Active Raw Greek Red Fir Honey – Mountain-Fresh, Rich & Lab-Tested Active19.5

Back Story

Discovering this 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 truck, 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.

Summary

A rare gem from the remote forests of Mount Kaliakouda, this Red Fir honey is a stunning example of raw Greek tree honey. Harvested at 1500 metres by young beekeeper Thomas and his family, this deep red honey is smooth, rich and fruity, with a Total Activity rating of 19.5—proof of its naturally strong antimicrobial power. It's a honeydew honey, rich in prebiotic oligosaccharides and unusually slow to crystallise.

Product Highlights

• 100% Raw & Unpasteurised
• Lab-Tested Total Activity Rating: 19.5
• Cold-Pressed
• Coarse-Filtered
• Rare Red Fir Honeydew Variety
• Harvested at high altitude: 1500m on Mount Kaliakouda
• Produced by Greek beekeeper Thomas and his family
• Dark, smooth, slow to crystallise
• Naturally prebiotic

Aroma

Clean and foresty with mild resin tones. Subtle hints of tree sap and earthy minerals, evoking the cool air of high-altitude Greek fir forests.

Flavour

Deeply rich with a mild fruity tang and smooth consistency. The flavour finishes long and mellow—warming, clean, and satisfying.

Colour

Dark reddish brown when runny. Exceptionally smooth and thick. Will remain runny longer than most raw honeys.

Origin

Collected from bees foraging on fir trees at over 1500 metres in the wilderness of Mount Kaliakouda in central Greece. The hives are surrounded by untouched forest and wildflowers, far from pollution or agriculture.

Common Uses

• Enjoy by the spoonful for a healthful treat
• Drizzle over soft cheese or Greek yoghurt
• Pair with roasted nuts or figs
• Stir into warm herbal teas
• Use for its prebiotic and antimicrobial properties

👤 Producer Story

Thomas, a passionate beekeeper in central Greece, works with his father Giorgios and sister Elena. They combine traditional methods with modern practices to ensure bee health and quality honey. The family produces Greek honeys like mountain oak, red fir, vanilla fir, wild thyme, pine, and orange.

🧪 What does "Active" mean?

We send some honeys to a lab for a "Total Activity test". This test measures a honey's antimicrobial activity using a solution on a lab plate against Staph Aureus bacteria. The honey is graded between 10 and 25+. This test is similar to that used for Manuka Honey. The main activity comes from a bee enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide. Note that the Activity Level is highest at testing and decreases over time—faster with light and heat. Store in a dark, cool place to slow this.

🧊 How to store your honey

To preserve its natural potency, store the honey in a cool, dark place. Light and heat degrade the enzymes that contribute to antibacterial activity. Keeping it away from light and high temps helps maintain its flavour, texture, and active properties.

🍯 Why Raw Honey is Different from Processed Honey

Raw honey comes from the hive to the jar with minimal interference. Most supermarket honey is processed to look attractive—drained of pollen, heated, and blended. Raw honey varies from batch to batch because it’s not factory-processed or heated. It changes with season, climate, and bee forage. We update this fact sheet based on the current batch.

🌀 Crystallisation

Raw honey crystallises naturally (so we cannot accept returns on crystallised honey). We indicate on the site whether the honey is runny or crystallised, but this may change. If you want runny honey and it has crystallised, it's easy to return it to runny. Check our Runny Honey Guide or read more on crystallisation.

🏪 About Us

At The Raw Honey Shop, we believe honey should be RAW, unpasteurised, and 100% natural. Since 2008, we've introduced customers to pure, all-natural honey. Our catalogue includes over 30 raw and organic varieties. Thank you for visiting. We look forward to sharing a world of raw, pure, and truly wonderful honey—the way the bees intended it!

📸 Representative Photo Disclaimer

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