What is Really Raw^® Honey?

Really Raw^® Honey is totally unprocessed honey. It still contains pollen, propolis, honeycomb and live enzymes -- all the goodness the bees put in! That's why Really Raw^® Honey is creamy, smooth and spreadable with sweet and crunchy cappings. Really Raw^® Honey is gathered from fields of wildflowers planted by nature, without pesticides or fertilizers.

Nutritional Information:

Honey contains iron, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, potassium, sulfur and manganese. Energetically, honey acts upon the stomach, spleen-pancreas and lungs. It tonifies, soothes and nourishes and has laxative properties. Seventy five percent of honey is glucose and fructose. It is thus quickly absorbed and may produce hypoglycemic symptoms. Honey is not, however, as empty of nutrients as sugar since it contains enzymes and minerals. Honey aids stomach and digestion, can be used for healing ulcers and burns. Honey is antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial, and has anti-cancer properties. Local raw honey is sought after by allergy sufferers as the pollen impurities are thought to lessen the sensitivity to hay fever.

Storage Information:
Traditionally honey was preserved in deep cellars, but not together with wine or other products. It is considered even more sensitive to the store-place conditions than the best wines. Store honey at room temperature away from direct sunlight. In hot places, honey can ferment. However, do not refrigerate.

Fun Food Facts:

Heating honey destroys the beneficial properties and promotes decay of the invertase- the main bee enzyme. According to many sources, honey should never be heated above 40°С (104°F).

According to Ayurveda, when honey is heated above 108° Fahrenheit, it becomes transformed into a glue-like substance that is extremely difficult to digest. This substance is considered a toxin (ama), since it adheres to the tissues of the body and is very difficult to remove. Many incompatible food combinations produce toxins, but heated honey is one of the most difficult forms to cleanse. Furthermore, not only does heating honey make it toxic and increase ama, but new research also indicates that most of the benefits of honey -- a variety of amino acids, enzymes, minerals, fatty acids and carbohydrates -- are destroyed by the application of heat. Furthermore, heated honey can be mucus forming. Therefore, Ayurveda recommends raw, unprocessed honey.

Likewise, the really raw honey website only lists desserts where the honey is not baked.

Sources: http://www.ojas.us/faq.html#honey        The Healing Cuisine (Ayurveda) by Harish Johari)

http://www.reallyrawhoney.com  Wikipedia.com: Honey    The new whole foods encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood

 

Recipes:

Spiced Honey Butter

1 / 4 cup Really Raw Honey
1 / 2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with biscuits, bread, or toast. Makes about 3/4 cup.

 

Really Raw Honey Balls (Dessert)

4 cups ground nuts, seeds or nut butter
1 cup dried unsweeted coconut
2 / 3 cup unsweeted carob powder
1 & 1 / 2 cups Really Raw Honey

Mix all ingredients together by hand or in a food processor. Roll into balls. For variety roll in ground nuts, sesame seeds, or coconut for extra elegance. For a crunchy feel, add 1 / 4 cup of nut pieces at end. Refrigerate or freeze for extended life.

For more recipe ideas: http://www.reallyrawhoney.com/recipes.php