Raw honey has almost the same composition as honey in a beehive. Raw honey is not heat treated (pasteurised) or ultra-filtered. Heating and filtering honey remove all the beneficial natural substances plus changes the chemistry of some of the sugars.
Extracting honey from the comb does remove some volatile aromatic compounds, so it you want to know the true taste of honey, try some honeycomb.
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Jarrah honey is a rare, bioactive honey from the southwestern region of Australia. It is known as liquid gold and as a healing honey, due to its incredible beneficial properties. These include having very strong, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, having an incredibly low GI, prebiotic rich and packed full of antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals. It rivals and often exceeds Manuka with all its incredible natural properties.
Jarrah honey is a relatively rare honey for several reasons. Firstly, individual trees only produce flowers for a few months every four years. The trees don’t all flower at the same time, rather some trees flower every year, but beekeepers only expect a commercial harvest every two years. Secondly, natural, and controlled bush fires happen in the Jarrah Forests yearly. It takes 4-5 years for the affected trees to flower again limiting the amount of potential Jarrah honey. Finally, climate change has produced a significant reduction in the amount of rainfall on the forest, so nectar production is reduced.
Although both honeys contain incredible properties, Jarrah honey offers a wider range of benefits and typically for a lower price than Manuka honey.
Jarrah honey and Manuka honey are different kinds of honey, however both (when high quality) can be classified as medicinal. Jarrah honey is produced from the nectar of Jarrah trees (Eucalyptus marginata) which can only be found in Western Australia, whereas Manuka honey comes from the Manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium) which can be found in New Zealand and Australia.
Manuka honey derives its main medicinal property from a higher-than-normal concentration of Methylglyoxal (MGO) a phytochemical produced by the Manuka bush which gives non-peroxide activity (NPA). The Activity of Manuka is rated by either an MGO value (which can range from 50 to over 500) or the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF), which is a proprietary value for the NPA, and typically ranges from 5 to 15 (and rarely up to 25), The presence of MGO results in a strong, often bitter, and earthy flavour.
Because the MGO is derived from the Manuka bush, the higher the value (or UMF), the higher the quality of the honey.
Jarrah honey has a larger range of beneficial properties, plus a much stronger Activity. The strong beneficial properties (other than the Activity) result from the very unique composition of the honey, and include very low GI (for honey), strong prebiotic power, resistance to crystallisation, and many phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The very strong antimicrobial power in Jarrah honey is mostly Peroxide Activity (PA), the honey preservation process developed by bees over many millions of years of evolution. The PA results from residual glucose oxidase, an enzyme placed in the nectar by the bees to preserve it during conversion to honey via chemical reactions and dehydration. In most honeys, the residual PA is very low, but for reasons unknown it is very high in many WA honeys, including Jarrah.
The antimicrobial power of Jarrah honey is rated by the Total Activity (TA) value, which is the sum of the NPA and PA. Therefore, the TA value of Jarrah honey is equivalent to the UMF value for Manuka. The conversion of TA/NPA/UMF to MGO is not linear. For example, TA15 is about MGO500 (most Manuka is less that this value), TA25 is about MGO1200 (>99% of Manuka is less than this value); whereas Jarrah with TA35 is equivalent to MGO2100, and TA50 is equivalent to MGO4000.
Because the Activity in Jarrah is PA derived from the bee enzyme glucose oxidase, the TA has no relationship at all to the quality of the Jarrah honey.
Total Activity (TA) is the bacterial and fungal killing scale of honey. The bigger the value, the more bacteria (and fungus) the honey can potentially kill. Values above TA10 deliver beneficial properties, while values of, or above TA30+ are exceptional and have great health benefits. It is often compared to the MGO rating of Manuka honey.
Jarrah honey with TA35+ if comparable to Manuka honey with MGO 2000+.
Total Activity (TA) is the bacterial and fungal killing scale of honey. The bigger the value, the more bacteria (and fungus) the honey can potentially kill. Values above TA10 deliver beneficial properties, while values of, or above TA30+ are exceptional and have great health benefits. It is often compared to the MGO rating of Manuka honey.
Jarrah honey with TA35+ if comparable to Manuka honey with MGO 2000+.
TA is the sum of two types of antimicrobial power in Honey: Peroxide Activity (PA) and Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA).
TA = PA + NPA
As our honey is bioactive honey, it is best to have it as natural and raw as possible to maintain all the health benefits and properties. We suggest eating it off the spoon, drizzled over cereal, fruit or natural yoghurt, in marinades, smoothies, raw desserts and dressings or as a sweetener in drinks. Jarrah honey can also be used to soothe the symptoms of a sore throat*, before and after endurance activities, and for the skin*.
It is recommended that babies under 12 months old are not given honey. Some fungal spores can survive in honey, so there is a very small risk of contracting infant botulism. Older children and adults are not affected by the spores as their gut has developed sufficiently to destroy them. It is best to seek the advice of your medical practitioner if you are concerned.