Raw honey: what the label actually means
The word 'raw' on a honey label is not regulated in the United States the way 'organic' is. It's a useful signal, but it doesn't tell you everything. Here is what we've learned from six years of carrying honey from the same Central Valley apiary.
What raw actually means
In practice, raw honey means the honey has not been heated above the temperature of the hive, roughly 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and has not been fine-filtered. Heating and filtering are done commercially to make honey clear and to prevent crystallization, which makes it more shelf-stable and visually uniform. The trade-off is flavor: heat drives off volatile aromatic compounds, and fine filtering removes pollen, which carries much of the floral character.
The honey we carry is jarred without heating and filtered only through a coarse mesh to remove wax and debris. It will crystallize over time, usually within three to six months of jarring. That's normal and reversible.
Why wildflower honey tastes different every year
Wildflower honey is a record of a specific place in a specific season. The bees forage within roughly a two-mile radius of the hive, and what they find depends on what's blooming, which depends on rainfall, temperature, and timing. A wet spring produces different flowers than a dry one.
The 2025 harvest from our Central Valley apiary was light and floral, with a strong clover note. The 2026 harvest is darker, with a buckwheat character that wasn't present last year. Buckwheat honey has a more assertive, slightly molasses-like flavor that pairs well with aged cheese, dark bread, or a grain porridge. It's not for everyone, but it's interesting.
Storing and using raw honey
Store honey at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Refrigeration accelerates crystallization without any benefit. If your honey crystallizes, set the jar in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and stir gently. It will return to liquid without any loss of quality.
Raw honey should not be given to children under twelve months. This is a standard food safety guideline in the US and applies to all honey regardless of processing.
We have 48 jars of the 2026 harvest. The 2025 batch sold out by mid-October, so if you want more than one jar, it's worth coming in or emailing us early.