Spring is on its way and it's time to think about planting flowers for honeybees and other pollinators. Bees need flowers that offer pollen which is their source of protein and nectar to make honey for energy. Both are stored in their hive to sustain the colony throughout the year especially during months when there are no flowers in bloom.

Honeybees have 5 eyes which is how they detect light and movement and two antennae which gives them their sharp sense

of smell. Both lead them to brightly colored flowers with pleasing scents. They can see the color blue, yellow, orange, green and violet but not red.

There is a wide variety of bee friendly flowers that you can plant to feed bees. Here is Marina's list of flowers you can plant by season to attract bees to your garden...

SPRING:

pussy willow, witch hazel, black locust,

lilac, allium, crocus, maple, hellebore,

grape hyacinth, apple, heather, blue bell.

SUMMER:

lavender, linden,mberry and fruit trees

sunflowers, herbs, zinnia. borage, cosmos,

salvia, phlox, yarrow, nasturtium, hosta.

AUTUMN:

goldenrod, aster, coneflower, bee balm

milkweed, catmint, sedum, rose of sharon,

mints, oregano, lemon balm.

Surprising Fact:

If you are able, leave a small patch of clovers and dandelions in your yard

they are essential sources of pollen and nectar for bees.

Last minute entertaining made easy! Red Bee Honeycomb to the rescue. Center the chunk of honeycomb and dress it with everything from fresh and dried fruits, cheeses galore, nuts, herbs, edible flowers...anything goes to create a visually stunning presentation.

The dog days of summer are here! To the Greeks and Romans, the “dog days” occurred around the time Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major appears to rise alongside the sun, in late July in the Northern Hemisphere. Canis Major which means big dog in Latin, is thought to represent one of Orion's hunting dogs. The ancients believed that the heat from the two stars combined is what made these days the hottest of the year. It's also honey harvest season for beekeepers where we reap the sweetness made by our honeybees from the nectar of flowers. Here is my super easy Dog Days recipe that combines the fruits of the season with cheese and honey. I hope you enjoy this is something I can eat everyday!

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 fresh peach sliced

4 - 6 fresh Calimyrna or black missions, halved

6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 thick slice of fresh mozzarella cheese

2 pinches of pumpkins seeds

Small, fresh basil leaves

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons of both your favorite honey and EVOO

Directions:

Arrange the sliced peaches, figs and tomatoes in a shallow serving dish. Place mozzarella on top and in center of dish. Garnish with pumpkin seeds

and basil leaves. Drizzle with honey and EVOO. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

of the importance of our pollinators and plants that feed them.

We encourage everyone to plant pollinator friendly plants that are native, non-invasive both pollen and nectar-producing flowers. Pollinator friendly flowers attract bees, birds, bats, and other natural pollinators like monarch butterfly and urgently the honey bee which are in decline. By planting flowers, you are increasing their habitat. No green area is ever too small to plant and every single flower counts. Saving honeybees and all pollinators is our future! Here is a link to The NY Botanical Gardens list for Native Plants for the Home Gardener.

Red Bee Honey is celebrating Sweetness & Good Cheer!

Holiday Open Barn December 8, 2019 at 10:00 am till 4:00 pm We are opening the doors of our Honey House Barn to customers and visitors for our annual Holiday Open Barn and Apiary event as we toast the sweet holiday season! Shop Local and Shop Small at Red Bee Honey and pick up your holiday honeys, gift boxes, beeswax candles, soap and many other goodies. Tour a working apiary and meet author and founder, Carla Marina Marchese who will be signing copies of her books.

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• Illustrator ad avid Garden Designer, Suzanne Urban Smirking will be returning to offer beautiful garden decor from up-cycled items as well as her line of handcrafted holiday art ornaments.

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• Not your Granny's Tea - CBD infused tea, Weston.

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• Devils Den Confections, "bean to bite" craft chocolate made in the Weston woods by

Chocolatier, Samantha Maura.

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• Artist Dawn Alice Rogers will be demonstrating her painting style and displaying her

Custom made Pet Portraits. She will be accepting commissions from attendees.

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We will be serving plenty of honey - themed complementary tea and wine tasting, taste our honeys, try our beeswax skin care in our cozy barn shop or walk our apiary and sit beside the fire pit with a steaming cup of cider. This event is free and open to the public.

