Artisan Raw Organic Greek Red Fir Honey - Active 19.5

Discovering this Active Red Fir was an adventure.

The place where this honey comes from is one of the most stunning I have ever visited - and is a new place for Thomas' Fir. It was on my Summer honey expedition in June (2023) that I visited this divine mountain place.

One evening Thomas told me 'Tomorrow we are going to Mount Kaliakouda. You are going to love it there.'

So, this is the story......It was early one morning when Thomas and his Uncle Stefanos called for me from my hotel.  We headed from the plains of Thessaly towards some mountains.

Stefanos was driving in his pickup trick, which was full of the aromas of honey and beeswax. Soon we were crossing gorges on the edge of the plain and then the ascent started. Through little mountain villages, we passed with old guys sitting drinking coffee and watching the world pass by.

Higher and higher we went, twisting and turning through hairpin bends that sent me sliding from one side of the seat to the other. There were less and less signs of human habitation until there was just forest carpeting the mountain.

After about an hour we were so high that we passed through the clouds.

We stopped for a moment to take in an incredible view across the mountains with Fir trees stretching below us and in the distance a lake in a valley.

Then a few minutes later we arrived at the place for the Red Fir honey.

This was a real high mountain wilderness. 

On the road margins were a mass of wildflowers. Growing naturally, without any contamination from pesticides or herbicides. 

I could hear the bees busily working the Fir trees around us, flying backward and forward to the hives.

This was my idea of paradise. The air was so pure, you felt a kind of mental clarity and wellness you only experience in really remote mountain places.

Whilst I took photos Thomas and Stefanos checked the hives and erected a fence to keep the bears out, who of course like nothing better than a meal of bee grubs and Red Fir Honey. 

Then, finally after packing up their beekeeping equipment in the back of the pickup Stefanos passed me a chunk of honeycomb. It was truly superb. The most delicious honeycomb I had ever tasted. I knew at that moment that I had been presented with a real gem of a honey that Raw Honey People are going to love. Not only was it truly delicious but Fir honey tends to stay runny longer than most other honeys.

• Here are the product details: You will see that this honey is a deep red colour with a rich, fruity flavour and very smooth consistency.
• The hives are on Mount Kaliakouda in central Greece where the honey is harvested at an altitude of over 1500 metres.
• We had this batch of Red Fir honey tested at the lab and it came back with a high active rating of 19.5. 
• What does "Active" mean?  We send some of our honeys to a lab for a "Total Activity test". This test measures the total antimicrobial activity of a honey. This is done by testing a solution of a honey on a lab plate against the Staph Aureus bacteria. the honey is graded according to the amount of bacteria that the honey solution kills. Generally, the range that we see will be between 10 and 25 plus. This type of test is similar to the test used to grade Manuka Honey.  The main antibacterial activity is caused by a bee enzyme that creates hydrogen peroxide in the honey. Please bear in mind that the Activity Level is at its highest when we test it and will decrease over time. This will happen faster if the honey is exposed to light and heat. Storing the honey in a dark cool place will help to slow down the rate at which the Activity Level decreases.
• More on honeydew honey: This is a dark thick runny honey. It is known as a honeydew, because it originates from the sap of the tree not from flower nectar.  Honeydews are high in oligosaccharides, which are known for their prebiotic qualities - aiding the beneficial bacteria in the microbiome, the gut flora that scientists have found is crucial for good health.
• About the beekeeper: It was brought to us by Thomas, a young Greek beekeeper, who is planning to take over his family's hives, which are in secluded forest glades in and around mountains of central Greece, like on Mount Kaliakouda. He has great enthusiasm for raw honey and natural hive products.

How Raw Honey is Different from Processed Honey

Raw honey is minimally processed, meaning it’s packed with natural enzymes, pollen, and nutrients that are often lost during processing. Most supermarket honeys are processed to create a uniform appearance, often being drained of pollen, heated, and blended. Raw honey changes in flavour, colour, and texture depending on the season and the flowers that bees feed on, making each batch unique.

Crystallisation in Raw Honey

Raw honey tends to crystallise over time due to its natural glucose content. This is a natural process and does not affect the quality of the honey. For more information on why honey crystallises, visit our blog or check Wikipedia for a more scientific explanation.

About Us

At The Raw Honey Shop, we believe that honey should be RAW, unpasteurised, and 100% natural. Since 2008, we've been introducing our customers to a world of pure, all-natural, unpasteurised honey. Our catalogue includes over 30 different varieties of raw and organic honeys, each with its own unique story and flavour.

Thank you for visiting our shop. We look forward to introducing you to a world of raw, pure, and truly wonderful honey—the way the bees intended it!

Note: The product photo is representative. The colour and texture of raw honey may vary depending on the season and level of crystallisation. Please check the product title and description for accurate contents.