Very important! Always look for the term "Raw" on your honey. It means it has not been heated or pressure filtered. It's got all the good qualities you want to help fight local allergies, improve circulation, and aid in digestion. There are so many health benefits to honey, but only if the honey is not overheated. So look for the term RAW.
"Can I get good Raw honey from anywhere?" Yes you can. As a matter of fact, all raw honey will help your health. You do not have to have local honey to improve digestion, or help with skin problems. You need local honey to help with allergies. If you suffer from the same pollen that the bees collect from each spring and fall, then the honey helps you to build up a tolerance a spoonful at a time. Most floral in 75 miles is the same. Yet all raw honey can be good for your overall health. Many people seem to confuse allergy needs with overall health benefits of honey.
Not all honey is raised the same way. We are a small operation. So our honey is gently gravity filtered and our bees are not moved around the country. They collect slowly and from the same pesky sources that make your eyes water and nose itch in the spring. Goldenrod anyone? Some large beekeepers move their bees on pallets to work a particular crop In Missouri and Illinois, pumpkins, apples and alfalfa are big pollination crops. These bees tend to collect heavy pollen and nectar from just a few sources So that honey will have different tastes. Even in our area, our beekeepers will have different tasting honey.
The appeal of raw honey is that is unprocessed, not heated and has all its live, nutritious enzymes preserved. However, there are no strict legal requirements for claiming and labeling honey as "raw". We put it on our bottles so you will know for sure.
Claims of "pure honey" on labels can be ambiguous and may not necessarily be equivalent to 100% pure honey as the product may contain "real honey" in an unknown amount. Many brands, including those labelled as "natural", offer honey that is pasteurized or treated with heat to slow down the process of crystallization, I would be cautious with terms Pure, Real, or Natural.
We tend to think Organic means no chemicals were used. For honey to be certified organic, the manufacturer has to meet a set of stringent organic standards and conditions during the honey production (set by a organic agriculture certification body), which include source of the nectar, honey bees foraging area, bees management, honey extracting process, transportation, processing temperature, and packaging materials. Most bees travel up to 2 miles to collect nectar from all kinds of plants. Some of which have had chemical contact. 2 miles, covers many acres and several owners, so organic is rather difficult to find. We see plenty of labels, yet true organic may never happen with honey. Organic also refers to chemical used in processing, not in the hive when a honey flow is not present. It's a tricky thing.
Overall, you can find lots of good local honey at shops, markets and health stores. Look for the address of the producer, and try to find a good Raw honey. Experiment with all the local producers, you may find you like having different tasting honeys to consume. One for tea, one for biscuits, one for spoons!
Here is a listing of farmer's markets in the area where we sell honey:
- Tuesday AM- Adams County Health Department Farmer's Market 8am-noon Quincy IL
- Tuesday PM-Quincy Mall Farmer's Market 3300 Broadway, behind mall. 3pm (2pm) to 6pm. This market we attend every other week.
- Thursday PM-Quincy Mall Farmer's Market 3300 Broadway, behind mall. 3pm (2pm) to 6pm
- Saturday AM-Hannibal Central Park Farmer's Market, 8am to noon. 450 Broadway, Hannibal
- Saturday AM-Washington Park Farmer's Market, 7:30am to Noon, Quincy IL
