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Raw and Unpasteurized to retain all the goodness - just as nature intended! CRAFTING NEW ZEALANDS FINEST MANUKA HONEY At Steens we believe nature knows best and that is why all we do to our honey is separate the wax from our honey – the rest is yours. We use our proprietary whole comb technology to do this, which scrapes the honey frame rather than pricking it to get more of the goodness out. This takes a lot more time and care but when dealing with one of the world’s most premium honeys, we believe it’s worth the effort! BENEFITS OF STEENS RAW HONEY Our minimal processing and low temperature technique does not denature the natural benefits in our honey which means Steens honey has:
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Crushed whole honeycomb. Our unique extraction technology only removes the wax – nothing else. STEENS PROPRIETARY WHOLE COMB TECHNOLOGY At Steens we saw an opportunity to improve on conventional honey extraction techniques to put more honey from the hive in a pot. Over a period of years we developed a different method of harvesting using a custom built extraction machine. This allows us to deliver more of the nutritional properties from the complete honeycomb – thus the name Whole Comb. Using our proprietary Whole Comb Technology we minimally process once without the need for secondary processing like other companies do. We scrape the honeycomb from our bee frames including any crystallized honey, pollen, bee bread and wax. To separate the wax we use only temperatures that naturally occur in the beehive and centrifugal force. We don’t use high temperatures like mainstream honey’s do. After going through a coarse filter, to remove any impurities, our honey is ready to pack and eat! |
Independently certified UMF purity & quality. WHAT IS UMF MANUKA HONEY? UMF is a quality mark and grading system that assures the purity of the Manuka honey you are buying. It uses the most comprehensive and transparent test currently available for Manuka honey. It appraises a number of natural markers found in Manuka Honey to assure its purity and quality. In order to be certified UMF, Steens tests for Manuka markers across 4 different spectrums, including the recently discovered Leptosperin marker – (which is unique to Manuka) - as well as other compounds such as Methylglyoxal (MGO). Steens - as part of the UMF association, has the rights to test exclusively for this key characteristic of Manuka honey. This clearly differentiates UMF graded honey as a truly genuine Manuka honey. |
Offering you a deeper connection to your honeys true source. TRACE HONEY BACK TO THE HIVE Here at Steens we believe every consumer has the right to know where their food has come from, and our traceability program intends to deliver on this belief. Our Hive Tracker technology gives us a unique research capability that is a world first, enabling us to continually monitor our hives and improve the way we do business. This technology was an industry first that not only tracks every hive and its components, but offers you a deeper connection to your honeys New Zealand source. That's because every pot of Steens honey is printed with a unique code which can be used to trace your honey back to the New Zealand region our family harvested it from. |
Our determination is to bring to the world a Honey entirely honest in nature, by keeping it RAW without the need for secondary processing. Subjecting Manuka to high temperatures just isn't in our thinking!
Numerous research studies have shown that certain food properties are sensitive to temperatures above 118°F / 47.7°. It is for this reason that foods cannot be called ‘raw’ where they have been exposed to anything above this temperature. But there is more to achieving a ‘raw’ status with honey! Whilst pasteurization is all about temperature, raw is additionally about maintaining the honey as it exists in the beehive. And to achieve a raw honey one must not fine filter the honey, as this removes the nutritious bee bread, pollens, minerals and other 100% natural properties.
UNPASTURISED VS RAW HONEY
Unfortunately, not all honey brands adopt these standards and we currently have a situation where the labelling of honey can be misleading with the lines being blurred between honey which is pasteurized, unpasteurized and raw. For example, a honey producer could process their honey at 122°F / 50°C, which can be labelled 'unpasteurized' but due to the honey going through a heat treatment above 118 °F / 47.7°C the honey should not be classed as raw honey. Likewise, if the honey was finely filtered, regardless of the temperature the honey was processed, it should not be called raw.
HOW RAW IS YOUR HONEY?
The above thermometer features the typical Manuka honey pasteurization and ‘creaming’ process temperatures. At Steens, we are passionate about maintaining our honeys natural integrity with all its beneficial properties intact! To achieve this we only maintain temperatures that naturally occur in the beehive while minimally processing our honey.
STEENS RAW HONEY vs PASTEURISED/CREAMED HONEY
- Steens: Vitamins, minerals & nutrients remain intact VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Nutrients los in the heating process
- Steens: Thicker consistency, slightly grainy texture VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Smooth, refined & creamy appearance
- Steens: Amazing aromas and flavour profile VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Diminished flavour profile
- Steens: Contains Bee Bread VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Depleted of bee bread
