Frequently Asked Questions

Does honey ever expire?

Honey is the only food in nature that will never expire!  They find it in tombs of Pharaohs, and other than being crystallized, it's just like the first day!  Honey is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal by nature.  As long as no additional moisture makes its way into the honey, it will never expire.  As mentioned, it will however, crystallize over time.  That's because of the sugar (natural) content that comprises honey.  Different varieties take longer to crystallize than others, but eventually, they all will.  Should this happen, simply bring a pot of water to boil.  Once boiling, turn the heat OFF, and place the jar of honey in the hot water.  About 15-20 minutes later, you honey will be liquid just like when you purchased it.  This is why we at Hive Hive only bottle our honey in glass jars. 

How can you determine the variety?

Seventy years ago or so, most every farm in America grew seasonal crops - Spring, Summer and Fall.  As such, they almost always had a couple of beehives on property to pollinate these seasonal crops.  Today, most farms are monoculture farms, meaning that they only grow one crop.  The average size of these monoculture farms has also grown.  It's not uncommon to have say Avocado orchards that exceed 10,000 acres in size.  What this means is that other than the two weeks of the year that the crop is in season, there is no other forage to offer honeybees on the property.  As such, farmers will contract a beekeeper to place colonies on the property for 2-3 weeks.  If the bees manage to make any honey in that finite period of time, it could only be from the nectar of the crop they were offered.

What does Raw honey mean?

"Raw" is a processing term for honey.  If a honey is raw, it means that it was not warmed or pasteurized.  In the case of honey, 106F is a magic number.  The normal state of a colony of bees will not exceed 106F.  Bees begin to die if the inside of a colony gets hotter than that.  Honey that does not state "raw" means it has been warmed or pasteurized beyond 106F.  

If you are taking honey to assist with seasonal allergies, you want a raw honey.  Raw honey contains trace impurities - pollen, propolis, wax, etc.  It is these impurities that make honey beneficial in the fight against seasonal allergies.  Taking small amounts a day expose you to the very same pollen that gives you fits.  Honey that does not say "raw" means that it was pasteurized or warmed beyond 106F.  Non raw honey will generally be clearer and more consistent in its appearance.