I have just had a phone call from Magdaleine at Ein Harod to say she has just mailed me a 350g jar of very raw honey! They did a honey collection yesterday afternoon and as she knew I wanted some for external use only she got a jar filled with the straight from the hives honey, before it had even been filtered, so as to get the highest medicinal quality.

She said that if there are any tiny black specks that would be the propolis, and oh I might find the odd bee wing in it!

Thanks for the links Malka - I will have a read when I get five mins

Great news Malka! Yes, there will be wings and bits of bees in Raw honey - but don't worry, just pick them out

Personally I would not be able to help myself from eating it, seems a waste to use it for external use only

If you can, take some piccies for us when it arrives - will be interested to see what it looks like, whether it is soft or hard set etc

She sent it by registered mail this morning - there is no mail delivery tomorrow or Shabbat, obviously and it is doubtful whether it will arrive on Sunday - probably Monday or Tuesday.

It will be very interesting to see what it looks [and tastes] like as I have never seen raw honey and this it was taken from the hives just yesterday. I will definitely take some photographs!

When I asked how much it was she said it was a gift from Ein Harod!

Aww that's very sweet of them - I'm not surprised though, you are a very likeable character, I'm sure you left a very good impression

Way beyond my income and I stopped subscrbing to any supplements years ago .

I could not, nor would not have bought either of those, but as the 340g jar of raw honey I was sent should last me for a very long time, I am well set up with medicinal honey! And oh is it tasty...

my dad has a manuka bush in his back garden

Oooh, does he have a hive of bees as well? If yes, then you have your own private supply of honey

Just an update on this.

I would not recommend Manuka is consumed on a regular basis - perhaps only for local infections such as a throat infection or used on the skin, for burns etc. (And even then coconut oil might be better.)

I would only enjoy it occasionally if I were completely healthy and only in a RAW state.

I am taking this position because I think the high sugar content out-weighs the short term benefits.

Any kind of honey is far too sweet for me but then I do not have sugar in tea or coffee and hate sweetened drinks of any kind, but the jar I was given did help soothe a sore throat recently - mixed in hot water with some lemon juice.

I have used it a couple of times on slightly infected wounds and I do believe it helped them heal - I think this jar I was sent will probably last out my lifetime - and still be mostly full!