact that I had some amazing product from the Mohawk Valley Trading Co. sitting on my counter; that made this an easy choice.
This company is a fantastic find with beautiful honey, beeswax candles and absolutely delicious Maple Syrup. I knew as soon as I saw the packaging that I was in for something special. I’ve got some Maple Cookies I hope to make soon using their Maple Syrup; it is truly divine too. I felt blessed to be able to combine Maker’s Mark bourbon with Mohawk Trading Company’s honey in this Honey Peach Mint Julep creation. I just cannot tell you how fantastic it is!
Creative Culinary
So, what was the winning beer and snack pairing? The snack was a slow cooked, dry-rubbed pulled pork with a persimmon, apple and red cabbage slaw all piled up on a roasted potato chip. Our beer, Spring Tides, was a steam finished off with Adirondack Wildflower Summer Honey from Mohawk Valley Trading Company.
meauxcrow
These honeys are very delicately flavored and are really great used full strength to accent the foods you eat. We highly recommend the Mohawk Valley Trading Co. honey products as they are very high quality and are of course, made in the USA!!
The Apron Goddesses