Honey question.

[Marshall]

I'm looking for unfiltered unheated honey. I find raw honey but it looks processed. I also find organic and creamed. I want it like it comes from the hive. What do creamed, organic and raw mean? And what am I looking for, term wise?

 

[Dend78]

organic is a hard one no legal definition really mostly untreated hives honey is harvested and bees die, replace each year

"Creamed honey is crystallized honey. When the crystallization process is tightly controlled, the honey crystals are so small that the resulting product is a spreadable, smooth-textured, creamy honey. While some producers pastuerize their honey according to the Dyce Process Method for making creamed honey, it is also possible to find raw creamed honey.

Also Known As: Whipped Honey, Spun Honey"

"The subject of raw honey could be debated forever. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation of the term "Raw Honey". Some say it's "unprocessed" honey. Some say it's "unheated" honey.

Then there are some others that say it's got to be unstrained, crystallized and have "dead bees, propolis and beeswax" still floating in the honey and they call that "Really Raw Honey".

We would like to make the following statement to clarify for you, our customers, our views on this issue:
We feel that the only true 100% Raw, Unprocessed Natural Honey has to come directly from the hive in the form of comb honey, packaged and sealed by the honeybees themselves!"

all from a google search hope that helps

 

[Marshall]

organic is a hard one no legal definition really mostly untreated hives honey is harvested and bees die, replace each year

"Creamed honey is crystallized honey. When the crystallization process is tightly controlled, the honey crystals are so small that the resulting product is a spreadable, smooth-textured, creamy honey. While some producers pastuerize their honey according to the Dyce Process Method for making creamed honey, it is also possible to find raw creamed honey.

Also Known As: Whipped Honey, Spun Honey"

"The subject of raw honey could be debated forever. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation of the term "Raw Honey". Some say it's "unprocessed" honey. Some say it's "unheated" honey.

Then there are some others that say it's got to be unstrained, crystallized and have "dead bees, propolis and beeswax" still floating in the honey and they call that "Really Raw Honey".

We would like to make the following statement to clarify for you, our customers, our views on this issue:
We feel that the only true 100% Raw, Unprocessed Natural Honey has to come directly from the hive in the form of comb honey, packaged and sealed by the honeybees themselves!"

all from a google search hope that helps

Yes, Thank you.

 

[mmadmikes1]

If you buy honey from local bee keeper you will get what you want. I have a problem with people calling honey organic and distrust anyone selling it. Bees fly up to 5 miles gathering nectar and we know the bee keeper is not following they to make sure they only go where they are allowed. If you want it like it come from the comb??? I dont mind bee parts being screened out.

 

[Marshall]

If you buy honey from local bee keeper you will get what you want. I have a problem with people calling honey organic and distrust anyone selling it. Bees fly up to 5 miles gathering nectar and we know the bee keeper is not following they to make sure they only go where they are allowed. If you want it like it come from the comb??? I dont mind bee parts being screened out.

I agree. After researching honey and finding out that regulations are very loose concerning words used to describe honey, I have no faith in grocery store honey.Even organic food store honey is iffy. I have bought honey from a bee farm called Really Raw honey. Really Raw seems to be the only wording that has any standard to it, meaning unheated and unfiltered.

 

[Dend78]

Even organic food store honey is iffy.

and expensive!!

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Dend, do you keep bees also? Our local beekeepers define raw honey as passed through a straining bag to remove bee parts and pieces of wax. NO heating, no filtering. We made some mead from our own crushed comb this year, you know its fresh and raw when you rescue live bees from your honey. I see your list of wines dont include meads, what do you sell to your customers? Cracked

organic is a hard one no legal definition really mostly untreated hives honey is harvested and bees die, replace each year

"Creamed honey is crystallized honey. When the crystallization process is tightly controlled, the honey crystals are so small that the resulting product is a spreadable, smooth-textured, creamy honey. While some producers pastuerize their honey according to the Dyce Process Method for making creamed honey, it is also possible to find raw creamed honey.

Also Known As: Whipped Honey, Spun Honey"

"The subject of raw honey could be debated forever. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation of the term "Raw Honey". Some say it's "unprocessed" honey. Some say it's "unheated" honey.

Then there are some others that say it's got to be unstrained, crystallized and have "dead bees, propolis and beeswax" still floating in the honey and they call that "Really Raw Honey".

We would like to make the following statement to clarify for you, our customers, our views on this issue:
We feel that the only true 100% Raw, Unprocessed Natural Honey has to come directly from the hive in the form of comb honey, packaged and sealed by the honeybees themselves!"

all from a google search hope that helps

 

[Dend78]

Dend, do you keep bees also? Our local beekeepers define raw honey as passed through a straining bag to remove bee parts and pieces of wax. NO heating, no filtering. We made some mead from our own crushed comb this year, you know its fresh and raw when you rescue live bees from your honey. I see your list of wines dont include meads, what do you sell to your customers? Cracked

no i dont, my wife would shoot me i wish i did though, i actually have a few sources close by that im going to tap into and start making mead. actually the blueberry wine im going for next is actually looking more like a melomel

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Blueberry mel, add as many berries as you can get and still keep the acid under control, we have been putting in as much fruit as we can, letting the honey buffer some of the acid levels and using good raw varietal honey. If you can get some tulip poplar that would match up very well with blueberries. Most melomel recipies dont have enough fruit in them, we dont want any weak flavors, strong on fruit and matched with a good honey flavor. Good luck, CC

 

[mmadmikes1]

no i dont, my wife would shoot me i wish i did though, i actually have a few sources close by that im going to tap into and start making mead. actually the blueberry wine im going for next is actually looking more like a melomel

Blueberry can be hard to start as well as honey. Make sure temps are good, enough yeast nutrients, use yeast energizer, sure well at beginning to get dissolved O2 into must(stir well), AND makes sure your PH is in range. I go to 3.6 or 3.5. I know other go a little lower.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Good points MM, we also like to use a starter culture in meads, it seems to take off easier in the must. Havent done the combo blueberry and mead, might take some thinking to get that one going well. CC

 

[mmadmikes1]

Just everything needs to be right, Ya what he said about a good srarter going. I get it going in warm apple juice the day before

 

[Dend78]

hmmm may need to look at ph strips for this one then thanks for the heads up guys!

one question on this if one were to put lots of berries in there wouldn't the honey get lost in there? as for my honey Im thinking its mainly gonna be clover.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I add honey as it ferments, not all at beginning. Also PH strips are a waste of time with any dark wines or meads. At end I backsweetin with honey. There is penty of honey flavor in the mead

 

[Dend78]

so a meter is needed then huh?