All About Honey

Honey bee hives in fireweed

I have often had people ask for ‘regular’ honey. Usually, they have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for, but technically, there is no such thing. ‘Regular’ honey generally is referring to local honey, and local honey can be dramatically different depending on where you live!

Honey comes in many different forms

Here are some of the most common terms used to describe honey.

·        Raw Honey – is honey that has never been heated. In other words, honey that has been packaged in jars or containers right out of the extractor. Quite often you will find raw honey in a crystallized state.

·        Crystallized Honey – is pure honey that has started to granulate or become solid. This is a process that all honey will go through and does not mean your honey has gone bad. In fact, honey is the only food that never, ever goes bad! If you’re an ancient history buff, you will know that honey has been found in Egyptian tombs. Some people prefer to use crystallized honey when baking as they feel the honey ‘acts’ more like sugar. How fast a honey crystallizes is based on a few variables.

o   The type of nectar collected by the bees. For example, Dandelion Honey crystallizes so quickly, it can crystallize in the wax honey cells before the beekeeper can even get it extracted!

o   The temperature honey is stored at. The cooler the temperature, the faster crystallization will occur. Freezing honey will prevent crystallization, while putting your honey in the fridge will guarantee crystallization.

·        Liquid Honey – is crystallized honey that has been warmed to return it to a liquid state. Liquid honey has not been heated to the point of pasteurization. Once heated, liquid honey will again start to crystallize as mentioned above.

Honey comb, a sweet treat

         Comb Honey – is the most natural honey you can get – almost as good as dipping your fingers right into a hive, only without the risk of getting stung! With comb honey, you are getting the honey right inside the wax comb made by the bees. The wax can be chewed and swallowed (you’re getting a larger dose of propolis with comb honey, which is always beneficial), chewed like gum, or spit out.

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        Creamed Honey – is honey that has been whipped. It becomes smooth and creamy, and you are less likely to wear it when you put it on a piece of toast! Whipping liquid or raw honey will create creamed honey. Creamed honey retains the same taste and health benefits of liquid honey.

·        Pasteurized Honey – is honey that has been heated to 60^oC (149^oF) for 30 minutes or more. Once pasteurized, all the enzymes that make honey healthy are killed. You now just have another sweetener. Pasteurized honey may also contain other fillers, such as water.

Honey bee in alfalfa blossom

Location, location, location

When it comes to making a specific type of honey, it is all about location. Being incredibly efficient workers, our foraging bees will collect from the closest nectar source. The type of nectar will determine the color, taste and crystallization rate of the honey made. The beekeeper will strategically place hives in or beside fields of the desired nectar to be collected.

Types of honey

Alfalfa honey from Saskatchewan

Alfalfa honey is one of the most common types of honey found in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Bees placed next to alfalfa fields will make a nice, sweet, fairly light honey that still has a strong enough ‘honey’ taste. I like this one in my coffee and on my toast!!

Fireweed honey from the Yukon

Fireweed honey is a much-coveted honey. The beautiful fireweed flower is only available in abundance for a couple of years after a forest fire. Beekeepers place their hives in the burned out section of forest so the bees can take advantage of the multitude of fireweed blossoms. This honey is among the lightest, almost being completely clear. It has a light sweet taste, and is a favorite among non-honey lovers. It is very nice in tea, on toast or biscuit, or straight off a spoon!

Dandelion honey from BC interior

Everyone is pretty familiar with the dandelion. As more and more research is done on dandelions, we’re beginning to realize what the bees knew all along. Not only do dandelions taste good, they’re full of good things for us!! As one of the first flowers that bloom in the spring, this nectar is very important to begin replenishing the depleted winter stores in the hive. To harvest dandelion, the beekeeper puts a super on a strong hive early in the spring and removes it before the other flowers emerge. It is a strong tasting honey with a distinct flavor. Chefs like to cook with it for that reason. I prefer to think of it as a little taste of spring on a spoon!

Manuka honey from New Zealand

If you travel a little further afield … say, to New Zealand … you’re bound to find some Manuka honey. There have been tons and tons of studies done on the medicinal benefits of this honey. It’s a smooth, creamy, darker honey. Its strong flavor has a decidedly medicinal taste with a hint of black licorice. This is also one of my favorites, but used sparingly due to its high cost!

Freshly poured honey New Zealand

Here is another New Zealand honey. It's a combination of local wild flowers. I haven't had the pleasure of trying this one. It's from Liz and Jordan's hives. I'm hoping they will have some left, and room in a suitcase to bring me some!! 

This one is labeled ‘Nest Honey.’ It’s from Inner Mongolia. Despite my attempts at trying to get my translator to ask appropriate honey questions … something got lost in translation, and I really don’t know what nectar source this is actually from. It was packaged with a piece of comb in the honey. It has a strong, interesting taste, but not one I particularly like.

Berry honeys tend to be very popular with a mild hint of the berry blossom the nectar came from. Some of the ones I’m familiar with are blueberry, cranberry, raspberry (a personal favorite!) and blackberry. Orange blossom also makes for a delicious citrus-type honey.

The different types of honey and accompanying flavors are endless. The general rule is, the darker the honey, the stronger the taste and the higher the health benefits!

Trying local honey when you travel is a lot of fun! It is truly amazing how much difference the nectar source can make!!