Many people use it to sweeten their tea, while others put it on top of their ice cream. No matter how you use this substance, honey is an incredibly versatile and delicious addition to any meal or snack. Although some people don’t think twice about the items they buy at the grocery store, it’s important to note that there are many different options when it comes to honey. If you use honey in a variety of ways, you might go through it fairly quickly. That said, buying honey in bulk can be an excellent solution; consider these questions to ask when buying wholesale honey to ensure you’re getting the best quality and price.
Reasons To Buy Honey in Bulk
Some households don’t use enough honey to buy more than one small jar at a time. You, on the other hand, might use or consume it daily, which means you need more than the average person. Explore some of the reasons to buy honey in bulk before reviewing the important questions you should be asking.
It’s Cheaper
It’s no secret that honey can be expensive. However, most goods are significantly cheaper when you buy them in bulk, and honey is no exception. On average, raw honey ranges from $6 to $8 per jar, and many jars are around a pound in weight.
If you want to buy in bulk, 10 1-pound jars could cost you up to $80. Or, you can buy a 10-pound bucket for $50–$60. As you can see, buying in bulk is usually a cheaper route when it comes to honey.
You Won’t Run Out
One of the biggest benefits of buying a large amount of raw honey is that you won’t run out for quite some time. Even though most uses require only a small amount of honey, baking and cooking often require a cup or more. If you keep a bucket of honey at home, you won’t have to worry about your jar running out in the middle of a recipe.
You Can Use It for Multiple Purposes
Many people believe honey only belongs in the kitchen, but you can also use it in your beauty routine. For instance, honey is an excellent addition to your shampoo and conditioner, as it helps to soften your hair and prevent dandruff. Additionally, honey is an effective solution for sunburn and minor cuts or wounds since it harbors incredible antibacterial and antibiotic properties.
It Doesn’t Spoil
Even if your honey has an expiration date on the bottle or jar, you can rest assured that it will never spoil. Honey is one of the only foods that doesn’t expire, but many people throw it out as soon as it crystallizes. Crystallization doesn’t mean the honey has gone bad—you can place it in a bowl of warm water to return it to a liquid state.
Now that you know a few convincing reasons to buy wholesale honey, here are some vital questions to ask before committing to the purchase.
Where Did It Come From?
In the bigger picture, it doesn’t matter where the honey comes from since jars from another state or country are still healthy options. However, if you want to support local beekeepers, you should ask about the exact location of the hives they harvested the honey from.
How Do You Deal With Parasites and Diseases?
Many beehives are prone to parasites and diseases, which can be detrimental issues for the colonies. With that said, beekeepers may use chemical treatments to rid their hives of unwanted pests and diseases. Although this practice is effective for maintaining strong, healthy bees, these chemicals can potentially leach into the honey supply. For that reason, many beekeepers opt for a treatment-free approach to parasite and disease removal—try to buy honey from beekeepers using this practice.
Do You Heat or Pasteurize Your Honey?
Pasteurization is the process by which beekeepers heat their honey before bottling it to delay crystallization. Unfortunately, heating honey higher than 95 degrees—the temperature of a beehive—can damage the honey by breaking down healthy enzymes. Because of this, buying honey labeled as raw or unpasteurized is the best way to ensure you’re getting the highest-quality product from the beehive.
Do You Blend Honey From Different Hives?
Most beekeepers blend all of the honey they harvest from different hives to decrease the amount of time it takes to bottle what they’ve collected. This practice doesn’t benefit the customer, so you should ask about blending before buying honey from anyone. If you’re looking for honey from a specific area or honey that’s derived from particular plant nectar, a blend of different harvests isn’t always the best choice.
Is Your Honey Filtered?
All beekeepers remove the wax cappings from the honey, but some conduct microfiltration processes to eliminate additional wax, pollen, and other impurities. Even though these processes create more pristine, appealing honey, they also remove character and authenticity from the sweet nectar. Look for a local beekeeper who doesn’t use any microfiltration processes on their honey for the best possible quality.
Do You Provide Supplemental Feedings for Your Bees?
Bees make honey to support their colonies throughout the winter; however, many beekeepers harvest more than just the excess honey created in each hive, which can put their bees at risk. Regardless, it may be necessary to provide supplemental feedings for the bees during times of shortage. With that in mind, look for beekeepers who supplement their bees’ diets only with high-quality sugar when necessary.
Beekeeping can be a challenging job, but those who use the best practices are more likely to get the best profits. Now that you know the imperative questions to ask when buying wholesale honey, you can be sure you’re getting the best quality for your money. Buying in bulk isn’t always necessary, but honey is an excellent substance to have readily available in your kitchen and medicine cabinet. And since honey is one of the most versatile substances on earth and it never spoils, there’s no better food to buy in bulk.
