Varietal Honey 2016

We can't raise all the honey, and since there are so many flavors of honey, we've decided to offer some unique flavors to our customers.  We don't stock a lot of varietal honey but we do have some beekeeping partners we trust to raise the bees without chemicals and responsibly.  In 2015 we offered Star Thistle honey and Orange Blossom.  Since then we've been trying various types of honey and looking for good beekeepers across the country to partner with to offer you some interesting tastes.   We have several varieties to be offered in 2016.

From the National Honey Board:  "The color, flavor, and even aroma of a particular variety of honey may differ depending on the nectar source of flowers visited by the honey bee. The colors may range from nearly colorless to dark brown, the flavor may vary from delectably mild to distinctively bold, and even the odor of the honey may be mildly reminiscent of the flower.

Varietal honeys may be best compared to varietal wine in terms of annual climactic changes.  Even the same flower blooming in the same location may produce slightly different nectar from year-to-year depending upon temperature and rainfall.

There are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States, each originating from a different floral source. Space doesn’t allow us to list all 300 varieties so we’ve listed some of the more common.  As a general rule, the flavor of lighter colored honeys is milder, and the flavor of darker colored honeys is stronger."

We label our honey Wildflower, It is produced on meadows where the flowers grow naturally.  This type of honey is also called poly-floral because it is obtained from the nectars of many wild flowers.  We plant a variety of MO naturals for our bees.

Some of the varietal honey you'll see from Jak's Bee Farm:

 Orange Blossom honey may be a single variety, but often it is a combination of citrus floral sources from Oranges and nearby Grapefruit or even Lime and Lemon trees. Orange is a leading honey source in southern Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. Orange trees produce a white to extra light amber honey with a distinctive flavor and the aroma of orange blossoms. We acquire our Orange Blossom from a beekeeper  who pollinates an organic orange tree grove.  It's a fantastic flavor with clear light texture. 

Cat's Claw honey is new to us this year. It's a weed that grows a desert climate.  It's very pale yellow with a sweet taste.  It's a rare honey since the name does not conjure images of a sweet tasting honey. 

Mesquite  honey has a white color and distinctive sweet taste that make this rugged Arizona desert honey a healthy gourmet treat for honey lovers. Is an average sized flower bearing tree in the legume family. Prosopis glandulosa, which is also known as honey mesquite is a common specie of the mesquite family. The honey from the tree is delicate, sweet and distinctive. It is produced in Mexico as well as Arizona.

Sunflower honey sets quickly. It has yellow color and is widely used in cooking and baking. The sunflower grows in many parts of the world including North America, Europe and Asia. Sunflowers are bright yellow color big flowers with a lot of pollen and nectars for honey bees.  We've been warned that this honey will crystallize fast. 

Some of the honey we are in the hunt to find: 
 Clover is light, mild, yellow and white color. It has caramel aroma. It is used in cooking and baking and is also popular as table honey. It granulates quickly and is therefore is creamed and whipped to make it creamy.

Blackberry is more common in the United States. It is produced from the nectars of blackberry flowers. It is white, pale and light gold in color.  Tastes nothing  like the  fruit.

Blueberry  is buttery after taste honey is common in Maine and New Jersey. It has fruity and lemon flavor. Again, tastes nothing like the fruit but is considered a gourmet honey and is difficult to acquire.

Fireweed is a plant that grows in the Pacific Northwest.   It is the first plant which grows after a land is burnt. It is tall which bears purple flowers. Fireweed honey is amber in color, light and delicate in taste. It is an excellent addition to anything and is great and perfect when used as table honey.

Goldenrod  The botanical name for goldenrod is Solidago and is specie in the family Asteraceae. Goldenrods are found along roads, pastures, meadows and other areas. When it is unripe, it has an unattractive smell that of the rotten meat. However, it is amazing that once it is ripe the foul smell changes into distinctive spicy flavor.  Although due to its spicy and pungent flavor, it does not suit everyone’s taste; the raw goldenrod honey is a favorite of the allergy sufferers. 

Manuka comes from New Zealand from Manuka tree.  This is far down my  list because it's an import.  It is considered the most medicinal and rich in nutrients. Another name for it is tea tree honey. Manuka has several grades and is very famous for anti-bacterial activity. It is used in a variety of products and is great for wound healing, colds, sore throat and infections.

Have a request? Let me know.  Have a varietal honey from my want list?  Email me.  Thanks!