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Wild Honey


thatguy2009

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I have tried a few local honeys and was wondering if you all had a favorite local honey that you have tried?

I think my favorite is still the honey vendor at Ballston from last year, but I failed to remember the bee farm name. That one was $8.

My second one was purchased at Buzz Bakery for $7 for 16oz: Raw Wildflower Honey from Golden Angels Apiary, Singers Glen, VA.

The most recent one is a vendor at Arlington Market for $6 for 16oz, I think. It is a tad sweeter in a foreign way compared to the two above. Also somewhere in Virginia. Will edit once I have details.

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I used to keep bees. The different honeys from the different flowers throughout the year was quite interesting.

My favorite honey was the pale white honey from boxwood, holly and other tiny white tree flowers in the early spring, which probably you can't buy since this is the first nectar the bees collect after a long winter, and they need it for themselves.

My favorite ordinary honey is just plain local wildflower honey, it's brown and very fresh tasting. Dane's Apiaries, in Arlington, sells it, as do others. Dane taught me how to keep bees, he teaches bee keeping, at least he used to. He also sells tulip poplar honey, and thistle honey. I don't care for tulip poplar honey, but many consider it a delicacy. On the other hand, I do like thistle honey.

DANE’S APIARIES

Dane Hannum

722 N. George Mason Drive

Arlington, VA 22203-1439

703.525.6396

Product(s): Honey: tulip poplar, wildflower and thistle; liquid and chunk comb.

Kevin Lunsford sells wildflower honey, too. I bought my bees from Kevin.

LUNSFORD’S SILVER HILL BEE FARM

Kevin and Cindy Lunsford

13305 Silver Hill Road

Bealeton, VA 22712

540.439.0743, FAX: 540.439.0743

http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/food&beverage/honey.shtml

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Is there a significant distinction, texture-wise, for raw honey versus 'normal' honey (local or not)? I do not think I have ever tried 'raw' honey.

Raw honey is extracted but not heated. Honey is heated to pasteurize it, and kill spores. This prevents fermentation, which is undesireable, and crystalization, which affects the appearance but does not have any bad effects.

Some honeys crystalize easily, and the general public is unwilling to buy honey that is not liquid.

You can liquify crystalized honey by heating gently.

I never pasteurized my own honey, and I don't buy pasteurized honey, but I also always buy from small producers.

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Is there a significant distinction, texture-wise, for raw honey versus 'normal' honey (local or not)? I do not think I have ever tried 'raw' honey.

If you have eaten honey, you've eaten raw honey. The term "raw honey" is kind of a come-on to the natural food shopper. Honey, except for perhaps the largest commercial brands, isn't cooked or even heated before it is sold. When it is extracted from the comb, there are often bits of wax or bee parts suspended in it that get strained out, and then it is bottled. Period. It doesn't need to be processed to prevent spoilage, unlike most other products. After a couple of years in the jar, honey can start to crystallize and become grainy. It can be heated in the jar, either in a water bath or in a microwave, to re-liquify it. "Creamed honey" is crystallized honey that is blended to smooth out the crystals--some people like it that way, because it is spreadable and less drippy.

J and I used to keep bees when we lived in Vermont. We had a small hand extractor, which worked kind of like a tall salad spinner. We didn't strain our honey, we just let the debris rise to the surface and spooned it out. Little bits of beeswax in the honey didn't bother me.

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Well, I try to buy local as much as possible. Sometimes I see the kind with some or even a lot of crystallization in it. I was wondering if that was 'raw' or unprocessed' as opposed to 'normal' I'd like to get as much of the benefit from the localness and rawness as I can, but I am not really a fan of the idea of crystals in my honey exactly. But I guess I won't know until i try it. I used 90% of my honey consumption in my oatmeal for breakfast.

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Well, I try to buy local as much as possible. Sometimes I see the kind with some or even a lot of crystallization in it. I was wondering if that was 'raw' or unprocessed' as opposed to 'normal' I'd like to get as much of the benefit from the localness and rawness as I can, but I am not really a fan of the idea of crystals in my honey exactly. But I guess I won't know until i try it. I used 90% of my honey consumption in my oatmeal for breakfast.

It is easy to liquify crystalized honey by setting the honey jar in hot water, e.g., run hot tap water over the jar in the sink. Lie on the side, it will work faster. Or you could nuke for a few seconds, after removing the metal lid, of course.

Buying local honey has some real advantages. Many people, including me, believe that eating local honey helps make you more immune to seasonal allergies.

But also, if you buy from a local small producer, you're buying a real delicacy that will sell out fast. People who keep bees tend to be intelligent, independent, older folks who may be retired, or entrepreneurs trying to supplement their income with honey as a sideline. They don't charge enough for what they sell because they are competing with mass producers whose product is vastly inferior. It's not just about feeling good about supporting local businesses. You get much more for your money.

For example, Francesco DeBaggio, of DeBaggio's herbs, sells honey from time to time. It is superb.

Similarly, Solitude Wool, which mostly produces yarn, also sells amazing honey.

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Well, I try to buy local as much as possible. Sometimes I see the kind with some or even a lot of crystallization in it. I was wondering if that was 'raw' or unprocessed' as opposed to 'normal' I'd like to get as much of the benefit from the localness and rawness as I can, but I am not really a fan of the idea of crystals in my honey exactly. But I guess I won't know until i try it. I used 90% of my honey consumption in my oatmeal for breakfast.

I use the raw honey from my CSA (Gorman Farm) and have never had issues with it crystalizing. I even have some left from last summer that is still normal consistency.

As soon as my elderberries get here, I will be making a syrup with them and the raw honey to hopefully help with my allergies!

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Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but: does anyone have a good source of acacia honey?    I used to love the acacia honey from Mario Bianco, imported by Neal Rosenthal, but they don't have any in stock at the moment.

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