From time to time we receive questions from our customers. We like to share these questions because it helps to educate and inform others who may have the same questions. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Customer:
“I purchased your honey at a store in Connecticut today. The jar says “Summer 2017” and it tastes grainy and gritty. I have had it before and it was smooth. What’s wrong?”
Not sure if part of your question is the year of the harvest, but I’ll cover that first. All Manuka honey produced in New Zealand is “aged” for 12-24 months prior to packing. The activity level of the honey, measured in MG (methylglyoxal) level, will continue to increase after harvest. And so we patiently wait for nature to work its magic; that’s why we are currently selling our summer 2017 honey.
In terms of differences in texture from batch to batch, our honey is raw, hive to jar honey. We don’t blend it to hit a certain activity level (most companies blend different MG levels to achieve a specific MG level), and we don’t cream it to try to achieve a certain consistency in the texture. Creaming typically requires heating the honey to a level that we think risks damaging some of the natural goodness. Our approach is to keep it as natural as possible, which will inherently cause differences batch to batch in texture and color. We have had customers question some of the batches that they thought were too creamy wanting to know if they were actually raw and natural. So variation in texture and color is normal and expected for our honey. What nature provides, what the bees give us, is what we give you.
Kind Regards,
Mike, Bees & Trees Founder
