Honey Facts
What is honey and how is it made?
Honey is a sweet, viscous (thick) material produced by bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey is a substance created by bees after removing water and adding enzymes that change the character of the sugars in the nectar.
What is the chemical composition of honey?
Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates. Honey is composed of 38.5% Fructose, 31.0% Glucose, 17.1% Water, 7.2% Maltose, 4.2% Trisaccharides, 1.5% Sucrose, and 0.5% is made up of minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.
What are the ingredients in Busy Bee Honey?
Busy Bee Honey is 100% pure honey, as made by honey bees from the flower nectar they gather. No ingredients are added.
Does honey contain any allergens?
Honey is not considered an allergen and does not contain wheat, crustacea, eggs, fish, peanuts, milk, tree nuts, soybeans, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sulfites, lactose, or Yellow 5 (tartrazine).
Does honey contain glutens?
Glutens are protein from wheat flour. Honey does not contain glutens.
Do we process any peanuts or tree nuts at our plant?
Golden Heritage Foods does not use any of these products at our facilities.
Why has my honey darkened and flavor changed?
Over time all honey darkens. Honey color is subject to change more quickly when it is stored at higher temperatures. As the honey darkens in color, the flavor becomes stronger.
Why has my honey become so thick and granular (crystallized)?
Crystallization is a natural transformation process for honey with time. Typically, honey will crystallize more quickly if exposed to temperatures in the 55-60 degree range. You can return the crystallized honey to liquid again by removing the lid and placing the jar in warm water until the crystals dissolve. You can also place the honey in a microwave safe container and warm the honey in the microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, until the crystals dissolve. Please be careful not to boil or scorch the honey. It is not recommended to microwave the plastic bottles in which the honey is packaged.
Why is the honey spread so hard?
The honey spread is pure honey, and being a natural product, it is temperature sensitive. Please refer to the instructions on the container: warm to soften, but be careful not to turn into a liquid; it cannot be turned back to a spreadable form by cooling.
What is the white foam on top of the honey?
The white appearance on the top of honey is actually the creation of "honey foam" which is a result of the tiny air bubbles in the honey escaping to the top of the honey. This is due to tiny air bubbles entrained in the honey during the processing and packaging of the product. When the packaged honey sets awhile, the air bubbles work their way up to the top of the container creating the foam. There is nothing wrong with the honey or the foam on the top of the honey.
What is "raw" honey?
Raw honey is honey that is taken directly from the hive.
What is "strained" honey?
Strained honey has been passed through a mesh material to remove matter normally found in unprocessed honey. The mesh, however, does not remove any pollen that may be in the honey.
What is "filtered" honey?
Filtered honey is processed by filtration to remove pollen and other fine particles. Busy Bee Honey is filtered.
What is "organic" honey?
The USDA has implemented a set of national standards that foods labeled "organic" must meet, whether produced in the United States or imported from other countries. Before honey can be labeled "organic," a USDA-approved certifier inspects the area where the honey is produced to make sure the honey producer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. The USDA accredits state, private and foreign organizations or persons to become these "certifying agents."
Organic honey is produced by beekeepers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic honey is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. The USDA Organic seal on a product indicates that a product is at least 95 percent organic.
How do I store honey?
To keep the honey in top form, store it at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Never store honey in the refrigerator, as that will speed crystallization. Typically, honey will crystallize more quickly if exposed to temperatures in the 55-60 degree range. Kitchen cupboards, on an outside wall in the wintertime, can also have temperatures in this range.
How do you substitute honey for sugar?
Substitute honey for up to one-half the sugar. Reduce the liquid by one-fourth cup for every cup of honey used. In baked goods add one-half teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of honey used and bake at a temperature of 25 degrees lower than instructions call for. In cookie recipes using eggs and no additional liquid, increase the flour by two tablespoons per cup of honey or enough flour to give the desired consistency. Chill before shaping and baking.
Helpful hint: Honey can be measured easily by using the same cup used for measuring the oil in a recipe or by coating a cup or spoon with nonstick vegetable spray.
Why doesn't 8 ounces of honey equal 1 cup?
Due to the viscous nature of honey, the honey industry standard is to measure honey by weight and not by liquid volume. These units are NOT equal. Therefore, when you have a net weight of 12 ounces of honey, as our label accurately states, it is not 12 fluid ounces. It will take a 12 ounce container of honey to fill one measuring cup.
Measuring Honey for Recipes:
| Honey Container Size |
Approximate Amt of Honey |
| 8 oz |
2/3 cup |
| 12 oz |
1 cup |
| 16 oz |
1 1/3 cup |
| 24 oz |
2 cups |
| 32 oz |
2 2/3 cups |
| 40 oz |
3 1/3 cups |
| 48 oz |
4 cups |
| 80 oz |
6 2/3 cups |
| 96 oz |
8 cups |
Why can't I feed honey to babies under one year of age?
Infant Botulism is a rare but very serious disease affecting the nervous system of infants. Honey and other raw agricultural products may contain bacterial spores from Clostridium Botulinum that could cause Infant Botulism. These bacterial spores are widely distributed in nature. They can be found in soil, dust, the air or raw agricultural product. After ingestion, C. Botulinum spores can germinate, grow and produce toxin in the lower bowel of some infants under one year of age. Infants are susceptible to infant botulism until their intestinal microflora develops. Children and adults with normal intestinal microflora are able to ingest C. Botulinum spores without harm. The National Honey Board, along with other health organizations, recommends that honey not be fed to infants under one year of age.
I am expecting a baby--can I eat honey?
The National Honey Board states: "If an adult female consumed a spore contained in honey, her gastrointestinal system takes care of it. The spore then does not germinate and no toxin is produced."
How is honey processed? Is Busy Bee Honey pasteurized?
Honey is processed by filtering to remove pollen and other fine particles. It is also heated for filtration and packaging purposes, to prevent unwanted fermentation, and to delay crystallization. Honey is heated to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-7 minutes in preparation for filtering. This heat treatment is not technically considered pasteurization. |
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