>Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>> -how can I recognize a heated honey from a raw honey?
>
>Tom:
>Good question. I don't have a clear answer, but can relate a few things. A
>beekeeper told me that unheated honey crystallizes quickly, and the crystals
>are very small. Heated honey crystallizes slowly, and the crystals are often
>(relatively) large.

Note further that even instincto-quality honey (IQH) may age into in "large
crystals" and some varieties may not crystalize even if absolutely raw.
However, most IQH does indeed crytalize. I have self-extracted examples of
finely crystalized, coursely crystalized, and uncrystalized honey. Also,
sometimes a separation occurs where un crystalized honey "floats" to the
top and rests on heavily crystalized honey beneath it. I had always
considered this a sign of denatured (or at least mixed) honey, but since I
have seen it with my own eyes happen (after years in a jar) with honey I
know was IQH (since I extracted and jarred it myself) I am very humbled
about using any appearance clues.

>An exception to this is what is referred to as "spun"
>honey: clover honey treated to crystallize, and processed to guarantee small
>crystals (heated, but it still tastes good...)

I was involved in the processing of spun honey in New Zealand. It, again,
is not necassarily bad. We simply added a bit of finely crystalized honey
from last years batch--a couple tablespoons--to a 30 gallon pails of IQH
and stirred it in, a very muscular job ;) Apparently this was all that was
needed to assure that the honey would crystalize with a very small grain
(which is more attractive to the consumer, but I don't much mind).

There are probably other methods of making spun honey, but the spun honey
found in regular supermarkets may well be the rawest honey available in
regular stores, since spun honey can't be heated too much or it won't
crystalize.

>Because it is gravity filtered and unheated, truly raw honey may still contain
>a small amount of beeswax, which will float to the top of the jar. This is
>something you can look for. In  heated  honey the wax seems to be emulsified
>into the honey, and it does not separate out. In crystallized raw honey, the
>separated beeswax may look like a "ring" at the top of the jar.

Yeah. Even if you simply mashed up some comb honey and left it in a bowl,
the wax wil tend to rise to the top.

And as I mentioned in a previous post: comb honey is best--best flavor,
best quality, best everything. And it is relatively easy to find. Many
health food stores carry some comb honey. People are sometimes wary of the
wax, but it's really not that big of a deal. There is a thick layer of wax
in the midline plane of cut comb honey. A spoon can be used to scrape the
honey and cappings off and eaten as is from the spoon. The small amount of
wax in the cappings is not likely to ruin any pleasure. Indeed, the thick
layer of wax in the middle can be swallowed with no ill-effect whatsoever.
More often, people seem to chew on the wax and discard it after sucking
every bit of honey off it...

Cheers,
Kirt