Honey

 

Honey is nectar which is dehydrated approximately 82%. Honey found with the pharoahs of ancient Egypt is said to still be edible. Learn more about why will never spoil from this Smithsonian article. 

 

Amazingly, the contribution of a single honeybee to a jar of honey is but 1/12 of a teaspoon! An average population of a colony of honeybees is 20,000.

 

Swarm Honey is harvested from colonies of honeybees kept year-round in Durham and Orange counties. Our honey is wildflower honey; wildflower being beekeeper jargon for a medley of all the types of nectar. Fall honey is usually darker in color with a rich molasses flavor. It comes predominantly from wildflowers like goldenrod and aster, as well as buckwheat, which is planted as a covercrop. Spring honey is generally from the nectar of tulip poplar tree flowers, which bloom in the piedmont of NC in May and June. Clover is also a common spring nectar source. Spring honey has classic light honey flavor and color.  

 

Swarm Honey is raw - or unheated - and coarsely filtered, so that some pollen residue remains. Because of the small amounts of pollen in raw honey, it is said to be a homeopathetic preventative for allergies. 

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Honey is sold as liquid honey and chunk honey and sometimes, slices of honeycomb. Chunk honey has a chunk of honeycomb suspended in liquid honey. Eating honeycomb may be unfamiliar to some people, but there are many ways to enjoy it. Honey is technically sold by weight rather than volume. A pound of honey is about 12 liquid ounces. 

 

Honey is available seasonally while supplies last. 

 

The following fine establishments sell our honey from their shelves:

• This & That Gift Gallery, Carrboro

• Dual Supply, Hillsborough

• Nash Street Tavern, Hillsborough

• Broken Spoke Farm Stand, Durham

• Fieldstone Garden, Hillsborough

 

If your honey has been exposed to cold, it might crystallize. This means it has a cloudy appearance and is more viscous than typical (easier to spread without drips!) Crystallization doesn't harm the honey, and if gently re-heated, the honey will temporarily un-crystallize.

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And if you are struggling to get that lid off, here are some suggestions. 

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