BEEpothecary

11/20/2025

Lessons from the Beehive
Why Honey Crystallizes 🐝🍯

Ever opened a jar of honey and thought, “Uh oh… why is it turning solid?”
Good news, friend — your honey isn’t going bad… it’s honestly just being honey!

✨ Straight from the hive:
Crystallization is 100% natural. Heres the thing though
Raw, filtered, local, imported, fancy, store-brand — ALL honey can crystallize over time. It’s simply part of honey’s natural chemistry.

But let’s bust a couple myths…
🚫 It’s NOT true that only raw honey crystallizes.
🚫 It’s NOT true that all honey crystallizes at the same speed.

Some nectars crystallize super fast… some take years… and a few hardly crystallize at all. It all depends on the plant the bees visited and the honey’s natural sugar makeup.

💡 What affects crystallization?
• Glucose-to-fructose ratio
• Natural particles (pollen, wax, propolis bits)
• Room temperature
• Age of the honey
• Storage conditions

👇 Beekeeper Secret:
Raw, unfiltered honey (like ours!) usually crystallizes faster because it still contains pollen and tiny wax particles — the good stuff. These act like “starter spots” where crystals begin to form.

Processed honey is heated and filtered, so it generally crystallizes slower…
but heating destroys enzymes, aroma, and beneficial nutrients.

⚖️ And here’s the BIG truth:
Fast crystallizing honey isn’t “better,” and slow crystallizing honey isn’t “better” either.
Some nectar sources naturally crystallize quickly — like sunflower, clover, cotton, mustard, and canola. Some crystallize so fast the beekeeper can barely extract it! Others stay liquid much longer.

🔬 Simple Honey Science:
• Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution.
• Glucose wants to crystallize — fructose resists it.
• More glucose = quicker crystals.
• Temperatures under 50°F speed up crystallization.
• Crystallization does NOT mean honey is raw.
• Crystallization absolutely does NOT mean honey is spoiled.

💛 Beekeeper Wisdom:
Crystallized honey is STILL pure, safe, delicious, and full of flavor.
Spread it… stir it… or gently warm the jar in a bowl of warm water to make it liquid again.
(Just skip the microwave — it damages those precious natural enzymes!)

Honey shifts with the seasons, the flowers, and the weather — just like the bees themselves. And that’s part of the magic. 🍯✨
Crystallization is natural… but it doesn’t determine whether honey is raw.

❓ Has your honey ever crystallized? Do you love it creamy or do you warm it back to liquid?

11/13/2025

BEEpothecary.us. Join us now at City Mercantile in Lebanon, OH, located in building D at the fairground. Stop by and explore our offerings — we can't wait to see you there!

11/10/2025

BEEpothecary

11/09/2025

Most people aren't allergic to bee stings. Still, suppose you experience symptoms such as hives, swelling of your face, lips, or tongue, difficulty breathing or swallowing, wheezing, a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or fainting. In that case, it's essential to have an EpiPen ready. These could be signs of anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction that needs immediate attention. But if these aren't your symptoms, and you're like me, I just swell up and itch at the sting spot. Being allergic to bee stings does not make you allergic to Honey, Pollen, or Propolis. So feel free to try a little first to see if you react.
Propolis does the same by killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the hive. But all propolis is different in every hive. If a new bacterium enters the hive's environment, the bees go out and collect new resin to counteract and kill it. Cool! Right! Honeybees are amazing. BEEpothecary North American Honey Bee Expo

11/05/2025

Love this place! Come buy BEEpothecary here and so much more

Farmers Market season may be over, but don't forget that the Keller Market House is "the farmers market that never ends!"

Stop into your downtown SUPERmarket for a comprehensive local shopping experience.

From fresh produce and baked goods to a wide selection of pasture-raised meat, eggs and dairy products, you'll find groceries that you feel good about.

"Local" at Keller means grown, produced or created in the state of Ohio, but you'll see many brands familiar to you from our own Lancaster Farmers Market, including Wild Sage Baking Co., Four Acres Micro Farm, Great Harvest Bread Co., Hidden View Farmstead, BEEpothecary, 310 Soap Co., Wildflower Lane Honey, Angrydadsjerky and Brad's Custom Woodworks.

And just because it's getting cooler outside doesn't mean local produce is done. We work with local growers who provide fresh veggies all year long, and we anticipate having Ohio fruit long into winter. So make a plan to shop local first and support our local farmers and food producers.

The Keller Market House is open weekdays 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturdays 9am to 4pm. If it's been awhile since you stopped in, please come by and see how much we've grown!

11/05/2025

We Sold Out!!!!!!!

Get ready to discover the incredible benefits of BEEpothecary Turkey Tail Honey! 🦃Turkey tail mushrooms are a game-changer, breaking down dead trees and recycling nutrients back into the soil. With their ability to grow year-round, Turkey tail mushrooms are a rich source of polysaccharides, which can help boost your immune system and fight off infections. North American Honey Bee Expo

11/04/2025

BEEpothecary. BEEpothecary.us
PROPOLIS in our products!