Recently, a friend and fellow beekeeper’s son posed the question, “What is the best honey?”
We talked about the many varieties of honey that we had sampled over the years and discussed different factors that influence honey as a food product and sweetener. I later had time to think about our visit while I was extracting the first of this year’s honey crop.
kAmw@?6J :D @?6 @7 E96 76H AC@5F4ED @7 :?D64E 24E:G:EJ FD65 3J A6@A=6 7@C 7@@5[ 2?5 9@?6J 366D 2C6 E96 @?=J :?D64ED E92E 4@==64E ?64E2C 2?5 DE@C6 9@?6J :? 2 G2C:6EJ 2?5 2>@F?E DF:E23=6 7@C =2E6C 4@==64E:@? 3J 366<66A6CD] %96 62C=:6DE C676C6?46D E@ 9@?6J 4@==64E:@? 2?5 9@?6J 52E6 324< `_[___ J62CD 2D :?5:42E65 3J 42G6 A2:?E:?8D =@42E65 :? D@FE9H6DE tFC@A6 D9@H:?8 9@?6J 4@==64E:@? 7C@> 2 EC66] |2?J 4F=EFC6D C676C6?46 9@?6J 2D :>A@CE2?E :? 7@@5[ >65:4:?6 2?5 C6=:8:@?] ~?6 @7 E96 76H 4F=EFC6D E92E 5@ ?@E C676C6?46 9@?6J 366D[ 366 9:G6D[ @C 9@?6J 2C6 }2E:G6 p>6C:42?D] w@?6J 366D 2C6 ?@E ?2E:G6 E@ }@CE9 p>6C:42 2?5 H6C6 :?EC@5F465 :? E96 62C=J `e__D] $6G6C2= EC:36D 42==65 E96 9@?6J 366 E96 “H9:E6 >2?’D 7=J]” %9:D ?2>6 7@C E96 9@?6J 366 42>6 23@FE 2D E96 C6DF=E @7 9@?6J 366D 2AA62C:?8 H:E9 D6EE=6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 D@FC46D @7 >@DE 9@?6J 2C6 A=2?E ?64E2CD[ E96 DF82CJ D@=FE:@?D AC@5F465 3J 7=@H6C:?8 A=2?ED >256 2G2:=23=6 E@ 366D 2D H6== 2D @E96C :?D64ED 2?5 2?:>2=D] %96 ?64E2C D@=FE:@?D 2C6 4@>A@D65 @7 H2E6C 2?5 DF4C@D6 2=@?8 H:E9 2== @7 E96 7=2G@CD[ A:8>6?ED[ 2C@>2D[ 2?5 3:ED @7 A@==6? AC@5F465 3J E96 D@FC46 A=2?E] p=D@ 7@F?5 :? A=2?E ?64E2CD 2C6 D>2== 2>@F?ED @7 G:E2>:?D 2?5 >:?6C2=D] u=@C2= D@FC46D 2=D@ :?7=F6?46 E96 D9256 2?5 E2DE6 5:776C6?46D 7@F?5 :? 9@?6J] }64E2C D@FC46D C2?86 7C@> 2 D:?8=6 EJA6 @7 A=2?E E@ >2?J 2?5 492?86 7C@> D62D@? E@ D62D@? 2?5 J62C E@ J62C] w@?6J :D ECF=J 2 =@42= AC@5F4E]k^Am
kAm%96 DH66E6?:?8 67764E @7 9@?6J 2?5 E23=6 DF82C 42??@E C62==J 36 5:DE:?8F:D965 @?6 7C@> E96 @E96C] %96 D:>:=2C:E:6D 36EH66? E96 EH@ 6?5 E96C6] &?=:<6 E23=6 @C 8C2?F=2E65 DF82C >256 FA @7 DF4C@D6[ H9:49 :D 2=D@ E96 DF82C :? ?64E2C[ E96 3=6?5 @7 9@?6J 4@?E2:?D >2:?