Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Raw Honey Versus the Honey Most People Know

Those familiar with the bible have most certainly
heard of Canaan. It was known best as the land of
milk and honey. What do milk and honey have in
common? Both of these elements in their purest
states are unpasteurized. Pasteurization was
named in 1862, and was realized as a way to kill
bacteria that accelerate spoiling of consumable
goods. This is done by heat treating the edibles.
The majority of goods found in the market today
have been pasteurized in order to extend their
shelf life.

Unfortunately, this process can also cause the
disruption of nutrients that are found in the
natural byproduct of the animals. For years we
have been stripping these nutrients in an effort
to reduce spoilage and possible disease
contamination, but most recently an effort has
been made to go back to products found in a more
natural state in order to reap their full
benefits.

Some foods are clearly labeled as pasteurized,
while others may need closer inspection of the
label to determine what they are. One of these
foods that needs extra consideration is honey.

There is a lot of work done by the bees in the
manufacturing of honey. To begin, the worker bees
will fly out as far as four miles from the hive
in search of some local nectar. When the bee
finds a flower, she will first consume nectar for
her own nourishment, and will then consume
additional nectar into an additional "honey
stomach."

Upon returning to the hive, the contents of the
worker bees secondary stomach is removed or
sucked out by a house bee. The house bee
chemically breaks down the polysaccharides of the
nectar into some more simple sugars. This makes
the nectar more easily digestible and results in
honey that is spread throughout the honeycombs.

The bees have processed this sugar in a way to
make it less vulnerable to bacteria within the
hive as well. The bees will go one step further
in their preservation process by fanning the
honey with their wings to reduce it's moisture
content - making it even less susceptible to
bacteria. Honey is then sealed with a protective
beeswax and kept until it is ready for
consumption.

In this still pure state, the honey is packed
with nutrients, antioxidants, and is an amazing
energy source. In the United States, it is quite
common for honey manufacturers to pasteurize the
honey that is collected in an effort to destroy
bacteria and prevent fermentation by unseen
yeasts. This is done to help increase the shelf
life of the sweet syrup, but as a side effect it
removes additional nutrients that are beneficial
to humans.

How do you know the condition of the honey you
have purchased? Unprocessed honeys will be be
labeled at 100 percent raw. You can obtain a
fairly long shelf life with raw honey as long as
you keep it stored under ideal conditions.

The bees have worked hard already to provide a
product that is most beneficial in it's pure
state. Next time you go shopping for honey, do
have a good look at the label. You can enjoy all
it has to offer when you can find truly raw honey.

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Val Wilson is passionate about all things
beekeeping! It is an incredibly rewarding hobby
in so many ways, so if you would like more
information about how to start beekeeping, go to
http://www.bestbeekeeping.com and sign up for the
FREE 7 day beekeeping ecourse.

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