Many would not take a second glance at that jar of bottled honey on the grocery store's aisle. If it’s golden, sweet, and pours well, it automatically goes into the cart. But when one considers the difference between raw and processed honey, these differences aren’t seen in the packaging on display.
Making the right choice between raw and processed honey can truly change your experiences with the product you purchase. So, here's how to determine which type of honey is best for you.
What Happens Between the Hive and the Jar
When it comes to large amounts of honey production, the majority of the work is done by honeybees. But nearly all processes after extraction are where things diverge between producing raw, unfiltered honey versus producing processed honey. Once extracted from the beehive, raw honey gets filtered and bottle-ready by removing bits of wax and debris.
On the other hand, processed honey has added steps in its production. It is heated up to very high temperatures and put through high-pressure filtration to make it look clearer than raw honey. All this is done to make the honey shelf-stable.
By heating honey during processing, yeast cells are destroyed and thus extend shelf-life by not allowing the honey to ferment. One other advantage of heating processed honey before bottling is that it prevents crystallization of the bottled honey.
Both of these processes (heating and filtering) may seem like good ideas, but they also destroy natural enzymes found in raw honey, remove pollen from the honey before bottling, and destroy the antibacterial properties of honey.
In contrast, raw honey contains all of the same components found in honeycomb. The pollen and enzymes of the bee are left unscathed, as are the trace quantities of the propolis (the resinous material that bees use to seal their hives and that some people believe has medicinal properties). So, raw honey is a more complete version of what is made in the hive itself.
Flavor Is Where Raw Honey Really Pulls Ahead
You may not be aware of all the different styles/types of honey available if you only eat commercial honey. It entirely depends upon what types of flowers the bees forage from to create raw honey. Therefore, all varieties of honey will each have a distinctive flavor.
A good Australian honey collection will prove how differently honeys can be. Exploring all these different options is a good start.
An example of this would be clover honey, which is mild in flavor and easy to identify. Clover honey is likely what you grew up eating, as most people do. Meanwhile, wildflower honey will have a stronger flavor and more character than clover honey. Its flavor can change based on the flowers that are blooming at the time.
You also have Acacia honey, which is very light with almost no color and has a clean and sweet flavor. Lavender honey will have a light floral flavor that pairs well with cheese or yogurt. Orange blossom honey will be more brightly flavored and fruity, and delivers a punch when used in baked goods.
That Cloudy, Gritty Texture Is a Good Sign
One of the most common misconceptions about raw honey is that naturally granulated honey has gone bad. It hasn't.
Granulation is a completely natural process as glucose separates from the liquid and forms crystals over time. It happens faster in cooler temperatures, and some varieties, like clover, are more prone to it than others. If anything, granulation is a sign that the honey hasn't been heavily processed.
If the texture bothers you, it's easy to fix. Set the jar in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, and the crystals will dissolve. Just don't microwave it, as it defeats the purpose. High heat breaks down those natural enzymes you're trying to preserve.
When Should You Choose Processed Honey
It'd be unfair to write off processed honey entirely. For baking and cooking, especially at high temperatures, the health benefits of raw honey mostly disappear anyway. Heat does to it in the oven what pasteurization did in the factory.
In those cases, the flavor difference matters more, and some people simply prefer the neutral, consistent sweetness of a commercial honey in their recipes.
Processed honey is also cheaper and easier to find. If you're going through large quantities, like sweetening multiple cups of tea a day, using it in salad dressings, or stirring it into oatmeal, a big jar of commercial honey is a practical choice.
After all, not every use case requires specialty honey.
Reading Labels Without Getting Fooled
Words like "pure" and "natural" on a honey label don't tell you much. They're not regulated terms and can appear on fully pasteurized products. What you want to look for is "raw," "raw unfiltered honey," or "unfiltered." Even better, look for information about where the honey came from, what flowers the bees visited, or who produced it.
A glass jar from a local beekeeper at a farmers' market is usually a safe bet. Small-batch producers who practice sustainable beekeeping tend to be transparent about their process because they're proud of it. That transparency is itself a signal of quality. If a label is vague and gives you nothing to work with, the honey probably isn't anything special.
You can also use your eyes. Raw honey is often cloudy or opaque, with a thicker consistency. Honey that is perfectly transparent and pours like water has almost certainly been processed.
That said, neither of those is a guaranteed rule because some raw honeys are quite clear. But it's a useful starting point when you're standing in a store with no other information.
Conclusion
Raw honey and processed honey aren’t competing for the same market. If you’re looking for something less costly and okay for everyday cooking, processed honey will suffice. But if you’re looking for honey that tastes authentic, with all its complexity, its nutritional properties, and the quality of whatever flowers the bees were busy pollinating for the last year, then raw is the best choice.
