Buy Natural Honey

Although all honey is "natural" because it is derived from the nectar of flowers, not all honey is "raw," or pure. This is because honey is often heated and processed for pasteurization. Most honey that you will find in a grocery store has been pasteurized in order to maintain its shelf life. Despite the definitions, most people consider natural honey to be raw or organic, and the best place to buy natural honey is locally. Natural or organic foods are healthiest and freshest when you purchase them in an area that is close to you. You will derive the best health benefits from local, natural honey. Some of the benefits of consuming honey include allergy relief, increased energy and help with morning sickness or nausea. The following tips can help you find natural honey to purchase in your area.

Steps

Shop for Honey Locally

1. Visit your local farmer's market. Find different booths and merchants that are selling their honey, and ask them about their product. Natural honey from local farmers is typically sold as raw, or un-pasteurized. This means that the honey has not been heated, and only slightly strained to remove any wax particles. Ask the farmers if their honey is raw.
2. Find a local beekeeper. Ask the merchants at the farmer's market for some names of local beekeepers. You may also check the yellow pages in your area for beekeepers who advertise their honey for sale. Many beekeepers strain and jar their honey, and some may be willing to sell you comb honey, which is directly from the hive. In many areas, even cities, you may find that your neighbors keep bees and are willing to sell or even give away honey.
3. Visit a local health food store. Many organic food stores stock honey in pure or raw form. Look at the labeling and ask the store personnel for assistance. You may also ask if they carry honey from local bees.

Shop for Honey Online

1. Search for honey on the Internet. Look for growers and manufacturers of honey that state it is raw or un-pasteurized. Keep in mind that many online merchants will state that their honey is 100 percent natural, which may mean that it has actually been heated up to temperatures of 120 degrees F (48.8 C). For completely raw honey, check labels carefully, and make sure there is a money back guarantee in case you are dissatisfied. Shop for websites that are as close to your region as possible.

Tips

• Natural, raw honey is not the golden brown color that is commonly seen in jars on grocery store shelves. It will be milky brown in color and usually contains a thicker layer on the top of the jar or container.
• Purchase honey that is at room temperature. This is a sign that the honey has had no reason to be refrigerated, and still contains its beneficial nutrients such as bee pollen.

Warnings

• All honey contains the presence of the bacterium botulinum endospores. Although honey has low water content and therefore does not promote growth of bad bacteria, botulinum endospores are not tolerated by children under the age of 12 months. Never feed honey in any form to a child younger than 1.

Related Articles

• Verify the Purity of Honey
• Use Agave Instead of Honey
• Decrystallize Honey

Sources and Citations

• http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/health-benefits-of-organic-locally-grown-raw-honey/
• http://www.bee-pollen-buzz.com/buy-raw-honey.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

See also

• Make Honey Toffees
• Crystallize Honey
• Verify the Purity of Honey
• Use Honey in Place of White Sugar
• Melt Honey
• Store Honey
• Soften Honey
• Make a Sweet Honey and Cinnamon Milk Drink
• Keep Ants out of Honey
• Make Honey Roasted Peanuts

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