=J E96 DF82CD’ 7CF4E@D6 2?5 8=F4@D6 >256 7C@> DA=:EE:?8 DF4C@D6 H96? H@C<6C 366D 255 E96 6?KJ>6[ :?G6CE2D6[ E@ E96 ?64E2C D@=FE:@?] |2=E@D6 2?5 E96 C6>2:?:?8 DF4C@D6 C@F?5 @FE E96 DF82C 3=6?5] %96 H@C<6C 366D E96? DE@C6 E96 C6DF=E:?8 AC@5F4E :? E96 9@?6J4@>3[ C6>@G6 >@DE @7 E96 H2E6C[ 2?5 42A E96 9@?6J] %96 DE@C65 9@?6J :D E96? C625J 7@C FD6 2E 2 =2E6C E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96 9@?6J 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96 4@?DF>6C :D FDF2==J A24<2865 :? =:BF:5 7@C> 2?5 42? C2?86 7C@> C2H E@ AC@46DD65 2?5 3=6?565] {@42G@C6D 2?5 >2?J 4@?DF>6CD AC676C C2H 9@?6J] %96 C2H 7@C> :D 6DD6?E:2==J 9@?6J 2D :E 6I:DED :? E96 4@>3] xE :D 6IEC24E65 7C@> E96 4@>3 2?5 DF3;64E65 E@ >:?:>2= 7:=E6C:?8[ C6>@G:?8 @?=J =2C86 H2I 2?5 @E96C A2CE:4=6D] !@==6? 2?5 D>2==\H2I A2CE:4=6D 2C6 =67E :?] w@?6J 7C@> =2C86 DFAA=:6CD :D FDF2==J 3=6?565 FD:?8 >F=E:A=6 D@FC46D @7 9@?6J[ 7:=E6C65 E@ C6>@G6 >@DE @7 E96 H2I A2CE:4=6D 2?5 A@==6? 2?5 A2DE6FC:K65[ AC@5F4:?8 2 F?:7@C> AC@5F4E E92E 92D 2 =@?8 D96=7 =:76]k^Am
kAmw@?6J 42? 2=D@ 36 7@F?5 2D 4@>3 9@?6J[ DE:== :? E96 H2I 4@>3j 49F?< 9@?6J[ A24<2865 2D A:646D @7 4@>3 9@?6J :? =:BF:5 9@?6Jj 2?5 4C62>65 9@?6J[ 2=D@ 42==65 H9:AA65 @C DAF? 9@?6J] rC62>65 9@?6J 92D 366? AC@46DD65 E@ DE23:=:K6 4CJDE2==:K2E:@?]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 9@?6J :D 2 ?2EFC2= AC@5F4E[ E96 8=F4@D6 :? E96 D@=FE:@? H:== 6G6?EF2==J C6EFC? E@ 2 D@=:5 @C 4CJDE2==:K65 7@C>] rCJDE2==:K65 9@?6J 42? 36 C6EFC?65 E@ 2 =:BF:5 7@C> :7 :E :D 962E65 :? H2C> H2E6C 2?5 DE:CC65] xE D9@F=5 2=D@ 36 ?@E65 E92E 9@?6J D9@F=5 ?@E 36 8:G6? E@ 49:=5C6? F?56C ` J62C @7 286]k^Am
kAm$F3DE:EFE:?8 9@?6J 7@C DF82C :? 4@@<:?8 2?5 32<:?8 :? E96 9@>6 :D @?46 282:? 364@>:?8 A@AF=2C 2?5 C6BF:C6D C64:A6 25;FDE>6?ED] w@?6J :D >62DFC65 2?5 D@=5 3J H6:89E] %H6=G6 @F?46D @7 9@?6J J:6=5D 2AAC@I:>2E6=J @?6 4FA @7 G@=F>6] #6A=24:?8 DF82C H:E9 9@?6J :? 32<:?8 42? 36 5@?6 :? 6BF2= G@=F>6D[ 3FE 36 DFC6 E@ C65F46 E96 2>@F?E @7 @E96C =:BF:5D 3J @?6\7@FCE9 4FA 7@C 6249 4FA @7 9@?6J FD65] #64:A6D C6BF:C:?8 688D 2?5 ?@ 255:E:@?2= =:BF:5 D9@F=5 :?4C62D6 E96 2>@F?E @7 7=@FC 3J EH@ E23=6DA@@?D A6C 4FA @7 9@?6J FD65] ~G6? E6>A6C2EFC6 :D @7E6? C65F465 3J ad 568C66D E@ AC6G6?E @G6C3C@H?:?8] }@?\6DD6?E:2= >62DFC6>6?ED :? C64:A6D D66> E@ C6BF:C6 =6DD 9@?6J 3642FD6 @7 E96 8C62E6C DH66E6?:?8 67764E] &?=6DD J@F 2C6 FD:?8 2 E6DE65 C64:A6[ 36 DFC6 E@ ECJ :E @FE 7:CDE]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ 324< E@ E96 @C:8:?2= BF6DE:@?i (92E :D E96 36DE 9@?6Jn (92E6G6C 9@?6J :D 36:?8 FD65 2E E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAmk6>mqCF46 q:C5 :D 2 =@42= 366<66A6C 2?5 92D 366? <66A:?8 366D 7@C `_ J62CD]k^6>mk^Am
Subscription Required
An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.
