Is this “local” honey?

Is this “local” honey?

By: Mike “The Bee Man” Bradford

“Is this local honey?” is the second most asked question of any beekeeper. The first being, “Don’t you get stung?”. Yes, we do get stung. A LOT! But, what is this about “local honey”.

First, it is believed that local honey has additional health benefits that grocery store honey does not. On the top of this list of benefits is reducing our response to allergens. While there is no conclusive scientific proof that this is true, many people have indeed enjoyed a reduction in allergy symptoms by adding locally produced honey to their daily routine.

Secondly, why is local honey more beneficial than grocery store honey. How the honey is processed holds the key. Grocery store honey has some requirements. It must be shelf stable and pleasing to the eye. In order to accomplish this the honey has to be filtered to remove any particles including pollen. This requires very fine filters and in order to facilitate speedy bottling the honey must be heated. Removing the pollen eliminates the exposure that would desensitize an individual to this allergen resulting in no reduction of symptoms and, the heating process inactivates all the beneficial enzymes contained in honey.

Finally, honey produced locally contains the types of pollen that we will be exposed to daily. Honey from other regions will contain pollen from that area and thus will not help to reduce our symptoms through desensitization.

Note: Honey that contains pollen has a tenancy to crystallize. Crystallization is actually an indicator of higher quality honey not “spoiled” honey.

Good news! Many grocery stores are now carrying “raw” (unheated) and honey. This leaves the beneficial enzymes intact. However, there is still some filtering required by the bottling process.

To ensure that the honey you are purchasing has all the health benefits, see a local beekeeper. There are several in the Texoma area that are producing some of the highest quality honey around. So get to know your beekeeper and how they process their honey. It’s all about keeping it LOCAL!

Mike Bradford is a local beekeeper and the founder of Li’l B’s Honey Company and the Honeybee Rescue Squad.