RED BEE HONEY • 77 LYONS PLAIN ROAD AT RIVER ROAD • WESTON CONNECTICUT 06883 For more information, email: redbeehoney@gmail.com

Pollinator Month is June 17 to the 23rd and although we are all about honeybees and passionate about how everyone can protect them from declining populations. This celebration has gone global and people around the world are learning how important bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles are to our ecosystem and ultimately our quality of food and life on planet earth. It is up to us to spread the word and take positive steps to keep our environment pollinator friendly. In honor of our pollinators, we are hosting a zero waste tasting event on Sunday, June 16 at 1-2:30 pm in our honey house barn.

The POLLINATOR PLATE: A Pollinator Week Celebration

A TASTING FLIGHT of SINGLE –ORIGIN HONEYS and

CLEAN CRAFTED WINES paired with LOCAL - In-Season BITES

Sustainne invites you to a zero-waste tasting event. Join Cathy Mackay, an independent consultant for Scout & Cellar clean-crafted wines and Marina Marchese of Red Bee Honey as we embark on a tasting journey to of these two iconic foods. We will explore their sources/varietals, sustainable harvesting and production methods that each contribute to their unique scents and flavors, and role in conserving our pollinators. More info and Sign up on our web site.

Here are a few steps that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle to help:

1. Plant a flower in your yard, garden or a pot on your steps. Choose a flower that has nectar or pollen that feeds a pollinator. Herbs are fine they will feed you as well once they flower.

2. Dare to un-lawn. Let the clovers and dandelions op up. Betcha did not know these are 2 of the best food sources for pollinators.

3. Leave some brush, piles of leaves branches for nesting sites.

4. Refrain from using chemical treatments in your garden, on your lawn and even for household pest.

5. Buy and eat local honey , support the hard work of your community beekeeper.

Hello all and Happy World Bee Day!

It's been some time since I've written and like a honeybee, when it's cold and damp, I find it difficult to move. Did you know that honeybees physically cannot move their flight muscles when the temperature is below 50 F? Whether it's an unusual warm day in February or July, honeybees are programmed to seek out flowers for pollen and nectar when the weather is warm! On this Earth Day here is something to think about - over the last few years our planet has seen warmer winters and beekeepers watch as their bees search for flowers in November! Unfortunately, all this flying around causes honeybees to consume their stored up honey before winter arrives. The seasons are shifting and honeybees are clearly being affected. How can you help save the bees? Plant flowers that bare nectar and pollen, don't pick the dandelions or mow the clovers and cherish every drop of that precious honey!

Besides beekeeping duties, I have been planning our popular Talk, Tour and Honey Tasting events! Dates are posted on our web site where you can sign up to join us for an educational bee talk and tour of our apiary gardens and a guided honey tasting. Learn about bee friendly flowers that you can plant in your garden.....Sign up here!

Sunday, June 16 we are opening our apiary for a zero-waste tasting event of single origin honeys and clean-crafted natural wines paired with seasonal local foods. In celebration of our pollinators.

Join Red Bee and Scout and Cellar wines and our sponsor Sustainne for The Pollinators Plate event.

Watercress Citrus Salad with Ricotta Cheese

I made this juicy and refreshing salad over the weekend and you may have seen it on our Instagram feed. Only a few ingredients - a sweet, sour and bitter combination that will make your mouth buzz and the fresh ricotta cheese does not over power the flavors. A perfect spring treat to serve alongside a quiche or frittata made with fresh eggs.

Salad: Toss in a bowl

Watercress lettuce, rinsed, dried and chopped

Blood oranges, peeled and sliced

Ricotta cheese

Red onion, chopped fine

Pine nuts

Bee pollen, pinch

Dressing: Coat all ingredients well

Olive oil

Apple cider vinegar

Orange blossom honey or your local favorite

Salt and pepper to taste

Marchese's palate is so finely tuned that she can literally taste the beekeepers fear in a smear of honey.

Move over tea and toast, honey has a new sidekick that will delight your taste buds while engaging your sense of culinary adventure. Have you tried pairing cheese with honey lately?

It’s a marriage made in heaven and if you’re new to this emerging trend, think of it as a fresh spin on your classic breakfast yogurt and honey. Just imagine the soul-satisfying sweetness of honey drizzled over a creamy, salty cheese, now a bite of crusty bread and say a fig or walnut for that extra tactile pleasure. If this sounds divine and ignites your curiosity, let’s explore this mouth-watering duo. As you might expect, there are as many styles and flavors of cheeses to complement every single beekeeper’s honey.

