Happy New Year - Blogging is on my new year to do list

New Year.

New products.

New honey varieties.

New announcements and happenings.

Blogging! I am gong to do my best to try and do weekly blogs about something! The store. The bees. The pollinators. The flowers. Something.

Perhaps, I will share with you my excitement over a new shipment of Honey Spoons for your tea or coffee. You can even add one to a cup of hot water. They come in many varieties; tupelo honey, orange blossom and lemon, to name a few of the spoons. I can’t forget to mention the Gourmet Lollipops that accompany the honey spoons. There is bee pollen and honey, raspberry & lime, even coconut ginger. Did you know there are real pieces of ginger, raspberry or bee pollen in those lollipops!? Yum, that’s for sure, and they go quick!

Maybe, I will let you know about the Walnut Honey that is to die for!! Yes, it sold out but I was sure to restock quickly. This California wildflower honey infused with walnuts is absolutely delicious on a piece of sharp cheese or a slice of honey crisp apple. Really though, I want to let you know that I have secured some Lemon Infused Creamed Honey from the same company. For all you lemon lovers, this is for you!

If you have not heard, however, the hard honey candies are in stock. They arrived all the way from Bavaria and I have placed them in some cute tins and jars for your enjoyment. These simple candies made from sugar, glucose syrup and honey are a must for dry mouths and scratchy throats. They are a great honey lozenge. They can even be dropped in your tea for a sweetener. I love the old fashion sanded coating. Keep a tin of these hard candies in your car, purse or at your desk and enjoy this simple, long-lasting hard candy.

Honey Bee Medallions.  A hard, honey candy to soothe a scratchy throat and quench a dry mouth.

Honey Bee Medallions. A hard, honey candy to soothe a scratchy throat and quench a dry mouth.

It's true!!! Real honey has many tastes, textures and aromas, along with proven wellness benefits.

Dinner party plans? Foodie on the gift list? Looking for natural immunity boosting benefits?

Honey. The answer to all of the above and more.

The sweet gold the bees produce is not all the same. Honey has varying degrees of color, aroma, taste and texture.

Real honey, that is.

And this all depends on many factors. The season the nectar was collected for starters. You can see this difference in your local honey. The nectar the bees gather in the spring compared to the nectar gathered in the fall will produce the different colors, tastes, aromas and textures. Of course, this is dependent upon the region of the country the plants are growing from which the bees are foraging.

Which brings us to our next varying factor in honey.

Location.

The varying landscapes and climates provide us different plants from which the bees can forage. Just like grapes and wine, honey will vary from region to region due to the plants. Our own country can provide us Oregon Meadowfoam, Florida Orange Blossom, Georgia Tupelo, New York Basswood, North Carolina Sourwood, California Black Sage and Washington Buckwheat to name a few. All of which can be found on the tasting table at The North Bee. Each time you visit you are able to sample over 28 varieties of honey from across the country and even from the Patagonia Rainforest.

Besides season and location the state of the honey itself will offer up its own mouthwatering experience. Only raw honey crystallizes. The texture of this is comparable to peanut butter with sugar crystals embedded within. Some prefer it this way often seeking out only crystallized honey. Perhaps they know that’s a sure sign it hasn’t been processed or heated in anyway. Some honey will take longer to crystallize than others, while some will crystallize as soon as its bottled. Aster honey is know for this.

Others look at the jar of crystallized honey and wonder…….what is wrong with this stuff? Nothing my friends, nothing. Did you know honey was pulled from ancient Egyptian tombs and found to be edible? Here is a link to that article https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/honey-in-the-pyramids.aspx

Not only is honey a natural sweetener it also has immunity boosting benefits. Have you ever tasted Buckwheat honey? You either like it or you don’t, there is no in-between. I happen to like it. I had a lady message me last week wondering if I carried buckwheat honey. Her doctor had recommended her to take. When she arrived at the store to purchase I knew why her doctor had recommended. She had laryngitis. I take buckwheat honey in the winter whenever I have a cough. Here is a great research paper on honey used for cough relive in children, specifically buckwheat. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264806/

So aside from a sweeter for our tea, a treat off the spoon or a remedy for what ails us, did you know honey is a great addition to the cheese spread or gift basket for the foodie in your life. Honey is also THE perfect hostess gift.

Your eyes will widen and your mouth water when you see some of the amazing honey available on the tasting table and in the store for purchase. The next dinner party you are hosting or attending be sure to include a delightful honey for all to enjoy.

How about a California Wildflower Walnut infused honey on a slice of honey crisp apple or warm Brie?

Perhaps some local comb honey on a slice of baguette or a morning pancake.

A little Chocolate & Bergamot blended honey on a coconut crisp cookie or gently warmed and spread on fruit.

There is even desert honey that has been creamed and some wonderful ingredients added like, sea salt caramel, or real maple syrup. WOW!

You simply must come in the store yourself located at 27 North Ave in the village of Webster and spend a minute or 2 at the tasting table. And remember, the next time that throat begins to feel raw or that cough won’t quiet, find yourself some good RAW honey.