Let’s start with the basics: what is raw honey?
There is NO official definition of what ‘raw honey’ is.
The best definition I can find is found in ‘The Honey Connisseur’ book by Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum. Their definition is:
“Raw honey: There is no legal definition for raw honey, but there are many sort-of definitions. Basically, [it] is not heated above 105 degrees F [40 degrees celsius] (the temperature of the desert hive), is not filtered at all, but is often strained to remove disagreeable debris developed in the extraction process. And that is it. Not heated, not filtered. Raw.”
I would say that most beekeepers, whose operations are relatively small, produce honey which fall within this definition. And what’s more, YOU are likely to pay a premium for honey labelled ‘raw’.
Where can I buy raw honey?
My first piece of advice is find a local beekeeper and ask him/her how they process their honey. I have written a piece on how to find local honey near you which should help you find someone local.
Wantage Honey is NOT subject to extremes of heat. Our honey goes through a sieve the remove debris. And it probably falls within the above quoted definition – but we don’t label it as ‘raw’.
For the avoidance of doubt, we do NOT pasteurise our honey – indeed I don’t know of any beekeepers who do.
Why describing honey as ‘raw’ is a bad idea.
Most people’s first encounter with the word ‘raw’ is with meat – many associate eating uncooked meat as dangerous. So food labelled with that term might be a red flag for you. Looking at search engine queries, this question frequently comes up:
‘is raw honey safe [to eat]?’
And this suggests there is some public concern, or maybe confusion, surrounding honey labelling.
The answer to that question is yes, it is safe to eat – so long as the beekeeper processed the honey to basic hygiene standards. Importantly, this is true for every other kind of honey.
Main takeaways
- There is no official definition for this type of honey.
- You might get the honey you are looking for, and at a cheaper price, by finding local beekeepers like ourselves.
- I don’t like the term ‘raw’ because it causes public concern/confusion.