Frequently asked questions about honey
Honey consists of over 200 components, most of which are fructose and glucose. In addition, honey contains water, sucrose, maltose, enzymes, organic compounds, and minerals. Sugars make up the largest portion, over 70%, while enzymes and minerals account for approximately 61%. Bees collect nectar from both wild and cultivated plants, so the ratio of different components varies depending on the type of honey. That is why the taste, color, and composition of different honeys also vary greatly! The glucose in honey is a vital sugar for humans, which is absorbed into the bloodstream and provides us with energy. It is absorbed into the body quickly and effectively raises blood sugar levels. At the same time, fructose is absorbed slowly, keeping blood sugar levels stable for a long time. You can read more information about honey here.
The reason why some honeys are runny and some crystallize is because bees collect nectar from different plant species. The nectar produced by each plant species has a different composition, and therefore the nectar collected from them results in different honey after being processed by bees. In practice, the sugar composition of nectar determines the color, consistency, and taste of honey. The ratio of the two main sugars – glucose and fructose – in the nectar determines whether the honey remains runny for a long time or begins to crystallize soon. Finnish honeys are mostly fast-crystallizing, meaning they are solid, sometimes even hard and quite granular. Crystallization is natural for honey and is due to the high amount of glucose in Finnish honey. When honey crystallizes freely, crystals form within it, which can be quite large. These crystals are concentrated glucose, which some people mistakenly believe is added sugar in the honey. Nothing should ever be added to honey, and adding sugar, for example, would not be technically possible, as honey itself contains more sugar than a saturated sugar solution. If the honey is collected from, for example, fireweed, it remains runny for a long time. The reason for this is the high fructose content of fireweed nectar. We aim to bottle this type of honey, and it can be found in stores under the product name Finnish Filtered Honey 350 g. Even this honey will not remain in a liquid state forever, but it too will crystallize sooner or later. Sometimes crystallization can create really large crystals in the honey, which is a sign that it is a genuine natural product! Honey can be returned to a runny state by gently warming it in a warm water bath. Crystallization is not affected by whether the jar or bottle has been opened. However, storage temperature does affect crystallization. Honey stored in a cool place (optimal crystallization temperature +14 °C) will crystallize faster than honey kept at room temperature. The refrigerator, on the other hand, is too humid a place for storing honey.
Both our packaged Finnish Flower Honey and Finnish Traditional Hard Honey are polyfloral honeys, but their difference lies mainly in their structure. Flower Honey is soft, easy to scoop, yet firm. Finnish Traditional Hard Honey, as its name suggests, is allowed to naturally crystallize into a hard and flaky consistency. The softness of Flower Honey is achieved through timely kneading and seeding. In mechanical kneading, the honey is gently stirred, which refines the crystal structure.
We pack a limited batch of honey immediately at the start of the harvest season, as is, meaning freshly extracted. It can be found in stores in a 450 g jar labeled "New Harvest Honey". We pack our other honey products year-round. New harvest honey is liquid at the time of packing. As is natural for honey, it will begin to crystallize at its own pace. Crystallization in honey happens slowly and unevenly. Therefore, during the crystallization phase, some of the honey in the jar may be completely liquid, while some may have crystallized into very large grains. The grains are crystallized glucose, which is the other main ingredient in honey. For example, Finnish wildflower honey is mechanically creamed during this crystallization phase, resulting in a honey with a finer crystal structure. Nothing is ever added to honey!
The honeys we package are so-called polyfloral honeys, which means that the bees have collected nectar from several different plant species. Honey collected and produced from different plants during the harvest season naturally tastes different because each plant gives the honey its own distinct flavor. The plant origin affects not only the taste but also the color and consistency of the honey. Therefore, it is natural for there to be small differences in taste and color between honey jars.
When opening a jar of honey, there is sometimes a white layer on the surface called crystallization. Crystallization occurs when the surface layer of very dry honey comes into contact with the air and the air dries it out further. Although crystallization might look unappealing, it is actually a sign of high-quality honey. Therefore, honey that has crystallized on the surface is completely usable!
