Spartan Honey!
Honey from the Huang Lab can be purchased either for local pickup at the MSU Surplus Store, or online at shop.msu.edu.
Our honey is considered unheated because we only warm our honey to 43.3 degrees C (110 degrees F) to facilitate screening. This temperature retains all the enzymatic activities of the honey.
Screening is through 3 Dadant honey filters (600, 400, and 200 micron sizes) so it retains all the pollen grains, and this is not considered a form of filtration. True filtration involves heating honey to a higher temperature (140F) and pass through a HEPA filter which removes all the pollen and other small particles.
Because of this lack of heat and filtration, our honey will crystallize easier than those purchased from the supermarket. Crystallized honey is not spoiled honey. Occasionally due to crystallization honey will ferment because crystallization increases water content right next to the sugar crystals. This will make honey a sour taste. Depending on how far the fermentation has gone (usually it does not go all way to become vinegar or mead, from fermentation due to crystallization), if it is your decision whether to consume it or add water and make vinegar instead.
All the proceeds from the honey sale go to an account for supporting teaching and research on honey bees at MSU. This is the same for any donation you make toward the MSU “beekeeping” program (see below).
The warning about not to feed infants with uncooked honey is a standard disclaimer. Just like uncooked vegetables and fruits, honey will contain botulism spores (which are ubiquitous in the environment). Infants under 6 months of age have a different stomach environment allowing the spores to germinate and then produce botulism toxin. Older children and adults are not affected because spores do not germinate, with the exception of rare cases of adult intestinal toxemia.
Donation to MSU honey bee program
Click the link here to do so.
Thank you for your support!