Honey

[NorthALABeeKeep]

I am a beekeeper with 15 hives. When local beekeepers hear someone talk about 'organic' honey it's hard to keep from laughing. Bees travel up to 5 miles to collect nectar so that means every plant that blooms that the bee visits has to be organic. Bee don't understand what organic means....this is a human term. Really it just a clever marketing tool to separate you from more of your money. Anyway my favorite honey is wildflower honey, collected in the late spring as it has a different taste than honey collected in late summer/early fall. It seems every part of the country has what they think it the best or special honey. Here in Texas it's Tallow tree, in north Florida/south Georgia & Alabama it's Tupelo, around southern Appalachian Mountains it's sourwood and out in the Pacific northwest its Fireweed honey. Buckwheat honey is very dark and has a very strong taste, some people think it should only be used for baking. Clover honey has a light middle of the road taste to me but is still better than anything you can buy in a grocery or Walmart as they have been ultra filtered so that they have better eye appeal....but at the cost of less flavor. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Talal]

I personally find nothing laughable about the organic standard (when it comes to certain brands) but i see your point as it is misused. Below is an excerpt from my manuka source "Wedderspoon" . It clarifies a little in my opinion.

"STRINGENT ORGANIC CERTIFICATION BODIES

Within the Manuka honey industry, manufacturers are generally aware that Manuka honey crystallizes within 24 hours of being extracted from the bee hives and the honey needs to be slowly heated in order to pour it into the jars. The double proofing verification under Organic Certification bodies such as Agri-Quality (NZ) and subsequently, by Ecocert Canada check to ensure that the organic Manuka honey does not reach a temperature exceeding 28 degrees Celsius or close to what we would have in our normal summers. This is an ideal temperature found to enable the pouring of the honey, while preserving its valuable raw and unpasteurized properties at the same time. The Organic Certification bodies also conduct the important checks for any traces of pesticides or chemical residues often found in non-organic honey, which is amazingly and disconcertingly, not checked for by the UMF ® Association! In addition, Organic Certification standards exceed those of Kosher standards because the latter permits for harmful chemicals or pesticides to be in the product.

Another important feature of our Organic Manuka honey is that we adhere to strict organic beekeeping standards, which enables the bees to thrive in an environmentally safe and sound manner. Bees are a very important and critical part of many ecosystems throughout the world due to their pollinating abilities. Wedderspoon Organic ® has access to an average of 1 MILLION acres of land with its environmentally friendly bee hives in New Zealand. Due to the accessed acreage being established in the most remote places of New Zealand, the nearest industrial area would be located at a distance of more than 100 kilometers from any of the bee hive sites. Our vast coverage simply cannot be challenged by conventional, non-organic beekeepers on the North Island of New Zealand, which is where most of the commercially, non-organic Manuka honey is coming from.

Furthermore, we do not permit our beekeepers to implement harvesting “short-cuts” used by many non-organic beekeeping corporations. Conventional non-organic beekeeping involves feeding the bees a liquid form of white refined sugar from Indonesia in the wintertime, so the beekeepers can take 100% of the honey from the beehives. We believe this practice depletes the immune system of the bees and when 100% of the honey is removed every year, this stresses the whole colony and may potentially be responsible for the worldwide spread of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder or linked to the disappearance of bees (more research needs to be done in this field, obviously). Secondly, conventional non-organic beekeepers use toxic chemical strips in the beehives to rid them of harmful pests. Organic beekeepers ethically use organically approved methods to kill such pests, using either essential oils or other non-toxic solutions, which are usually three times more labour intensive, hence the higher cost for organically certified Manuka honey. If a substance or chemical is not good for the bees, how on earth can it be good for you or your loved ones?"



My mother in laws boyfriend is also a beekeeper and uses a few chemicals which he claims are "necessary" to prevent certain diseases and such. SO i personally never consumed large quantities of it.

Cheers

[Mr5x5]

I personally find nothing laughable about the organic standard (when it comes to certain brands) but i see your point as it is misused. Below is an excerpt from my manuka source "Wedderspoon" . It clarifies a little in my opinion.