We purchase Finnish honey from selected contract producers, and our packaged honey is produced at apiaries operating in Finland. Some of our contract producers engage in beekeeping and honey production as their full-time occupation or a side business, while others do it as a hobby. The number of hives they manage ranges from a few dozen to as many as 900 beehives. You can get to know our producers by watching videos about them.We combine honey from different producers into larger batches, so a single jar likely contains honey from multiple producers. The "Best by" date on the honey jar allows you to check the origin locations of the honey you purchased. The file is on the front page..
Honey is stored at room temperature in a dry place. If you are not using the honey immediately, it should be stored in a dry and cool place. The optimal storage temperature for crystallized honey is +14 degrees Celsius. Honey can be exposed to moisture in the refrigerator. If you do not use all the honey you purchased immediately, you can also freeze it and thaw it for use.
The date on the honey jar indicates the best-before date, meaning how long the contents of the honey jar can be used without concern. Honey is a highly preservable food, so when stored correctly, it is good even longer than the indicated date. The date also serves as batch tracking for us. With the "best before" date, you can check the place of origin of the honey you purchased. The file is on the front page.. If honey has separated but smells normal, it can still be used. When honey separates, a liquid, clear layer has formed on top. Below it is a crystalline part. Separation can be caused by several reasons, including honey being stored in too warm conditions. The optimal storage temperature for crystallized honey is +14 degrees Celsius. Separated honey can be mixed and used. If the smell is alcoholic, the honey has begun to ferment and is no longer usable.
We pack honey year-round, which means honey that has crystallized in storage needs to be gently heated to a packable consistency. Honey that is packed during the colder seasons is rapidly heated and then cooled; it is not heated to a high temperature! The heating process ensures that the honey's temperature does not become too hot during the process. Rapid heating and immediate cooling do not damage the honey. For honey quality, the long-term storage temperature is more important than the short heating time. Honey naturally contains over 200 different components, such as enzymes, which diminish if honey is stored for extended periods in overly warm conditions. Therefore, the honey regulation drafted by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry does not specify any particular limit for short-term heating of honey. Our long-term storage always takes place in a cool storage area. Since most of the summer honey harvest is brought to us immediately after the harvest season, we store it until it is time for packing. Long-term storage is always done in our unheated storage facility. If honey has crystallized in the storage containers before packing, it is heated during the packing process so that it can be removed from the storage containers, filtered, and packed into consumer packages. After heating, the honey is rapidly cooled to minimize the destruction of enzymes. At home, you can contribute to the preservation of enzymes by adding honey to tea that has already cooled to drinking temperature and enjoying the beverage shortly after sweetening it.
Honey contains small amounts of pollen, which may cause reactions. Pollen is a natural component of honey, so individuals sensitive to pollen should consume honey in small amounts and monitor for any reactions. Those with pollen allergies can use honey as desensitization therapy by consuming it daily for months before pollen season begins. People with severe pollen allergies can try our Finnish filtered honey 350g, as it contains less pollen than other honeys. The pollen content has been reduced through filtration.
Honey is an unheated, living food, so it may contain Clostridium botulinum spores. Spores are commonly found in soil or in the sediment at the bottom of bodies of water, and are therefore occasionally found in unheated foods such as fish, herbs, root vegetables, fruits, berries, and honey. Infants' digestive systems and intestines are still developing, so the presence of spores in the intestines can cause botulism. Children over one year old and adults have developed intestines that can tolerate spores. Spores are also not transmitted through breast milk to infants, so pregnant and breastfeeding mothers can consume honey. However, contracting botulism after consuming honey is very unlikely. According to Evira Food poisonings caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum are very rare.
The term "raw honey" is used in the United States and refers to unpasteurized honey there. In the United States, honey pasteurization is very common, unlike in Finland. During pasteurization, honey is heated to at least 70-78 degrees Celsius. Pasteurizing makes honey liquid and clear, as heating melts the crystal structure. As a reaction to this common practice, many American consumers have sought unpasteurized honey, which is called raw honey. In Finland, honey is never pasteurized! Honeys sold in bottles are not liquid due to heating; rather, their botanical origin makes them remain liquid for longer. Finnish filtered honey sold in a bottle, 350g, will crystallize eventually, which is a sign of good, unprocessed honey!
