A lot of people ask us what the difference is between these two honeys. It's a good question! These are actually the same honey, they could have come out of the very same beehive. The difference is in how we treat the honey after extraction. The specialized extraction process for all our Clover Honey keeps the temperatures within the range the honey bees prefer to keep their hive, which is 95°.
A fascinating side note, Honey Bees work hard in the summer heat to create evaporative cooling (like a swamp cooler) using moisture on their wings and beating them quickly to cool the air inside the hive.
Honey wants to crystalize. Liquid honey is not the natural state of most honeys outside of the comb. Depending on the flower type, the crystals could be large and jagged or small and smooth like our clover honey. Honey is not bad when it is crystalized no matter the size of the crystals. In fact, honey has an indefinite shelf life as long as it is in a sealed container and no moisture is added to it.
About our Virgin Clover Honey (& our Naturally Infused Honeys)
Our Virgin Clover Honey is never heated above the natural temperatures of the beehive. Because of the flower variety, the crystal structure of this honey is very small which makes for the incredible creamy smooth texture of our Virgin Clover Honey which is also true of our Naturally Infused Honeys (our infusions also stay 95° and bellow). The type of nectar is also light in color which makes for the beautiful white honey and light taste with its natural notes of sunshine, vanilla and honeycomb. This is a very in-tact honey. Essentially you are enjoying honey right from the comb. The naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, enzymes, beneficial bacteria, propolis and pollens are all still in this honey. Just the way the bees make it!
Because this honey has never been liquified it cannot be run through a filter. This means there could be particulates from the beehive in the honey. This tell you you are getting the real stuff!
About our Liquified Raw Unfiltered Clover Honey
Our Raw Unfiltered Clover Honey is the very same honey that begins smooth and creamy, the same as our Virgin Clover Honey, but this honey has been heated to the temperature for raw liquid honey. Most folks are more familiar with honey in liquified form. Liquified honey can be easier to use depending on what you do with it. We liquify our Raw Unfiltered Clover Honey at 110°. This is the US standard for raw honey. If we heated it higher it would no longer be considered raw, meaning it will loose the beneficial properties naturally occurring in raw honey such as the beneficial bacteria and enzymes that honey is beloved for. We do run this honey through a filter that removes any particulates that may have come from the hive during the extraction process. We do not run it through a micron filter however. That would remove the bits of pollen and propolis that are part of what makes honey a healthy sweetening choice. So the "Unfiltered" in our Raw Unfiltered Clover honey tells you that it is is still an in-tact honey with the naturally occurring beneficial properties of honey.
This honey will want to crystalize again. If it is stored for a long period of time (this could be months or more depending on ambient temperature) it will return to a crystalline state.
Note: every time honey is heated and crystalizes again the crystals become larger. So when this honey becomes crystalline again it will be larger crystals than you find with our Virgin Clover.
Comparing tastes of Virgin Clover and Raw Unfiltered
Even though it is the same honey, heating it to liquid form does change the taste of the honey a bit. I find the Virgin Clover (creamy honey) has a more complex profile of what I describe as Sunshine, Vanilla and Honeycomb. The Raw Unfiltered Honey (liquid honey) is lighter in taste with a honeycomb profile and a sweeter tone.
Essentially, they are both great quality honeys, light in taste, perfect for pairing with most any flavor, and filled with beneficial properties. The texture differs a great deal and the "level of raw" is different but they both raw. Their tasting profile does differ a bit due to the difference of temperatures they are exposed to. Whether you prefer one over the other is going to be a personal choice.
Take a look at our collection of Virgin and Raw Unfiltered Clover Honeys and see which you want to try and choose from various sizes including our bulk priced larger sizes for the big honey eaters. If you aren't sure and you want to compare for yourself, this listing will allow you to purchase both honeys in 1lb jars so you have the opportunity to explore both.