The story of cheese and honey began somewhere around A.D. 14-37 with a Roman gourmand named Marcus Gavius Apicius. Throughout the ages, the name Apicius has been associated with luxury and gluttony and just happens to be the title of the oldest collection of recipes from ancient Rome. Although there are many legends surrounding the life of Apicius, history seems to agree that his extravagant menus were regarded as a high art and his parties were lavish banquets often lasting for days on end. After all, feasting was a significant part of Roman society, and honey was a delicacy reserved for only the elite. Apicius included honey in many of his recipes, it kept food fresh and moist; and could mask the taste of spoilage, a grim reality in the days before refrigeration. Featured in one manuscript titled De Re Coquinaria of Apicius (On the Subject of Cooking) was a pioneering a recipe called Mel et Caseus (Honey and Cheese) This simple, yet elegant pairing called for fresh cottage cheese and coriander sprigs drizzled with honey. Another, Libum resembles our modern-day cheesecake where Apicius instructs us to mix two pounds of crushed cheese and one pound of flour with an egg to form a soft dough. Bake the dough in a heated oven at 425°F for thirty-five minutes until the cake is golden brown. Warm one-half cup of honey in a bowl then place cakes in to soak for half an hour. Researcher and author, Eva Crane mentions Apicius in her book, The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting. She quote “Honey was used in all sweet dishes, or poured over them after cooking…” It appears that Apicius clearly appreciated that the fine flavors of honey are best savored when added as a final touch to dishes, rather than cooked into a recipe.

So how do we begin to choose the best cheese to pair up with honey? It’s simply a matter of mixing and matching smells, taste and textures that please you. We can start by accessing the weight or intensity of the honey you have in hand – concentrate on the smell and flavor, is it light and delicate (sage, black locust or fireweed), midrange (linden, clover or orange blossom), pungent or intense (eucalyptus, buckwheat or oilseed rape). The intensity of the honey is a good starting point to choose the intensity of the cheese for your pairing. I suggest finding a balance where one does not over power the other.

Let’s brush up on our honey tasting skills. Taste vs Flavor

Taste is one of our basic senses that is defined by sensations the human tongue can experience with food or beverages. The basics are sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Some also include umami, often described as a savory yumminess found in broths, soy sauces, or mushrooms – yes, there are honeys that can be described as having umami, salty, sour or bitter in addition to sweet. Flavors are all those complex notes we experience in our nose while food is in our mouths. Our noses can detect thousands of different flavors and some honeys can be described as having flavor notes of green melon, malt, lilac, gym bag or even dry hay. Understanding taste vs flavor can be somewhat confusing as we are inclined to say something taste good when we are actually talking about flavor. Try eating something with your nose pinched, you cannot taste your food until you unpinch your nose to smell the food. Test your skills for picking out smells and flavors in honey by using the honey aroma and flavor wheel. Begin in the center of the wheel by choosing a general flavor family that your particular honey falls into. Some honeys will fall into two or more flavor families; I consider these complex. Work your way toward the outside of the wheel to hone in on specific flavor notes. The wheel does not provide every flavor you’ll taste in a honey however it is a tool to awaken your taste buds and help find the words to express what you are tasting. Always feel free to use your own descriptors that come to mind when describing a honey. I’ve used descriptors like Grandma’s attic, French perfume or wet wool to describe some honeys I’ve tasted. Each person’s tasting experience is unique and personal, we store them in our brains as flavor memories.

