With April Fool’s Day just on the other side of this weekend, we’re going to share some bee facts you would have to be a total FOOL to believe. As in, they’re totally foolish and not at all factually accurate. We know a thing or two about raw & unfiltered honey because we’ve been making honey right here in the USA for almost 100 years. In that time, we’ve seen plenty of honey myths make waves, so in honor of April Fools, we’re going to dispel some honey hogwash.

“Crystallized or hardened honey has gone bad.”

Absolute balderdash. As a matter of fact, it’s totally natural for honey to crystallize, especially if it’s raw & unfiltered. If your honey crystallizes, that’s a good sign that it’s a high-quality product that hasn’t had its best ingredients filtered out. If you want to return your honey to its smooth, liquid state, you can easily break up the crystals by placing the bottle in hot water.

“Honey never spoils.”

A total tall tale – technically. While honey can last for literally thousands of years, if it’s left out in the open in an unsealed container, it can absorb moisture and develop molds and fungi. Seal your honey properly, keep it in a cool, dark, dry place and you could have one sweet family heirloom for decades to come.

“Honey is just sugar.”

And that’s just plain wrong. While it’s true that honey is mostly made of sugars, it’s far from granulated white sugar. Honey is made up of two sugars, fructose and glucose, but that doesn’t make it the same as table sugar, which is made of sucrose. Your body processes each form of sugar differently, and only honey has the perfect mix to prevent sugar crashes and insulin spikes.

“All honey is the same.”

Malarkey! The very site you’re on is a testament to how many different varietals of honey are out there. Since honey is made from pollen and pollen comes from just about anything with flowers, there is no limit to types of honey bees can produce. Honey made in the US can be anywhere from a molasses-like blackish-brown to a light, translucent yellow. In order to make truly special honey, beekeepers need to plan their honey harvest around their region’s growing season.