Zubbee`s Pure Raw Natural South African Honey
Greatest raw honey from our hives in South Africa
%
Raw Honey
Never Filtered
Our honey is never ultra- filtered, still containing pollen found in the area.
Never Pasteurized
Preserving all the natural vitamins, enzymes and other nutritional elements.
Locally Rescued Bees
We can gather a swarm without harming the bees and introduce the bees into a hive to give them a safe home.
From the Source
When you purchase Zubbee`s products, you are playing your part in helping support the honeybees of South Africa. We feel it is our responsibility to educate others about the value of the honeybee and to dedicate ourselves to restoring the bee population in South Africa.
That’s where Zubbee`s Raw Honey comes in. Our goal is to become the most trusted, transparent and tasty honey in Africa. Raw, and never treated or ultra-filtered, we produce only the most sustainable, healthy and delicious honey in the country.
THE ZUBBEE’S HONEY – ANGUS HUDSON STORY:
At age ten I was given the nick name “Zubbee”. I grew up on a small farm in a neighbourhood called “Golden Harvest” and although my mother had a Doctorate in Entomology, the bee calling didn’t present itself until four decades later.
The “eureka” moment arrived after a swarm made its home in my swimming pool filter box. After successfully transferring them into a hive, their progress was eagerly and feverishly studied with the hive being opened twice daily to check on their status! Unfortunately this resulted in the queen being rolled (bee-talk for killing the queen by squashing her!). This was devastating for me at the time (and of course for the swarm) but I’d learnt about emergency queens, and after a few days I was able to identify a new queen cell, with a new queen hatching shortly thereafter – and that’s when I knew beekeeping was my calling.
Over a decade later with 300 plus swarms in various apiaries, I remain intrigued and humbled by these fascinating insects that work so hard to sustain and protect their colony, whilst providing essential pollination to the world’s flora, and sweet nectar for us to enjoy.
Why honey’s are different
Flower nectar determines the colour, flavour and aroma of honey. The colour spectrum varies from a whitish opaque to dark almost black, with flavours ranging from delicate mild to a robust malt taste. Scent of the honey often suggests the source of the nectar. Viscosity or how easily the honey “runs” may vary considerably at the same location from year to year following rainfall and temperature differentials.
Harvesting and Extracting
Zubbee’s Honey produces single origin and apiary specific RAW HONEY with the date and location recorded on each label. Honey is harvested and extracted when capped or sealed by the bees, with a maximum of 5% uncapped cells per frame. Zubbee’s honey is not blended or mixed with honey from other locations and no honey is purchased from elsewhere. The honey is extracted and filtered through a gravity nylon sieve, and decanted into your bottle. No heating process above 45 degrees, or irradiation process is used. The result is natural, pure, raw honey containing all the enzymes, minerals and vitamins that the bees sealed in their hives. Pollen and wax often rise to the top of the honey in the jar which is also an indication that no micro filters have been used.
Varieties:
When a particular flower contributes over 60% nectar to a hive or apiary, the honey is named accordingly – for example Eucalyptus, Aloe etc..
Crystalisation:
Most honey will crystalise or turn cloudy and then “sugary”, some within a few days and some after years. This is also an indication that the honey is pure! Many prefer this state as its easier to spread. Crystalisation can be reversed by placing the bottle in hot water (50 deg C) to return to a liquid state without destroying the goodness of the honey.
THE MAIN VARIETIES ZUBBEE’S HONEY PRODUCE ARE:
EUCALYPTUS:
The different species of gums provide a major source of food to our bees throughout the year. Various flavours and colours are harvested from spring to mid-winter.
COSMOS:
Shades of pinks & whites produce a delicate sweet honey that crystalises rapidly. Harvests are usually April and May
ALOE:
The nectar and pollen produced by these tiny plants are excellent for the bees when nothing much is available in late July and early September. This light honey crystalises rapidly into a whitish paste which is delicious.
COMB HONEY:
This is a rectangle of honeycomb cut out from the frames in the hives and available in plastic punnets – it’s as pure as you can get.
CHUNK HONEY:
Rectangular pieces of honeycomb are submerged in honey and available in a jar – “the best of both worlds”.