Once you have pinned down the flavors in your honey, it’s time to pick a cheese. I am excited to share with you what I’ve learned about cheese from the cheese mongers at Murray’s Cheese Shop in Manhattan. For those of you who are not familiar with Murray’s, they are regarded as a legend in the world of cheese and everyone who works there is as passionate about cheese as I am about honey. For more than ten years, I have had the glorious opportunity to work closely with their instructors creating menus for honey and cheese classes at their shop. During our planning sessions, we would taste a wide variety of cheeses and honeys side by side, pick out flavors to procure interesting and educational tasting flights for attendees. Each pairing has featured an interesting combination of colors, aromas, flavors and textural qualities to tickle each taster’s tongue. There are no hard and fast rules to creating a magical combination, however, when it comes to pairing these two, it is all about the sensory experience. Like honey, cheese is a terroir-driven food meaning the variables in its production impart unique sensory qualities to the final product. Applied to cheese we consider the type of animal’s (cow, sheep, goat or buffalo) milk from which the cheese was produced, the pasture that particular animal grazed on including the microclimate, seasonality and cheese maker’s touch that make each cheese unique. We can say the same about honey, the floral sources, the environment, climate, soil including the honeybees’ preferences will impart ever changing sensory qualities. Both products of nature, can be married in various combinations depending upon your preference for color, aroma, flavor and texture. Check out the cheese counter at your local store and ask to taste a few samples. Taste a variety of cheeses - old, new, stinky and blue. If this is not possible, start with what you know or what you like. Taste and the enjoyment of foods are subjective, so experiment to find a combination that is pleasing to your palate. Engaging all your senses makes your pairings and all food more enjoyable.

Here are a few tips to get you started pairing honey and cheese…

Honey Pairing Tip #1 - Complementary

Pairing honeys with cheeses of equal intensity and flavors creates balance.

Light honeys with light cheese and strong honeys with bold cheeses.

Note: sweet honeys will balance out salty, bitter or acidic cheese.

Pairings to try:

Ricotta cheese with light, delicate honeys.

Blue or stinky cheese with bold, dark honeys with animal or woody notes.

Brie or Gouda with wildflower honeys of medium intensity.

Honey Pairing Tip # 2 - Contrasting

Here we try the reverse theory, opposites attract.

Pair light and sweet honeys with salty or blue cheeses

or dark rustic honeys with light, mellow cheeses.

Pairings to try:

Cheddar with a bold honey that has warm or vegetal notes.

Parmigiano-Reggiano or Manchego with a sweet and mellow honey with vegetal or woody notes.

Honey Pairing Tip # 3

Texture matters: The texture of our food adds to the overall enjoyment

and is an important part of the sensory experience.

Who can resist the chewing on honey in the comb or the fine granules of a whipped or crystallized honey? These two are all about the mouthfeel which adds another dimension to the overall tasting experience. Try equally textural cheeses that are gooey, crumbly or firm.

Pairings to try:

Honey in the comb with a triple crème cheese.

Crystallized honey with a crumbly or firm cheese.

Honey Pairing Tip # 4

Local always works: If it grew together it goes together. Your own honey is naturally a perfect complement to the cheeses and foods that were produced in your region. This is the true meaning of terroir or a taste of a particular place.

Honey Pairing Tip # 5

If you like it, then it is delicious! There’s no right or wrong. Start with cheese and honey pairings that you know and like. When in doubt choose a mild, soft cheese like ricotta, yogurt or goat

which are light enough to let the honey shine and be the star.

Last thoughts:

Honey should complement the cheese so a little goes a long way. Cheese, like honey, is best served at room temperature so remove your cheeses from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

A variety of flavors and textures keeps it interesting and you may just stumble upon your next cannot - live - without combination. For added textures and flavors serve some roasted or salted nuts like pistachios, walnuts or macadamia. Dried or fresh fruits - anything goes here – so pick your favorites in a range of tart cherries or apricots, fruity dates or raisins or try freshly sliced green apples or figs. Why not include fresh herbs like rosemary or mint to create some drama. Bread or crackers are a necessity as well as wine, beer or mead to wash it down. Choose what you like and experiment often. There are endless choices and combinations so there’s something for everyone. Test your choices on your family and friends by serving a platter of various cheese and honey pairings at your next holiday gathering, I guarantee lively conversation and loads of good cheer for all. I regularly post photos of my honey tastings activities on my personal Instagram and Facebook pages @honeysommelier. Tag me to share your honey pairing creations, when possible, I will share and repost.

C. Marina Marchese has presented Honey & Cheese classes with Murray's Cheese Shop, EATALY, the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD), ICC in NYC, Vermont Cheese Festival, Hazon Food Conference, Crystal Bridges and Slow Food Nations. She is a member of the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey, where she received her formal training as a honey sensory expert. For more information and honey pairing ideas, check out her book with Kim Flottum, The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey, With a Guide to More Than 30 Varietals.

"Beekeeping is not just a hobby, it will suddenly consume you then make you fall in love with bees."

