Honey's organic?

Hi,

My sister has a CSA. A recent delivery included a bottle of honey, which did not bear the words 'organic.' She refused to take the non-organic honey home and left it at the pick up point. When I heard about this fuss I commented honey is always organic since it comes straight from the bees.

Over the weekend I went to Chillicothe, IL where I picked up a native foods cookbook put together by the local historical society. The recipes are compiled from authentic Native American recipes in the public domain, handed down and shared between communities. Flipping through the book I found a recipe for home made honey, the ingredients are:

80 white clover blossoms
40 re clover blossoms
petals from 5 roses (not too highly scented)
10 cups honey
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon powdered alum

Boil honey, water and alum together for 5 minutes. Pour honey mixture over flowers allowing to stand for 20 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth into containers and seal. It can be kept for years.

I guess honey isn't always what one expects. It never occured to me when a label read clover honey that the clover may have been introduced. Though I have to admit to being puzzled how they knew the honey was from clover. I assumed the beehives were set up in a grove, though I am aware bees can have quite a range of territory. It's not easy to direct a bee to a specific location and ignore an opportunity in the next grove.

I guess on this occasion my sister may be right.

Regards,

That's really very interesting. My grandfather was a beekeeper as his second 'income' when my mother was a child. My uncle has followed in that tradition and keeps bees as well now. I was aware that sometimes hives are set up in proximity to certain fields for a 'flavoring' effect but I had no idea about honey being 'made' this way.

I'll actually have to start looking more carefully when I have to buy honey. I'm lucky enough to get a jar or two during the year.

Cathy2 wrote:I guess honey isn't always what one expects. It never occured to me when a label read clover honey that the clover may have been introduced. Though I have to admit to being puzzled how they knew the honey was from clover. I assumed the beehives were set up in a grove, though I am aware bees can have quite a range of territory.

I believe this is, indeed, how they make clover honey. They set up an apiary in a, say, 40-acre clover field and let the bees go at it. I don't think they introduce clover in any way after the fact. Clover honey is invariably very light and clean-tasting. Wild forest honeys made from a mixture of flowers tend to be darker and more variable in taste. If one were to steep clover in wild honey, you wouldn't get a product that resembles the clover honey on your supermarket shelves.