You do not have to heat or pasteurize raw honey before bottling. Honey naturally contains anti-microbials, making it safe to eat raw – and keeping shelf-stable forever! Pasteurization involves gently heating honey, which helps slow down crystallization and makes the honey easier to bottle and store in large quantities. Filtration is often done at the same time to remove fine particles such as wax, pollen, and air bubbles. This process creates a clearer, smoother-looking product that has a longer shelf life on the store shelf.
Crystallization is a natural process that will happen to honey over time. It is when the sugars in honey, initially preserved in a liquid state, begin turning into a semi-solid state. It is a natural process and does not indicate anything about the state of the honey. Crystallized honey can easily be returned to liquid form by warming the container in a gentle water bath.
Shelf stability is determined by moisture content in the honey before bottling. When extracting, you want to aim for a moisture content level somewhere between 16-18%. Using a honey refractometer can help determine the moisture level.
For small-scale or home beekeepers, neither pasteurization nor heavy filtration is necessary. Raw honey may crystallize over time, but this is a natural process and does not affect quality.