My eyes are wide open and all of my senses are on overload, beekeeping was my introduction into

the natural world and made me who I am today. I will always be passionate about the environment, growing and preparing good food, and educating others about the magic of honeybees. It is no surprise that I am obsessed with the weather, curious about which flowers are in bloom and above all passionate about what real honey should taste like!

My fondness for bees began with a visit to my neighbors apiary, there I feasted on one precious drop of warm honey that landed on my tongue then blew my mind. The flavor was deeply complex and the texture hugged my mouth like a cashmere blanket. The entire life's work of one honeybee devoured in a single gulp but not easily forgotten. At that instant, I realized that I lived nearly half of my life and had never tasted pure honey. This experience is where my journey began, ultimately changing the course of my life from designer to beekeeper and the founder of Red Bee honey and I never turned back.

As Valentine's Day approaches, I want to share with you my 5 top reason to fall in love with honeybees...perhaps you will too! And a surprising recipe that marries honey, chocolate and cheese!

1. Honeybees are docile and gentle...really!

They do not eat meat or other insects and you will not see them at your 4th of July BBQ. Honeybees spend their time visiting flowers foraging for nectar, water or pollen and when they are not in the field, honeybees are inside their hive, raising young or simply making honey.

2. Honeybees directly connect us to our food!

Plant all the seeds you want but unless a honeybee pollinates the flowers, we will not have apple or blueberry pies, figs, eggplants broccoli, almonds and hundreds of other fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices and oils not to mention my favorites: chocolate, coffee or cotton for blue jeans and bed sheets. Honeybee pollination also provides food for wildlife, birds and other beneficial insects that contribute to our entire eco-system to maintain a healthy vibrant planet. So plant a garden, even if it is a few herbs you let go to flower and support our Save the Bees campaign.

3. Honeybees gives us a magical elixir called honey.

It is nature's oldest and only raw sweetener which also has super natural health benefits. Other sweeteners are just plain sweet however honey has a multitude of flavors depending upon they type of flowers bees visit. Honey is produced in every single country on the planet so you can travel around the world and never taste the same honey twice. Honey is fat, gluten and cholesterol free.

4. Honey is good inside and out...

It has been proven that honey has anti-bacterial properties for a few reasons. Because of its low pH (average 3.5) and water absorbing properties, many types of bacteria are unable to survive inside of honey. The natural occurring pollen in honey can help boost the immune system by providing a complete protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids. So eat your honey but also it can relieve cuts, scrapes and burns by keeping them clean and preventing scarring.

5. Support a beekeeper...

Most people do not know that honeybees need beekeepers to care and manage them, we are necessary for their survival. Honeybees are considered domesticated livestock and like chickens and cows are susceptible to pest and diseases that can wipe out an entire bee colony if left unattended. The most common pest is a varroa mite that attaches itself to a bee and compromises its immune system. Beekeeper s must manage this pest to keep their bees healthy. Support beekeepers by purchasing honey directly, it is our reward and incentive to carry on this ancient art.

Learn more about beekeeping in my book HONEYBEE Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper

Order on line and get 20% off at checkout with coupon code ACCIDENTALBEEKEEPER

Looking for a RED themed honey to compliment your Valentine's Day?

Try our Red Currant or Raspberry Blossom honeys.

Goat Cheese Truffles Recipe - YUM & So Easy!

Ingredients:

1 Goat cheese log, store or farm bought, 12 oz

1/4 cup Cacao powder

1/4 cup Hazelnuts, chopped

Method:

Unwrap cheese and place in large bowl.

Let cheese sit 15 minutes until pliable and room temperature.

Add most of the cacao powder (saving a few tablespoons to roll finished truffles) and mix by hand or with a fork until blended well.

Cover bowl with mixture and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove and hand roll into one inch balls

Roll balls into remaining cacao powder or hazelnuts to coat.

Plate finished truffles and return to refrigerator to stay firm and cool.

Garnish plate with raspberries and serve.

Not only do honey bees make honey they pollinate hundreds of different fruits, vegetables seeds nuts, herbs and oils that we eat every single day. Beekeeping will not only teach you about the inner workings of a honeybee colony and the magic of honey, you'll learn to be in sync with nature, the seasons and plant life. So if you are on the fence and seriously considering diving into beekeeping I will be offering 2 hands on introduction to beekeeping classes. February 10 and March 10. at my apiary. I encourage interested students to read as many books about beekeeping as possible and continue your education by joining a local beekeeping club. There are bee clubs in every city, state and country. Sign up for my Beekeeping 101 at Westport Continuing Education - details in photo. Bring all your bee and honey questions....See you in the bee yard!

