Our Honey

Pure, raw honey!

We believe honey is best enjoyed just as the bees made it.

Our honey is never pasteurized and is never heated beyond the natural temperature of the hive. During extraction, we use gentle methods that preserve the honey's natural character, flavor, aroma, and color.

After extraction, the honey is strained through a fine 400–600 micron filter to remove pieces of wax and other natural hive debris while allowing naturally occurring pollen and many of the finer particles to remain in the honey.

Every jar is bottled in small batches at our honey house in Iowa. We never blend our honey with imported honey or other sweeteners—what you taste is the pure expression of the flowers visited by our bees and the landscape surrounding each apiary.

The result is pure, raw honey that reflects the season, the place, and the remarkable work of the honey bee.

Hyper-local Honey

Every jar of Just Iowa Honey tells the story of a place.

Our bees typically forage within a three-mile radius of their home apiary, collecting nectar from the trees, wildflowers, prairies, and gardens unique to that landscape. The result is hyper-local honey—small-batch honey that reflects the character of a single location in central Iowa.

Because every apiary is surrounded by a different mix of blossoms, no two harvests are exactly alike. Weather, rainfall, temperature, and bloom cycles all influence the flavor, aroma, and color of each year's honey. We believe that's something to celebrate, not standardize.

Rather than blending honey from multiple apiaries to create a uniform taste, we bottle each apiary's harvest separately whenever possible. This allows you to experience the subtle differences that make each landscape unique—much like a vineyard expresses its own character through wine.

Read more here about our apiaries in Des Moines, Indianola and Runnells!

Our Honey Varietals

A Note About Our Varietals

What is monofloral honey? Honey made primarily from the nectar of a single flower species. In nature, truly monofloral honey is uncommon because bees naturally gather nectar from many blossoms. Honey is typically named for its dominant nectar source.

Our floral varietals are named for the primary nectar source at the time of harvest. Because bees naturally forage on many blossoms, each honey also contains smaller amounts of nectar from other flowers in bloom. This creates a unique, naturally balanced honey that reflects both the season and the landscape.

And now about our varietals. Every honey harvest reflects the flowers in bloom, the weather of the season, and the remarkable work of the honey bee.

Although certain blossoms may dominate a harvest, nature rarely produces honey from a single floral source. Our bees forage freely within approximately three miles of their apiary, collecting nectar from whatever flowers and trees are blooming at that moment. As a result, each varietal expresses a primary floral source while also capturing the richness of Iowa's diverse landscape.

We carefully monitor bloom periods and nectar flows throughout the season, allowing the distinctive characteristics of each floral source to shine.

WILDFLOWER HONEY

Our Wildflower Honey is a celebration of Iowa's changing seasons.

This polyfloral honey is created from a diverse blend of nectar gathered from native wildflowers, flowering trees, clover, alfalfa, soybean blossoms, and countless other blooms unique to each apiary. No two harvests are exactly alike, making every season a new discovery.

Its flavor reflects both the landscape surrounding the apiary and the conditions of that particular year, offering a true taste of place.

FLORAL VARIETAL: BLACK LOCUST (ACACIA) HONEY

Black Locust honey is one of Iowa's most anticipated seasonal harvests.

Harvested during the brief bloom of the Black Locust tree, this honey is exceptionally light in color with a delicate floral aroma and subtle notes of vanilla. Its clean, mild flavor and silky texture make it an elegant choice for tea, fresh fruit, yogurt, and fine cheeses.

Because the bloom period is short and weather-dependent, each year's harvest is naturally limited.

FLORAL VARIETAL: BASSWOOD/LINDEN HONEY

Basswood, also known as Linden, produces one of the most distinctive honeys found in the Midwest.

This prized varietal offers a beautifully medium-balanced sweetness with delicate herbal notes and a refreshing finish often described as hints of citrus or fresh mint. Its complex flavor has made it a favorite among honey enthusiasts for generations.

Like all floral varietals, Basswood honey is produced only when nature provides the right combination of weather, bloom timing, and nectar flow, making each harvest a special expression of the season.

Comb Honey

There is something truly extraordinary about honey in its most natural form.

Comb honey is honey exactly as the bees created it—sealed within delicate beeswax cells and untouched by extraction. Before the invention of the honey extractor, this was how honey was enjoyed for centuries.

Each piece is a beautiful expression of the hive's craftsmanship. The fresh beeswax, filled with pure raw honey, offers a unique texture and flavor that simply can't be replicated in bottled honey. Spread it on warm artisan bread, pair it with fine cheeses, or enjoy it just as it is.

Because producing comb honey requires exceptional nectar flows and careful management by the bees, each harvest is naturally limited. When it's available, it's one of the season's most treasured offerings.

Go to the About Comb Honey page to learn so much more!

Our Containers

We believe exceptional honey deserves exceptional packaging.

That's why the majority of our honey is bottled in glass. Glass preserves the honey's natural flavor, showcases its beautiful color, and can be reused for years to come. Because honey has an extraordinarily long shelf life when properly stored, glass is a timeless choice that reflects our commitment to quality and environmental stewardship.

We also encourage customers to return their empty jars for reuse. It's one small way we can reduce waste while honoring the value of well-crafted materials.

Like all raw honey, our honey will naturally crystallize over time. Read more about crystallization here.

For customers who prefer the convenience of a squeeze bottle or who are shipping larger quantities, we also offer select sizes in food-grade plastic containers. These lightweight containers provide an easy dispensing option while helping reduce shipping costs for larger orders.

Join Us in Caring for the Environment

Because glass can be cleaned, sterilized, and reused, we invite you to return your empty Just Iowa Honey containers for future use. It's a simple way to reduce waste, conserve resources, and support a more sustainable future.

As our way of saying thank you, we'll apply a credit toward a future purchase:

25¢ for each returned standard glass honey jar
50¢ for each returned half-gallon mason jar or 2-pound Queenline jar

To help us prepare the jars for their next use:

Please rinse the jar after use.
If returning a mason jar, include the metal ring, but keep the lid—we replace all lids with new ones.
Please do not place the mason jar ring in the dishwasher, as it may rust.

Every returned container is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized using food-safe cleaning and sanitizing procedures approved for commercial food production before it is used again.

Thank you for partnering with us in caring for Iowa's natural resources—one jar at a time.