TIPS FOR BUYING HONEY IN KAZAKHSTAN

When purchasing honey, try to choose local honey farms as this is the purest, rawest and most natural honey available with maximum health benefits. This honey comes straight from the hive and is sieved but not filtered, meaning it contains bits of bee pollen, honeycomb and antioxidant-rich propolis.

How to choose decent honey

1. Unpasteurized or pasteurized - raw honey that is heated/cooked to keep it liquid will lose its health benefits, so buy regular or creamed honey. To get the most health benefits from honey, buy it raw. In grocery stores, look for the word “unpasteurized.”
2. Places where honey is collected. Each country has different regulations regarding honey sold on grocery shelves. Check the label carefully to ensure that the honey you are buying is 100% produced in Kazakhstan. Not only are you supporting the country's economy, but you can rest assured that this honey complies with Kazakhstan's strict honey production regulations. Note. Imported products must also comply with certain regulations.
3. Cream honey — Cream honey is as healthy as raw honey. It depends on whether it was heated to a creamy texture. The slow process of churning honey at room temperature does not affect the health benefits. Many people prefer the creamy consistency of honey.

4. Raw honey  - Raw honey naturally crystallizes at room temperature in about 4-6 weeks. This does not mean that the honey goes bad. Raw honey never spoils. If you find solidified honey on the grocery shelf, it is a good sign that it is the purest honey.

HONEY TIPS

• You eat honey at room temperature (in a cool place) or in the freezer and never in the refrigerator. The refrigerator simply speeds up the crystallization process, while the freezer stops this process until you thaw the honey.
• For liquefaction heat up capacity with crystallized honey in hot but not boiling water. Never heat on the stove or in the microwave, otherwise you will lose the health benefits of honey.
• Pasteurized honey is a process in which honey is heated to 70 degrees Celsius or more, followed by rapid cooling. This process kills any yeast cells in the honey to prevent fermentation. Honey with a high moisture content may become fermented over time. Fermented honey does not pose any health risks, but the aroma and taste of the honey will be slightly different. The pasteurization process destroys yeast as well as enzymes needed to activate vitamins and minerals in the body.
• fermentation  occurs due to honey with high humidity. A good sign that the hive honey has the right amount of moisture in it is that the bees will only close (seal) the combs in their hives after most of the water has been removed. This is when beekeepers know the hive is ready to be removed. Honey with high humidity can still be consumed safely, but it will ferment and the smell and taste will be different from the honey everyone is used to.