OUR COLD EXTRACTED HONEY
To maintain Living honey's wonderful taste, texture & nutritional qualities. Living Honey is offered in its pure, natural state - unfiltered with no heat ever applied to it. The collection and extraction process is accomplished, using no poisons, chemicals or additives. Living Honey is as close to its natural state as possible.
There is an intricate, interconnected process & circumstances that are essential to maintain the natural excellence of Living Honey.
There is an intricate, interconnected process & circumstances that are essential to maintain the natural excellence of Living Honey.
Honey Purity
Purity is the first major factor essential to the natural excellence of our Living Honey. The nectar collected by the bees comes from the flowers of Alpine, Utah & its surrounding communities. Flowers can yield very little nutritional content & may even contain toxins. Bees incredible senses help them seek out & forage from only the most nutritional sources.
TIMING of Extraction
Obtaining Living Honey in its natural state - unheated and unfiltered - is a process that must be timed exactly, making it a virtually "hand-picked" honey. The honey cannot be harvested too early or too late. It must then be run immediately through the extracting process so that it does not need to be re-heated.
If the honey is harvested too early, before it is ripe, the water content in the honey will be too high which can cause the honey to ferment in the jar. On the other hand, if the honey is harvested from the hive too late it can crystallize (solidify) in the wax comb inside the hive.
So, there exists only a window of time between picking the honey too soon or picking it too late.
Harvesting Living Honey so that it will not have to be heated, and thus preserving its naturally delectable essence is an example of the art of natural beekeeping.
If the honey is harvested too early, before it is ripe, the water content in the honey will be too high which can cause the honey to ferment in the jar. On the other hand, if the honey is harvested from the hive too late it can crystallize (solidify) in the wax comb inside the hive.
So, there exists only a window of time between picking the honey too soon or picking it too late.
Harvesting Living Honey so that it will not have to be heated, and thus preserving its naturally delectable essence is an example of the art of natural beekeeping.
CRYSTALLIZATION, HEAT and NUTRIENTS
Crystallization:
Nearly all honeys crystallize naturally. It is the nature of most pure honey to crystallize. The crystals in pure Living Honey are "alive" and active. The thick, viscous, liquid honey that goes into the jar is eventually transformed into the firm, silky texture by the growing crystals and thus becomes one of our creamed or crystallized honey varieties. Here from the Utah dessert, however, certain special batches can actually remain liquid.
Crystallization and heat:
Heat breaks down the natural microscopic crystal clusters which aid in sparking the molecular chain reaction and the eventual solidification of honey. Heat also separates or floats out impurities like tiny air bubbles, wax and pollen. This allows honey to remain liquid longer. Unfortunately it comes at a higher price loosing much of its nutritional value. Heating can damage or destroy some of the constituents of the proteins that are found in honey, as well as cause the proteins to have a very unpleasant taste. Heating the honey will also darken the color. Many beekeepers heat honey to make it easier to handle. Even honey that is called "raw" does not mean it is not heated during extraction and bottling. It simply means it has not been pasteurized.
Unheated Honey:
Honey's natural viscosity makes it very slow moving for handling and bottling. This can motivate any honey producer to switch to more conventional methods of heating when bottling thousands of pounds of slow moving honey. We at BCC maintain our standards of purity. The need is overwhelming and we have been supported by everyone who taste our honey. The difference is amazing and customers have been able to believe in honey once more.
Nutrients:
All natural honey that has not been heated contains beneficial enzymes that help to hydrolyze the sugars, retard pathogens, promote antioxidants, and provide the basic building blocks of nutrition. Honey contains all 18 essential amino acids, 13 different strains of beneficial pro-biotics and pre-biotics. It also has a myriad of synergistic compounds that work together to stabilize the metabolism and provide pure healing energy. The enzymes in honey are known for their anti microbial properties.
We use 100% Cold Extraction in a centrifugal process to get Living Honey from the comb into the jar. This cold extraction process allows the naturally occurring nutrients to remain intact and active in the honey. Even after bottled, these enzymes and nutrients are actively transforming the constituents of the honey, in particular the sugars and these get preserved and transported directly to the body when consumed. Once in the jar, Living Honey must be kept sealed and away from high heat.
Nearly all honeys crystallize naturally. It is the nature of most pure honey to crystallize. The crystals in pure Living Honey are "alive" and active. The thick, viscous, liquid honey that goes into the jar is eventually transformed into the firm, silky texture by the growing crystals and thus becomes one of our creamed or crystallized honey varieties. Here from the Utah dessert, however, certain special batches can actually remain liquid.
Crystallization and heat:
Heat breaks down the natural microscopic crystal clusters which aid in sparking the molecular chain reaction and the eventual solidification of honey. Heat also separates or floats out impurities like tiny air bubbles, wax and pollen. This allows honey to remain liquid longer. Unfortunately it comes at a higher price loosing much of its nutritional value. Heating can damage or destroy some of the constituents of the proteins that are found in honey, as well as cause the proteins to have a very unpleasant taste. Heating the honey will also darken the color. Many beekeepers heat honey to make it easier to handle. Even honey that is called "raw" does not mean it is not heated during extraction and bottling. It simply means it has not been pasteurized.
Unheated Honey:
Honey's natural viscosity makes it very slow moving for handling and bottling. This can motivate any honey producer to switch to more conventional methods of heating when bottling thousands of pounds of slow moving honey. We at BCC maintain our standards of purity. The need is overwhelming and we have been supported by everyone who taste our honey. The difference is amazing and customers have been able to believe in honey once more.
Nutrients:
All natural honey that has not been heated contains beneficial enzymes that help to hydrolyze the sugars, retard pathogens, promote antioxidants, and provide the basic building blocks of nutrition. Honey contains all 18 essential amino acids, 13 different strains of beneficial pro-biotics and pre-biotics. It also has a myriad of synergistic compounds that work together to stabilize the metabolism and provide pure healing energy. The enzymes in honey are known for their anti microbial properties.
We use 100% Cold Extraction in a centrifugal process to get Living Honey from the comb into the jar. This cold extraction process allows the naturally occurring nutrients to remain intact and active in the honey. Even after bottled, these enzymes and nutrients are actively transforming the constituents of the honey, in particular the sugars and these get preserved and transported directly to the body when consumed. Once in the jar, Living Honey must be kept sealed and away from high heat.
FILTERING
Living Honey is strained not filtered through a large mesh to remove large particles. This straining allows tiny pieces of pollen, propolis and wax that contain important nutrients and antibacterial qualities to remain in the honey.
Many beekeepers not only heat their honey, but use special equipment to pressure pump the honey through very fine filters in an attempt to get a product that is void of tiny particles to prevent crystallization and appeal better to consumers. In the process all pollen grains and even larger proteins are removed. Much of the honey's natural value is lost leaving the final product no better than corn syrup.
Many beekeepers not only heat their honey, but use special equipment to pressure pump the honey through very fine filters in an attempt to get a product that is void of tiny particles to prevent crystallization and appeal better to consumers. In the process all pollen grains and even larger proteins are removed. Much of the honey's natural value is lost leaving the final product no better than corn syrup.