Alaskan Fireweed Honey | Raw Unfiltered Honey

What Does Our Alaskan Fireweed Honey Look Like?

If you don't know much about raw unfiltered honey, let us give you some quick information! This honey is NOT like what you get at your local store.

Raw honey has not been treated or "processed" like what you get at your store. When you buy raw honey it will solidify or crystalize faster than your store bought honey. This does not mean your honey has gone bad! This is proof that your honey is raw and natural - which also means your honey still has the natural enzymes (the good stuff) still intact.

When honey is heated past 104 F, the natural enzymes of honey are destroyed. So when you see your raw honey start to solidify or crystalize, it's actually normal and a good sign!

Raw honey will crystalize in lower temperatures and this is partially dependent on the flowers the bees collect their nectar from.

The higher the sugar content of the honey, the easier it is for that honey to start to turn solid.

What Is The Color Of Our Fireweed Honey?

The color of our fireweed honey will be dependent on when the honey was harvested and where it was harvested. Our honey is unfiltered and natural so the color may be different than what you are used to seeing at your local store.

The color of our fireweed honey can be darker in color and have a stronger flavor or it can be light golden with a milder flavor.

Some fireweed honey may be almost a clear color, kind of like water while our honey can also be a creamy yellow color.

When our Alaskan fireweed honey starts to crystalize or turn solid it will be a cream or white color. This will eventually happen when the honey is left at a lower temperature. The lower the temperature the faster this process will happen. Don't worry, because this is completely normal and we will provide steps on how to make your fireweed honey liquid again!

How Is Our Honey Packaged?

All honey that is produced in Alaska is stored in food grade containers and sealed tight. The honey is then prepared for packaging when it is close to being shipped to our customers. This helps to preserve the freshness of our honey and to keep the honey stored safely.

Since our honey is raw and unpasteurized, it will maintain the healthy enzymes that make our honey beneficial.

Depending on when you order your honey, such as the winter months (November - March), it can take time for the honey to become fluid again.

Our honey is packaged into two different sized bottles (8oz and 1lb) and we will soon have honey sticks available. Once the honey is put into these bottles and goes through the shipping process - in transit they will be in unheated trucks which starts the crystallization of the honey. Honey that is stored in 75 degrees or less will crystalize and the colder that temperature the faster this process will be. Honey shipped in the winter may look a little different than honey shipped in the hot summer months.

This is why we have containers wide enough for a butter knife to fit into. You can easily scoop out the honey and spread it on toast, put it into coffee or tea.

How To Liquify Your Fireweed Honey Again

If your honey arrives and looks solid or cream color - you can easily liquify it by putting it into a warm water bath.

Heat water up to about 100 degrees (try not to go over 104) and set your honey in that water. You may have to repeat this process a few times until the honey is in a liquid state again.

In our experience, it takes about 15 minutes to get our crystallized honey back to a liquid state.

What Not To Do With Your Honey

• Do not microwave your honey. This is because a microwave will over heat your honey and will destroy the natural enzymes. Our honey is in a plastic bottle and not recommended for microwaves.

• Do not over heat your honey. Honey that is heated past 104 degrees will start to destroy the natural enzymes (the good stuff). If you boil your honey, it will start to turn into a caramelized state.

• Do not refrigerate your honey. Our fireweed honey needs to be warm in order to keep it from crystallizing or turning solid. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn solid and make it harder to liquify.

• Do not put your finger in the bottle. Raw honey needs to be kept clean and by using your finger to get some honey to eat, it could introduce bacteria or other germs to your honey.

How To Store Your Fireweed Honey?

The best place to store your honey is in your pantry or where it is warmer in your home. You don't want to store your fireweed honey in a cold or damp place. Don't store it in the garage if your garage gets cold.

Some people like to put it in a cabinet near their coffee/tea/bread because they will use it often.

Thank you for supporting The Alaska Frontier with your purchase of our Fireweed Honey! We truly hope you love it as much as we do and come back for more!