1) Honey never needs refrigeration and will not spoil if stored in a dry, cool place out of direct sunlight. Archaeologists have discovered clay vessels filled with honey, wine and olive oil – more than 3,000 years old – in the tombs of the Pharaohs. The wine and olive oil had spoiled but the honey remained intact and still edible. (it may not taste great, but it was edible)

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2) If your honey has crystallized, that does not mean it has gone bad. Crystallization, in fact is a sign of quality. If you gently warm the jar — in a pot of hot water —with gentle stirring, it will return to its liquid state. Take care not overheat it as this compromises the delicate flavors. Microwaving is not recommended. Hot honey can scald your skin like oil.

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3) All honey is not equal, and each honey’s color, aroma and flavor varies depending upon the type of blossom nectar gathered by the honeybee, as well as its terroir – region, soil, and climate the honey was produced. Honey is an agricultural product of nature. Like apples and tomatoes, each harvest will be different.

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4) What’s the buzz about local honey? Local is always wonderful to endorse, but in truth, any good quality honey has amazing benefits because of its chemical composition and partly from the immune boosting properties of its pollen. These qualities are: low, acidic pH, water absorbing properties and antibacterial properties added by the bees. Many people swear by Manuka honey from New Zealand for stomach bugs and ulcers. Look for honey that is not entirely transparent, which often means the pollen has been filtered out.

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5) If honey relieves allergies, how much should I take? There is no set dose for taking natural remedies. To each his own and only you know your body and what makes you feel well. A teaspoon a day is a good start. It can boost your immune system and relieve scratchy throats, symptoms of hay fever and allergies. Always consult with your medical professional before making any decisions bout your health.

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6) What is raw honey? Pure honey is the only unprocessed sweetener found in nature. It has naturally occurring minerals and vitamins not found in other sweeteners and heating it at 120F for as little as a few seconds can destroy them. Commercially made honeys are often heated to high temperatures to prevent crystallization.

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7) Each worker honeybee will make just 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her entire life. So “pure” honey is truly rare! Buy from reliable sources and ask questions about the bees and the local flowers.

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8) Honey is naturally hydrating to the skin, making it the perfect ingredient to add to your daily skin care routine. Try a honey facial mask for 10 minutes – your skin will glow!

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9) Can I eat the honeycomb and wax? Yes, you may eat the wax! Beeswax is a pure plant-based wax made by honeybees to build the cells that keep their honey clean and safe. For a special treat, spread honeycomb on a piece of warm toast.

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10) Is there truly such a thing as organic honey? Honeybees will forage up to 4 miles from their hive to gather nectar to make honey. It’s not possible to prevent them from visiting flowers that have been sprayed with chemicals whether by farmers or private homeowners. Organic standards vary so be sure to read the label.

What would a traditional Thanksgiving meal be without squash soup garnished

with pumpkin seeds, Brussels sprouts with honey mustard or apple pie with walnuts and cranberries? Honeybees pollinate these and many other foods including oranges, chestnuts and even our cotton table cloths and napkins. According to The American Bee Federation, honeybee pollination contributes $14 billion to the production of crops that includes an eye-opening list of fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and oils. You may be surprised to learn that honeybee pollination constitutes one out of every three bites

of food you consume and for us locavores, that number is much higher. Without honeybee pollination, humans and wildlife would not necessarily starve to death but the quality and quantity of our meals would be greatly diminished. Foods that are well pollinated just taste better. By bringing attention to these foods we honor the work of the honeybees around the country and the entire world.

