Off to the store you go, and you suddenly find yourself staring at the honey shelf with absolutely no idea which honey to choose. Raw, organic, pure, pasteurized, infused, multi-flower—it can all get a bit overwhelming and confusing!
With so many varieties of honey available at the local grocery store and online, how do you choose the healthiest honey for your family?
How do you avoid another sugar source with empty calories and zero nutrients? After all, there's a reason we choose honey over sugar—its beneficial properties.
In a hurry? Here's a recap of the healthiest honey to buy for your family:
The most natural, raw state of honey is the healthiest honey if you want all the antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties and health benefits of honey.
When searching for the best honey for your family, choose one of these:
- Raw Honey: Raw honey comes directly from the beehives. It is unheated, unprocessed, and unpasteurized. The rawest form of honey you can eat is honeycomb.
- Pure Honey: Pure, unheated, unfiltered honey is still 100% raw honey but is taken from the beehives and gently strained to remove dirt, chunks, and dead bugs.
Essentially, raw and pure honey are the healthiest honeys you can choose. When possible, it is best to choose a product labeled raw and unfiltered.
Continue reading to discover the differences and what to look out for when choosing the healthiest honey for your family. Bee-cause we care!
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how to choose the healthiest honey
Scrutinizing the label is the first step. Look for the words 'unpasteurized', 'unfiltered,' 'raw,' 'pure,' or 'true source certified.'
If the price looks too cheap, it probably is cheap or "fake" honey. More expensive honey reflects the time and care that go into producing it.
Cloudy, opaque, or cream-colored honey is often a sign that the honey is still in its raw state. But that does not mean clear honey is not pure or unfiltered; it is simply a guideline.
Pour honey on your thumb. If it spreads right away or drips, it's most likely not pure, and if it stays intact or drips very slowly, it's pure.
Add a tablespoon of honey to a glass of water. If the honey forms a lump and settles at the bottom, it is pure. If it dissolves, it is artificial honey.
Pure honey will start to crystallize over time, whereas fake honey will remain in a liquid-like syrup.
These are general guidelines to help you choose, but are not set in stone and may differ from supplier to supplier.
Thank you for going over some of the different kinds of honey. I’ve been wanting to use honey over sugar for my tea in the mornings. I think I’d like to try raw honey to see how it differs from my regular sugar. https://registerfamilyfarm.com/collections/tupelo-honey