[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_card animation=”flip-from-top” center_vertically=”true” front_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00aaa0; color: #ffffff; background-color: #00aaa0;” front_icon=”question-circle” front_icon_size=”36px” front_icon_color=”#fcf4d9″ front_title=”Can You Make Candles?” front_text=”Our raw beeswax is just dandy for candlemaking! ” back_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #ff7a5a; color: #ffffff; background-color: #ff7a5a;” back_title=”Stock Up” back_text=”We've got untreated beeswax right from the hive ” back_button_text=”Get raw beeswax here” back_button_link=”http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/beeswax” back_button_color=”#ffffff” back_button_bg_color=”#744288″ padding=”10% 10% 10% 10%”][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]For candle making you’ll need to lightly simmer raw beeswax directly in water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it settle for another 20 minutes. Then dip the wax off the water and pour it through a Bounty towel in a kitchen strainer. Then you can make the candles with good results.

It’s important to clean out the impurities so the wick doesn’t clog up and make a small flame and puddle up. You will also need to size the wick properly for the candle. The bigger the candle, the bigger the wick needs to be.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_card animation=”flip-from-top” center_vertically=”true” front_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00aaa0; color: #ffffff; background-color: #00aaa0;” front_icon=”question-circle” front_icon_size=”36px” front_icon_color=”#fcf4d9″ front_title=”How Long Does Honey Keep?” front_text=”Longer than it will take for you to eat!” back_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #ff7a5a; color: #ffffff; background-color: #ff7a5a;” back_title=”Honey Lasts Forever” back_text=”Maybe not quite forever … but it lasts a long time!” back_button_text=”Stock your pantry here” back_button_link=”http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/bulk” back_button_color=”#ffffff” back_button_bg_color=”#744288″ padding=”10% 10% 10% 10%”][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]Honey bees gather nectar and store it in pure beeswax combs and slowly dry the nectar until it thickens to a high concentration of simple sugars. Only when the honey is thick will they put a beeswax capping over the honey to keep it sealed.

Honey will keep indefinitely once the bees drive off the excess moisture to thicken the honey and seal it in wax.

Honey should be kept at room temperature (or cooler) in a sealed container. A sealed container will prevent moisture from being absorbed and thinning out the honey. Honey is hygroscopic, meaning, it will absorb moisture. Nice thick honey will not ferment or spoil.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_card animation=”flip-from-top” center_vertically=”true” front_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00aaa0; color: #ffffff; background-color: #00aaa0;” front_icon=”question-circle” front_icon_size=”36px” front_icon_color=”#fcf4d9″ front_title=”Is Our Honey Raw?” front_text=”Our honey comes straight from the hive to your home” back_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #ff7a5a; color: #ffffff; background-color: #ff7a5a;” back_title=”100% Raw” back_text=”Just the good stuff. Hive to table. ” back_button_text=”Get raw honey here” back_button_link=”http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/honey” back_button_color=”#ffffff” back_button_bg_color=”#744288″ padding=”10% 10% 10% 10%”][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text] After our beekeepers bring in the honey boxes full of beeswax combs, the pure beeswax cappings that seal the honey in the cells are removed with vibrating stainless steel knives and the honey is spun out and put into large containers for storage. The honey will eventually sugar up or crystallize in storage within a few months in the completely raw state.

We have two processes for honey packing depending on what you, our customer, desires. Raw in the crystallized form is gently warmed and lightly strained to remove only the coarsest wax particles leaving behind bits of pollen and wax.

Raw honey is removed from barrels by gravity and stirred with stainless steel paddles until it starts to soften. Then we can put it into jars in the sugared or natural crystallized state with all the floral notes and enzymes nature provided. It never gets over the natural temperature of the hive, which is 96 degrees F. It has the best flavor of all.

Liquid honey is only gently warmed to around 125 degrees until the crystals melt and turn back to a liquid state that is convenient to squeeze or pour. This does not pasteurize the honey and leaves the enzymes intact. The honey is then pumped through a strainer that removes only the large particles and leaves trace amounts of pollen, wax and all the flavor.

Most large commercial honey packers typically heat the honey to 160 degrees F. or higher and put the honey through extremely tight filters which removes the beneficial enzymes and trace pollens, notwithstanding removing floral notes.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_card animation=”flip-from-top” center_vertically=”true” front_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00aaa0; color: #ffffff; background-color: #00aaa0;” front_icon=”question-circle” front_icon_size=”36px” front_icon_color=”#fcf4d9″ front_title=”Why Does Honey Crystallize?” front_text=”Crystals form naturally – reheat to remove!” back_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #ff7a5a; color: #ffffff; background-color: #ff7a5a;” back_title=”Crystal Clear” back_text=”Our raw honey is a crystal clear favorite of everyone who tries it!” back_button_text=”Try our raw honey” back_button_link=”http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/honey” back_button_color=”#ffffff” back_button_bg_color=”#744288″ padding=”10% 10% 10% 10%”][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]All natural honey will crystallize or sugar eventually. This is a natural process and does not degrade the honey in any fashion. To return the honey to a liquefied state, just gently warm the honey in a pan of water.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_card animation=”flip-from-top” center_vertically=”true” front_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00aaa0; color: #ffffff; background-color: #00aaa0;” front_icon=”question-circle” front_icon_size=”36px” front_icon_color=”#fcf4d9″ front_title=”Is Your Honey Pure?” front_text=”Ab-so-lute-ly.” back_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #ff7a5a; color: #ffffff; background-color: #ff7a5a;” back_title=”Only the Best” back_text=”Our pure honey is perfect for you” back_button_text=”Grab some honey” back_button_link=”http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/bulk” back_button_color=”#ffffff” back_button_bg_color=”#744288″ padding=”10% 10% 10% 10%”][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]All our honey is absolutely pure! Nothing is ever added.

Much of the cheap honey in the large supermarkets is blended with low grade foreign honey adulterated with corn syrup or in the case of Chinese honey, rice syrup. Some Chinese honey has been confiscated in the past due to use of banned antibiotics harmful to humans.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_card animation=”flip-from-top” center_vertically=”true” front_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00aaa0; color: #ffffff; background-color: #00aaa0;” front_icon=”question-circle” front_icon_size=”36px” front_icon_color=”#fcf4d9″ front_title=”What is Creamed Honey?” front_text=”It's delicious. That's what. ” back_style=”border-width: 8px 8px 8px 8px; border-style: solid; border-color: #ff7a5a; color: #ffffff; background-color: #ff7a5a;” back_title=”Creamy Joy” back_text=”Perfect for cooking, sandwiches, dipping .. you name it. ” back_button_text=”Spread some love” back_button_link=”http://www.sleepingbearfarms.com/shop/honey-cream” back_button_color=”#ffffff” back_button_bg_color=”#744288″ padding=”10% 10% 10% 10%”][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]Our creamed or crème honey is pure seeded with pure finely crystallized pure honey to promote granulation with a smooth butter like mouthfeel. We blend all natural fruits with some of our crème spreads.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]