FAQs

Science is-(sulated) Cool-(er)

We get this question a lot! Here’s the science behind it and is really cool:

Insulated coolers are designed to slow down the transfer of heat, not completely stop it. During shipping, even with an ice pack inside, the cooler's walls and the air trapped inside gradually absorb heat from the interior. This causes the contents—including the ice pack and royal jelly—to melt over time.

Gel ice packs are not the same as portable freezers. They're meant to maintain a cooler temperature for as long as possible, not to keep items frozen indefinitely.

The technique is for the Royal Jelly to arrive nearly ready for consumption. After all, its a Royal Jelly instead of a Royal Popsicle.

While it's technically possible to use medical-grade coolers or dry ice to keep items frozen, we don’t use them because royal jelly is relatively stable and doesn't require ultra-cold shipping like ice cream or caviar. Slight thawing during transit does not affect its quality or effectiveness.

How Warm is Hot?

Is Royal Jelly okay at a warm room temperature during shipping or short-term storage.

Yes! Royal Jelly is totally fine at normal outdoor temperatures for short-term periods (1–2 weeks). Here's why—the science:

Bees are excellent little HVAC technicians. Inside the hive, they work together to aerate and regulate the climate—not quite central air, but close! Their goal? Keep the nursery (where baby bees grow) at a cozy 95°F. That’s their version of the perfect thermostat setting—unfortunately, they haven’t figured out how to install multi-zone climate control yet so their honey pantry is the same temperature. It seems the worker bees are just too beezy… especially when the queen starts dropping the beat and setting the hive's rhythm.

Fun fact: It takes about 16 days for a queen bee to fully mature, and during that time, she’s is just chilling in a cold 95°F pool of Royal Jelly. A wax cap goes over her majesty's jacuzzi halfway as she is tucked into bed and wake up a ruler—not a 12in ruler, that bee a little scary, more like 12mm.

Royal Jelly has a natural enzyme shield. Think of it like an unwashed farm-fresh egg: nature built it to last a while outside the fridge.

That’s why Royal Jelly is naturally shelf-stable at human room temperature for 2–4 weeks. Our homes tend to be a bit cooler than hives, which works in our favor. However, direct sunlight is a no-go—bees don’t store their food in sunbeams, and neither should we.

For longer-term storage, refrigeration or freezing is your best bet. But for short trips and temporary storage, the bees nature’s design over 130 million years of progress—so just cool bee-ns!

Flavor

“Naturally sour taste”, with a “bitter and dry, tangy aftertaste"

Summary of Why Royal Jelly Isn’t Simply Sweet or Sour

Sour / Acidic - Due to high content of 10‑HDA and other organic acids
Mild Sweetness - Low sugar content means sweetness is faint
Bitterness & Pungency - From proteins, peptides, and volatile phenolic compounds
Metallic / Earthy Notes - From trace minerals and complex composition
Creamy, Lingering Feel - Viscous texture that prolongs flavor perception

If the flavor is too intense for you, here are a few suggestions commonly used:

  • Mix with honey: This is the most popular way to balance the acidity and bitterness.
  • Blend into smoothies or yogurt: Masks the taste while adding nutritional value.

Royal jelly stands apart from honey in taste—its pronounced sourness, faint sweetness, subtle bitterness, pungent undertones, and creamy texture combine to create a “complex, challenging” flavor. Your own description—“naturally sour,” with a “bitter and dry tangy aftertaste”—reflects all the scientific and sensory aspects.

Receiving

  • Plans Change – We Get It!

    We totally understand—plans change, and carrier delivery times can be as unpredictable as a bee on espresso.

    Good news: FedEx and UPS offer flexible delivery options! You can reroute your package to a nearby pickup location if you're not going to be home. Most of these spots are open late and will hold your package safely so it does not bee-it.

    Just check your tracking info for options, or visit the carrier’s website to make the change. It’s quick, easy, and gives your royal jelly the VIP treatment it deserves.

  • Meet Our New Gen2 Shippers!

    We’ve upgraded! Our Gen2 Summer Shippers are specially designed for warm-weather shipping. These insulated boxes are rated for 2–3 day transit, keeping your royal jelly cool, calm, and collected—even when summer isn’t.

    They’re built with the same technology used to ship fancy stuff like caviar, so your jelly is in some seriously high-class company. It’s not quite first-class airfare, but it’s definitely the business class of cold shipping.

    Rest assured: your package is cruising in comfort.

  • Lost Package? Buzz Us ASAP!

    If your package seems to have gone on an unexpected adventure and does not beehave, let us know right away! We’ll contact the carrier and request an expedited search, which usually takes 1–2 business days.

    The good news? 99% of the time, they find it and deliver it correctly the very next day—turns out packages aren’t great at hide-and-seek.

    The sooner we know, the sooner we can get things back on track. We're here to help!

Shipping International

International shipping can be done safely—as long as it's well packed and moves quickly, your royal jelly will arrive just fine. We use insulated coolers similar to those used for shipping caviar, so your package gets the luxury treatment it deserves.

That said, commercial international shipping can get complicated, thanks to strict regulations and extra red tape. To keep things smooth, we recommend declaring the shipment as "for personal use." This usually means fewer steps, fewer questions, and fewer delays when filling out customs paperwork.

Here’s how it works:

  1. We ship the product to you first in the U.S.

  2. Once received, place it in your freezer for 2 full days.

  3. After that, we’ll connect you with a reliable package forwarder near you.

  4. The forwarder will help with all export and import documentation and ensure your royal jelly gets to its international destination safely.

It’s a little extra effort—but worth it to get the good stuff across borders without drama.

Product

  • Best for International

    We suggest our Royal Jelly Powder which is Freeze Dry 100% Pure and lab certified to meet and/or exceed 3x concentrate. 1/3 tsp of powder = 1 tsp of jelly.

  • Unfrozen

    We stock unfrozen as all of our Royal Jelly arrive from the farm this way. They are frozen for storage and shipping. Please drop us a note during checkout so the team will use a specific shipper.

  • Vaccination

    For the hives specializing in Royal Jelly, yes they have to use a FDA approved vaccine against American foulbrood (AFB) bacterial.  This nasty bacteria can live dormant for decades and then randomly pop up and wipe out an entire area.

Other

  • the Farm

    We partner with a few other farms across the USA. Each farm produces its own unique variation of honey, as bees need space, time, and diverse environments to do their best work.

    A particular type of honey or aspect of beekeeping with the right location for the sweetest experience.