"STRINGENT ORGANIC CERTIFICATION BODIES

Within the Manuka honey industry, manufacturers are generally aware that Manuka honey crystallizes within 24 hours of being extracted from the bee hives and the honey needs to be slowly heated in order to pour it into the jars. The double proofing verification under Organic Certification bodies such as Agri-Quality (NZ) and subsequently, by Ecocert Canada check to ensure that the organic Manuka honey does not reach a temperature exceeding 28 degrees Celsius or close to what we would have in our normal summers. This is an ideal temperature found to enable the pouring of the honey, while preserving its valuable raw and unpasteurized properties at the same time. The Organic Certification bodies also conduct the important checks for any traces of pesticides or chemical residues often found in non-organic honey, which is amazingly and disconcertingly, not checked for by the UMF ® Association! In addition, Organic Certification standards exceed those of Kosher standards because the latter permits for harmful chemicals or pesticides to be in the product.

Another important feature of our Organic Manuka honey is that we adhere to strict organic beekeeping standards, which enables the bees to thrive in an environmentally safe and sound manner. Bees are a very important and critical part of many ecosystems throughout the world due to their pollinating abilities. Wedderspoon Organic ® has access to an average of 1 MILLION acres of land with its environmentally friendly bee hives in New Zealand. Due to the accessed acreage being established in the most remote places of New Zealand, the nearest industrial area would be located at a distance of more than 100 kilometers from any of the bee hive sites. Our vast coverage simply cannot be challenged by conventional, non-organic beekeepers on the North Island of New Zealand, which is where most of the commercially, non-organic Manuka honey is coming from.

Furthermore, we do not permit our beekeepers to implement harvesting “short-cuts” used by many non-organic beekeeping corporations. Conventional non-organic beekeeping involves feeding the bees a liquid form of white refined sugar from Indonesia in the wintertime, so the beekeepers can take 100% of the honey from the beehives. We believe this practice depletes the immune system of the bees and when 100% of the honey is removed every year, this stresses the whole colony and may potentially be responsible for the worldwide spread of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder or linked to the disappearance of bees (more research needs to be done in this field, obviously). Secondly, conventional non-organic beekeepers use toxic chemical strips in the beehives to rid them of harmful pests. Organic beekeepers ethically use organically approved methods to kill such pests, using either essential oils or other non-toxic solutions, which are usually three times more labour intensive, hence the higher cost for organically certified Manuka honey. If a substance or chemical is not good for the bees, how on earth can it be good for you or your loved ones?"



My mother in laws boyfriend is also a beekeeper and uses a few chemicals which he claims are "necessary" to prevent certain diseases and such. SO i personally never consumed large quantities of it.

Cheers

It makes a difference which countries organic standards you are using. Here in the US you would find it almost impossible to have isolated areas far enough from other land owners to ensure that you are producing organic honey.

[NorthALABeeKeep]

Furthermore, we do not permit our beekeepers to implement harvesting “short-cuts” used by many non-organic beekeeping corporations. Conventional non-organic beekeeping involves feeding the bees a liquid form of white refined sugar from Indonesia in the wintertime, so the beekeepers can take 100% of the honey from the beehives. We believe this practice depletes the immune system of the bees and when 100% of the honey is removed every year, this stresses the whole colony and may potentially be responsible for the worldwide spread of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder or linked to the disappearance of bees (more research needs to be done in this field, obviously). Secondly, conventional non-organic beekeepers use toxic chemical strips in the beehives to rid them of harmful pests. Organic beekeepers ethically use organically approved methods to kill such pests, using either essential oils or other non-toxic solutions, which are usually three times more labour intensive, hence the higher cost for organically certified Manuka honey. If a substance or chemical is not good for the bees, how on earth can it be good for you or your loved ones?"


I never remove 100% of honey from the hive when robbing it. To do so in my opinion is just plain stupid. I've read this year where it has been suggested that the insecticide used on corn seed could be carried thru all the way to the high fructose corn syrup and when commerical beekeepers feed this to their bees it might be causing CCD. I am a hobby beekeeper and I am careful and follow directions when I use meds on my bees. To say that organic honey is better or purer or more beneficial is an opinion that you are entitled to have but I do not agree with it.

[Talal]

It makes a difference which countries organic standards you are using. Here in the US you would find it almost impossible to have isolated areas far enough from other land owners to ensure that you are producing organic honey.