It comes as no surprise that it is the female worker bees who forages for nectar to make honey and gathers pollen as their source of protein in order to feed her colony. As she visits flowers, pollen naturally magnetizes to her hairy body and is then transferred from flower to flower initiating the age-old process of pollination, the first step to plant fertilization. Since honeybees are the only species loyal to one type of flower on a foraging visit – a behavior called flower constancy - she will exclusively visit the same floral source benefiting flower pollination. Although we have thousands of native pollinators, a honeybee hive can be moved to specific farms, fields or groves throughout the season in order to follow the ever changing bloom they also over winter. In a mutually beneficial relationship that has been going on for over 100 million years, bees are rewarded with nectar for honey making and the flower is gratefully fertilized. Pollination is not only critical to global food production and biodiversity but for our entire eco-system, bees make the world go around insuring food for all living creatures including domestic livestock as well as wildlife. Long before Europeans brought honeybees to colonize America, wild turkeys relied on nuts, berries, seeds and clovers to eat pollinated by native bees, other insects and even the wind. A little known fact is that honeybees are not native to North America, and the Native Americans did not enjoy the sweetness of a honey harvest until honeybees arrived, many on the Mayflower. Earning honeybees the nickname “the white mans flies.” So at your holiday feast this year as you set your table with a cotton tablecloth and napkins – yes, cotton requires bee pollination - light your beeswax candles and enjoy your bee pollinated pumpkin pie and coffee, tell your children and guest how this delicious meal arrived at the table…a farmer, a bee, a flower and a beekeeper.

Bee Pollinated Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pastry crust for double-crust pie

8 sliced Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored and sliced

½ cup butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup honey

cranberries, dried

walnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Lemon juice

Walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add honey, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

3. Line the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly.

4. Gently pour the honey and butter liquid over the apples.

5. Sprinkle cranberries and walnuts over apples.

6. Cover with a second crust, crimp edges with fork and cut vents in top.

7. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

8. Serve warm with bee pollinated vanilla ice cream.

honey is finding its way onto our daily table and becoming a part of our food culture. Yet there is very little information available for consumers to make informed choices. So I want to share with you a few facts to demystify the common preconceptions about our favorite sweetener.

1) Honey never spoils and never needs refrigeration. Archaeologists have discovered clay vessels filled with honey, wine and olive oil – more than 3,000 years old – in the tombs of the Pharaohs. The wine and olive oil had spoiled but the honey remained intact and still edible. Honey is best consumed freshly harvested and will loose its delicate flavors as it ages. Although honey will last forever, it will not taste good or hold its health benefits.

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2) If your honey has crystallized, that does not mean it has gone bad, in fact it is a sign of quality. If you gently warm the bottle by standing the bottle in hot water and gently stirring it— it will return to its liquid state. Take care not overheat it as this compromises the delicate flavors. Microwaving is not recommended.

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3) All honey is not equal, and each honey’s color, aroma and flavor varies depending upon its terroir – region, soil, and climate, and the type of blossom nectar gathered by the honeybee. Honey is an agricultural product of nature. Like apples and tomatoes, each one will be different.

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4) What’s the buzz about local honey? Local is always wonderful to endorse, but in truth, any good quality honey has immune-boosting found in the pollen but more importantly its chemical composition. Many people swear by Manuka honey produced only in New Zealand for stomach bugs and ulcers. Look for honey that is freshly harvested and not entirely transparent, which often means the pollen has been filtered out.

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5) If honey relieves allergies, how much should I take? There is no set dose for taking natural remedies. To each his own and only you know your body and what makes you feel well. A teaspoon a day is a good start. It can boost your immune system and relieve scratchy throats, symptoms of hay fever and allergies.

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6) What is raw honey? Pure honey is the only unprocessed sweetener found in nature. It has naturally occurring minerals and vitamins not found in other sweeteners and heating it at 120F for as little as a few seconds can destroy them. Commercially made honeys are often heated to high temperatures to prevent crystallization so chose fresh honey from a trusted source.

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7) Each worker honeybee will make just 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her entire life. So “pure” honey is truly rare! Beekeepers only produce 1/3rd of what we consume, so the demand for honey is high. Read the labels including the ingredients. Buy from reliable sources and ask questions about the bees and the local flowers.

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8) Honey is naturally hydrating to the skin, making it the perfect ingredient to add to your daily skin care routine. Try a honey facial mask for 10 minutes – your skin will glow!

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9) Can I eat the honeycomb and wax? Yes, you may eat the wax! Beeswax is a pure plant-based wax made by honeybees to build the cells that keep their honey clean and safe. For a special treat, spread honeycomb on a piece of warm toast.

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10) Is there truly such a thing as organic honey? Honeybees will forage up to 4 miles from their hive to gather nectar to make honey. It’s not possible to prevent them from visiting flowers that have been sprayed with chemicals whether by farmers or private homeowners. Organic standards vary so be sure to read the label.

——————————— Excerpted from The Honey Connoisseur by Marina Marchese and Kim Flottum Black Dog and Leventhal, 2013