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The short answer is, no, raw honey never goes off as long as it is stored correctly. Archaeologists have even found 3,000-year-old honey whilst excavating tombs in Egypt, and it was perfectly edible! Despite this, we are required by law to put an expiration/best-before date on our jars which is usually 2 years from production.
All our honey is extracted from the honeycombs of the hives and then strained to remove any impurities like beeswax and dead bees. This method of extraction used at Balqees retains the maximum content of bioflavonoids, vitamins and minerals and of course, natural sugars of fructose and glucose.
We do not heat-treat or micro-filter the honey, and none of our beekeepers or apiculturists feed sugar solutions or supplements to their bees.
Raw honey will naturally crystallise when it reaches cold temperatures. This happens as the glucose in the honey separates from the water. Honey is still safe to eat even when it has crystallised, however, to return it back to its original form, place the jar in a warm water bath and allow it to liquefy.
Despite sourcing our raw honey from clean, remote locations, we cannot make the claim that our honey is organic due to the complex nature of organic accreditation. For more information, read our blog post "Is organic honey the same as raw honey?".
Raw honey is honey that’s been taken straight from the hive without any additives or processing. It’s extracted from the honeycombs of the hives and then strained to remove any impurities like beeswax and dead bees
Commercial honey production, however, involves several more steps such as pasteurisation and ultrafiltration. Honey is heated to high temperatures to give it a smoother consistency, however, degenerates many of the beneficial enzymes present in the honey. Ultrafiltration is another process which further refines the honey to make it more transparent and smoother, but strips the honey of its pollen and other beneficial nutrients, making it extremely difficult to trace the source of the honey.
To keep up with the demand for honey, commercial producers have also been found to mix honey with sugar syrup. A huge amount of this fake honey is imported into the UK from various countries, often being labelled as “a blend of non-EU honey” or “a blend of EU and non-EU honey” making it impossible for the consumer to identify the source.
The best way to keep up to date with the status of your order is to visit the Track My Order page. You can also click the link in your dispatch email, which you will receive as soon as your order has been dispatched from our warehouse.
If you have not received a confirmation email within 24 hours or dispatch email within three working days after ordering, please check your junk/spam folder and any secondary email addresses you may have used before contacting us.
If you have placed your order for next day delivery, confirmation and dispatch emails should be received on the same day.
If you have an account, you can track your most recent orders by visiting the Track My Order page or the My Orders page in the My Account section.
Please note: the courier may not post tracking information online for up to 24 hours after the order is dispatched.
You will recieve a confirmation email/SMS once your order has been processed. Once your order has been dispatched you will receive another email/SMS with details on how to track it.
At the moment we only cater for orders in the UK, however we will be accepting international orders in the near future.
We hope you are delighted with your order. However if for any reason you're not entirely satisfied with your goods, you may return any item in its original condition for a full refund within 14 days of delivery. For more information please see Returns & Refunds.
