By: Greg Brian
No doubt you’ve heard plenty about the benefits of raw honey and how nutritious it is. As you seek it out on the West Coast or in the Pacific Northwest, you’ve probably noticed one thing: Not every grocery store sells it.
That honey you’ve been buying in stores or years is pasteurized, meaning most of the nutritional value of honey is depleted due to heating.
Where can you buy true raw honey with all its antioxidants? Take a look at the most typical places to find it.
Can You Still Find Raw Honey in Regular Stores?
It’s still possible to get some raw honey products in many stores, though not as plentiful if going through a local farm or turning online like Artie’s Harvest.
Stores like Target and Walmart do sell some raw honey brands. Overall, though, your local standard grocery store probably doesn’t offer raw honey.
The kind you’ve likely bought in stores for years is regular honey, or what’s known as pasteurized honey. It means you’re getting a lot more sugar there rather than the natural sugar in raw.
One reason stores prefer selling regular honey is because the honey looks more appealing. They may fear crystallization of raw honey ruining the appearance via a darker shape or hardening. In truth, crystallization is just a natural process with raw honey over time and doesn’t ruin its taste.
Should You Support Local Farmers in Buying Raw Honey?
You absolutely should support your local farmers. Your location no doubt has raw honey farms in more rural areas of your city, town, or county.
Go visit them in person if you can and buy some raw honey from them. They sell it in numerous forms, sometimes in bulk.
Many people prefer to buy quart-size glass jars of raw honey for easier storage. However, it’s possible to get giant 5-gallon size buckets. Storing this away for long-term use may be the only honey purchase you’ll need to make in a lifetime.
It’s always important to support your local honey-making farmers. They need your business, even though some of them sell their products in stores.
Should You Buy Raw Honey Online?
While visiting your local farms to buy raw honey is a good idea, you’ll be able to easily buy raw honey online.
Nearly every local business producing raw honey has their own website. They make it easy to buy small jars or giant, multi-gallon buckets. In addition, these small businesses can ship that honey to your doorstep with ease.
In many cases, going online gives you better discounts on each honey product. Shipping charges always apply, but turning online for anything often brings more discounts than going straight to stores.
We offer similar discounts at Artie’s Harvest.
What About Local Farmer’s Markets?
Yes, buying from a farmer’s market is also a good place to buy raw honey. One reason it’s so good is you can still support your local farmers and see the product before you buy.
Most importantly, you should buy your raw honey on a local basis. Knowing where the honey comes from is essential so you know you’re not getting any additives.
A local buy also gives you more information about what flower the honey comes from. Numerous varieties of raw honey exist based on the flower used. Knowing all this gets you better informed about how that particular type of honey benefits your health.
Good Tip:
If you still plan to buy raw honey in stores, always look at the label on the back to see what’s in the product. Make sure it just says “Honey” there and nothing else. Adding things just destroys the natural healthy elements of raw honey.
Also look out for imported honey that’s usually highly processed.
References:
https://thegrocerystoreguy.com/where-is-honey-found-in-the-grocery-store/