Yes absolutely hence me mentioning New Zealand in this case, and also Yemen indirectly :)

Furthermore, we do not permit our beekeepers to implement harvesting “short-cuts” used by many non-organic beekeeping corporations. Conventional non-organic beekeeping involves feeding the bees a liquid form of white refined sugar from Indonesia in the wintertime, so the beekeepers can take 100% of the honey from the beehives. We believe this practice depletes the immune system of the bees and when 100% of the honey is removed every year, this stresses the whole colony and may potentially be responsible for the worldwide spread of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder or linked to the disappearance of bees (more research needs to be done in this field, obviously). Secondly, conventional non-organic beekeepers use toxic chemical strips in the beehives to rid them of harmful pests. Organic beekeepers ethically use organically approved methods to kill such pests, using either essential oils or other non-toxic solutions, which are usually three times more labour intensive, hence the higher cost for organically certified Manuka honey. If a substance or chemical is not good for the bees, how on earth can it be good for you or your loved ones?"


I never remove 100% of honey from the hive when robbing it. To do so in my opinion is just plain stupid. I've read this year where it has been suggested that the insecticide used on corn seed could be carried thru all the way to the high fructose corn syrup and when commerical beekeepers feed this to their bees it might be causing CCD. I am a hobby beekeeper and I am careful and follow directions when I use meds on my bees. To say that organic honey is better or purer or more beneficial is an opinion that you are entitled to have but I do not agree with it.

How beneficial honey is , is dependant on the nectar source. So no im not simply saying its more "beneficial" it depends what we are talking about. And in my humble opinion, depending on the country (as you mentioned) organic honey can be purer (in terms of chemical contaminants and such). the new zealand caption is only 1 example after all :)

And with all due respect as careful as you are with your bee meds, the fact that you are introducing it into the hive makes it "less pure" in a technical sense! :) However im sure your honey is absolutely delicious.. and nutritious.

Thank you for the discussion

[Mycon]

My brother lives very close to a hobbyist beekeeper whose hive gathers almost entirely from a large herb garden. The honey is only moderately sweet, and has a spicy complex flavor. I've never tasted anything like it in my life. It's truly fantastic!
I can't stand the stuff in the grocery store. All of it is a single-note sweetness that is just overbearing.

[Talal]

My brother lives very close to a hobbyist beekeeper whose hive gathers almost entirely from a large herb garden. The honey is only moderately sweet, and has a spicy complex flavor. I've never tasted anything like it in my life. It's truly fantastic!
I can't stand the stuff in the grocery store. All of it is a single-note sweetness that is just overbearing.

sounds FANTASTIC!

enjoy!!

[JeffM]

What do the "Active" numbers mean regarding the Manuka honey? I see Active +5 Active +16 and don't understand the difference. Am I correct in my assumption that Manuka claims to have more health benefits than other honey due to the pollen source?

[echotron]

GALLBERRY Honey ... if you never tried it, well you have been missing the Best honey available! (IMHO)

I get mine from about 80 miles east of me .... Ziegler in Stockton GA. (They've been in business since 1935!)

[Talal]

What do the "Active" numbers mean regarding the Manuka honey? I see Active +5 Active +16 and don't understand the difference. Am I correct in my assumption that Manuka claims to have more health benefits than other honey due to the pollen source?

this should answer your question

and echotron i will certainly look for this Gallberry honey it sounds delightful! is this specific to your area ? ive never heard of it in canada

I must also recommend to you Sidr honey from Yemen , they have been in business hundreds for years :D

[Mike H]

I was looking for some local honey with the comb, alas, no love today.
Saw this today and thought of you guys.
Sugar Free Imitation Honey... what is the world coming to?

[Vickers]

I was looking for some local honey with the comb, alas, no love today.
Saw this today and thought of you guys.
Sugar Free Imitation Honey... what is the world coming to?

Even diabetics (like my daughter) like the taste of honey.

[Mike H]

Even diabetics (like my daughter) like the taste of honey.

My son has Type 1 also.

The Imitation Honey has the same number of carbohydrates and regular honey, what is the benefit.

[Pkrankow]

I was looking for some local honey with the comb, alas, no love today.
Saw this today and thought of you guys.
Sugar Free Imitation Honey... what is the world coming to?

Xylitol syrup, flavored (I looked it up a bit). There are a bunch of reviews for similar products on Amazon.

Phil

[Vickers]

My son has Type 1 also. How does "Imitation Honey" taste?

Who knows? I don't eat that crap.

[malocchio]

Who knows? I don't eat that crap.

this type of crap is in the same league as synthetic "maple" syrup....

[Talal]

xylitol honey?

Sugarless IMITATION??

oh my i think going to feint .

[Alacrity59]

I get kinda sad when I try to conceive where that would be sold.

[veeman]

Best honey i have ever had #1 from certain area of calabria #Colombia these honeys dont give you headache and can eat as much as you want without gagging or feeling sick no other ones come close.