There's really no need to pasteurize honey. There's so much sugar in honey that the osmotic pressure on cell membranes kills active bacteria. This is a natural preservative similar to using salt, and is so effective that many cultures have traditionally used honey as a remedy for wound healing. A recent study confirmed that in a controlled setting, Honey inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi. Pasteurizing any food will reduce its nutrient value, so if you want to get the most out of your food, and it's safe to eat it raw, that's how you'll get the most value from it. Honey is one of those foods that's safe to eat raw, so enjoy it! You'll find all sort of claims about the healing powers of raw honey- we can't confirm any of those, so we won't repeat them here, but we can confirm that it tastes better! |