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Honey

  • What is pasteurisation?
    It is generally accepted that pasteurisation requires heating a product to a minimum of 63oC for a minimum of 30 minutes or to 71°C (or 160°F) for 15-20 seconds.

     

    Is your honey pasteurised?
    The answer depends on which type of honey you are referring to, creamed or liquid.

     

    Mother Earth Mānuka Honey:

    Mānuka honey is creamed honey and is not pasteurised.

    Our mānuka honey is minimally processed which involves minimal heating to 60-65oC for approx. two minutes to fully liquify any crystals and enable easy straining to remove impurities like bee parts, followed by cooling to 15oC and creaming.

    Mānuka honey crystallises readily. Without the creaming process it would form coarse irregular crystals so we control the crystallisation process to form micro crystals only to give it that smooth creamy texture.

     

    Mother Earth New Zealand Native Multifloral Honey

    is creamed honey and is not pasteurised.


    Our NZ Native Multifloral Honey is minimally processed. This involves minimal heating to 60-65oC for approx. two minutes to fully liquify any crystals and enable easy straining to remove impurities like bee parts, followed by cooling to 15oC and creaming. Without the creaming process it would form coarse irregular crystals so we control the crystallisation process to form micro crystals only to give it that smooth creamy texture.

     

    Liquid Honey

    Mother Earth Liquid honey is considered pasteurised.


    It is generally accepted the temperature required for pasteurisation is 71°C (or 160°F) when held for 15-20 seconds. Our honey is heated to around this temperature to facilitate the packing process and therefore is considered pasteurised.

  • In the creaming process the honey crystallises in a controlled way. We take liquid honey and cream (churn) it for multiple days until the crystals that form make it firm.

  • Natural honey is a super saturated solution of water (16-20 per cent) and natural sugars (fructose, glucose and an array of complex sugars) plus a few other minor components.

    From batch to batch there will be slight differences in the amounts of each component, and these differences cause variations in the firmness of the honey.

    It is the glucose that crystallises in honey, while the fructose remains soluble. Differences in the ratios of these two main sugars will affect the level of crystallisation and therefore the firmness of the honey.

  • When liquid honey is left unused, sometimes it crystallises naturally. To re-liquify the honey, put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in a pan of hot water over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the crystals dissolve. Remember to take the top off first!

  • UMF™ Mānuka Honey samples have been tested and certified in an independent lab to ensure the honey’s purity, quality and mānuka content, which is reflected in its UMF™ rating. UMF™ means Unique Mānuka Factor and the quality mark is expressed in numbers, for example UMF™ 10+. The companies that use this gold standard UMF™ grading system are official licensees of the UMF™ Honey Association.

    Visit the UMF™ Honey Association website for more information: https://www.umf.org.nz

  • The UMF™ grading system measures natural markers found in mānuka honey, and assures its purity and quality. All Mother Earth UMF™ Mānuka Honey has been tested by approved external laboratories to confirm its UMF™ rating.

    Visit the UMF™ Honey Association website for more information: https://www.umf.org.nz/grading-system-explained/

  • The Mānuka tree, Leptospermum Scoparium, is indigenous to New Zealand and commonly found in the bush, New Zealand’s native forest. Mānuka nectar creates delicious honey which has unique properties, known for treating topical ailments and supporting good health and wellbeing.

  • Mānuka honey has natural markers. At Mother Earth we have all our Mānuka honey tested in registered independent laboratories to measure and certify the key markers of every batch. The results indicate the honey’s purity, quality and Mānuka content – or its Mānuka-ness.

  • MGO stands for Methylglyoxal, which is one of the key natural markers of Mānuka honey. To ensure Mother Earth Mānuka a honey is genuine the honey’s natural markers, including MGO are tested by registered independent laboratories. There is a direct correlation between the MGO level and the level of NPA (non-peroxide activity), e.g. MGO83+ is the same as 5+.

  • Bee hives are placed strategically near nectar sources. For instance, if you want mānuka honey, the hives are placed near mānuka trees. In the honey season, beekeepers monitor when the flowers bloom and place the hives in the right place at the right time. Like any type of farming, nature dictates, and the quality of blooming can vary.

  • You know you’re getting pure New Zealand honey, because Mother Earth owns its own hives. Honey can’t be imported to New Zealand, so if it’s packed in this country it’s definitely from New Zealand.

  • Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism. These spores are usually harmless to adults and children over one year, because the microorganisms normally found in the intestine keep the bacteria from growing.