Many people think that all of the honey in a grocery store is identical—that it might have some color or consistency differences, but it's all pretty much the same. However, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Raw honey is honey that has not undergone a high-heat pasteurization process. This process kills unwanted microbes, turns it glossy and smooth, and makes it less viscous. But this step removes many of the health benefits of the honey and is mostly for consumer appeal.

Health Benefits

Honey has been used around the world for thousands of years as medicine for colds, headaches, digestion problems, and even wounds.

Honey has a natural anti-microbial and anti-fungal property, and its viscosity can cover broken skin as a sealant or ointment. It has pre-biotic effects that can boost your gut biome and settle stomach pains, and its enzymes help break down food for digestion. It's also a simple carbohydrate, so it's easy to digest, to give the body energy for healing—and even for working out!

But the high heat of the pasteurization process breaks down the structure of the honey, its enzymes and antioxidants, and some of the sugars that are helpful for gut bacteria. Raw honey maintains those health benefits, along with a cleaner, purer honey taste.

What to Look for

Raw honey is taken straight from the beehive, which means that wax and other debris sometimes find their way into the collection process. This is completely fine, and some people like to have beeswax in their honey jars! It's edible, although tasteless, and it looks beautiful inside the jar. Additionally, raw honey crystallizes quicker than processed honey, which means that light color on the edges of a jar or bottle is completely safe. It changes the texture, but it's only the sugars of the honey collecting.

Sometimes in the pasteurization and filtering processes, companies add natural and artificial sweeteners to their honey before it's packaged and sold. It's helpful to look for the small print on a label or a website to ensure that refined sugar isn't being snuck into the honey, just to make it taste sweeter. Heavenly Organics, for instance, sells 100% Wild Honey, in every bottle and every jar, without any additives.

What to do with Raw Honey

Raw honey is useful in thousands of ways. If you need a sweetener for coffee and tea, or even in your food, it's a delicious addition. A spoonful of honey's powerful antioxidants and prebiotics before bed can help digestion throughout the night, and has been shown to lower acid reflux and heartburn. If you're fighting off a cold, a sore throat, or a cough, honey and lemon in a cup of tea is a classic remedy.

Honey can be stored on your counter, in your pantry, and will last forever, if it's airtight and sealed. Storing it in a cold space like a refrigerator can change the texture and viscosity, so we advise keeping it at room temperature.

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Health Risks

For adults, there are no health risks with raw honey beyond any other food. However, the pasteurization process kills a strain of bacteria that can be harmful for children under 1 year old. For infants, pasteurized honey is the safest option.