Resources
Health Benefits of Local Raw (Unpasteurized) Honey
- Helps with Seasonal Allergies
- Carries Antibacterial Properties
- Anti microbial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-fungal
- It Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
- Helps Improve Cholesterol
- Can Lower Triglycerides
- Promotes Burn and Wound Healing
- Can Help Suppress Coughs in Children
- Immune Boosting
- Rich in Antioxidants
- Help digestive issues
- Prebiotic
- Soothe a sore throat
Fireweed Honey - what makes it so special?
Here’s an introduction to our favourite specialty honey, Raw Fireweed Honey! Lots of people don’t know about it and it deserves more attention for how remarkable it is.
The Champagne of Honey, Fireweed Honey, is renowned for its fine flavour and medicinal properties. We believe fireweed honey can provide our community an alternative premium honey to the costly manuka honey. Did you know the following about Fireweed Honey?
- Raw Fireweed Honey is very smooth, it does not require excessive processing to be drizzled on fruits and pancakes, stirred into beverages, or spread on bread
- light, approachable complexion, easy flavour and appealing aroma make it everyone’s favourite, especially for children who may be intimidated by new foods
- crystallizes much slower than other honey varieties. The fructose/glucose ratio of fireweed honey resulted in its tendency to crystallize very slowly or stay in a liquid state. Even when crystallized, fireweed honey becomes an even lighter colour, displaying the natural beauty and purity of this raw mono-floral honey.
- the fireweed is a wild plants that help regenerate an ecosystem. They revegetate depleted lands, providing a nursery for slower-growing plants until those plants outcompete them.
- because these plants are wild, they are arguably better than organic crops!
- Difficult to produce. Fireweed grows in very specific environments: cool climates (i.e. Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe) and only after the destruction of a forest (e.g. forest fires and clear cuttings). Beekeepers are forced to scout out many sites for the best location to plant their beehives for the season for a good harvest. Since fireweed is often found in remote forest regions, beekeepers may have to protect the hives from bears. The many complications in producing fireweed honey affects the price setting for this premium honey.
- Very potent in its ability as health and beauty supplements. Fireweed honey is used in skincare products for its anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties. Antimicrobial activities of honey come from features such as its acidity (low pH), high sugar concentration, and presence of bacteriostatic and bactericidal compounds. Besides healing burns and wounds, raw honey may reduce the duration and severity various ailments, including pollen allergies and colds and cough symptoms (everyone’s tried-and-true method!)
Disclaimer: should be consumed in moderation to avoid high blood-level related health issues. Those who are allergic to bees/bee-products as well as infants should not consume honey.
Blueberry Honey
Taken from the tiny white flowers of the blueberry bush, the nectar makes a honey which is typically light amber in colour and with a full, well-rounded flavour. Blueberry Honey has one of the highest levels of Anti-oxidants.
Why does honey crystallize?
You know when honey gets hard and granular tasting? It has not gone bad. It is actually the natural preservation process of honey. Honey will never expire. It was found in tombs in Egypt and was still edible. Crystallization happens over time or if honey is cooled (so don't store your honey in the fridge). Honey should be stored at room temperature. It is possible to get honey back to liquid form... no not the microwave, as this will pasteurize it (killing all of the good things). You can place it in a pot of hot water up to 100 degrees. I usually use a turkey thermometer to keep track. It is a slower process, but it ensures you maintain all of honey's health benefits.
Buyers Beware - common grocery store honey
When buying honey from the grocery store, most times it has been altered and only just resembles honey. It is usually pasteurized (good for some things, but definitely not honey) This means it has been heated past 120 degrees. This process kills everything including all of the health benefits listed above. Another thing that is very common, is it can also have rice or corn syrup added to 'water it down' and make it stretch further. I recommend watching a great series on Netflix called Rotten. Episode 1 is all about the honey industry.
We recommend knowing where your honey comes from. Your local beekeeper. Golden Meadows Honey Farm is our family apiary. All of our honey in our store comes from our bees. We harvest our Blueberry honey in June and in July we go out to get Fireweed Honey which we harvest August.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to replace medical advice, nor is it recommended for people to stop their prescribed medication(s). The information written on this page is intended for general purposes
Fun Facts About Honeybees:
- One bee makes 1 tablespoon of honey in its lifetime
- The reason bees are so noisy is because they beat their wings over 11,000 times in one minute
- Bee produce 2-3 times more honey than they need - they are hoarders which means we are able to take some of their honey without hurting the colony
- Bees know their own hive by the colour as well as the pheromone that their specific queen releases
- Bees have a heightened sense of smell - because they don’t have a nose, they smell through their antennae, feet and tongue
- Eating honey makes you smarter! It has an antioxidant that improves brain function
- The Honey Bee is the only insect that makes food humans can eat
- Bees can recognizes faces
- Royal jelly is what is given to a fertilized egg to make it a queen
What You Can Do To Help:
- Plant bee friendly/ pollinator flowers - check with your local garden centre - make seed bombs
- Keep all the dandelions
- Create a safe water source - Bee Bath
- Avoid using pesticides
- Buy local honey - Support your local beekeeper!
Resources For Beekeepers
Squamish Beekeepers
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/946974365362202/
Mason Bee Course
Here is the Free Mason Bee Course recording! It was our first zoom recording so it isn't flawless, but you can hear every word Dennis says!
Recorded Zoom Call - Mar 30 2022
How to Instal Bee Packages
To see videos, please click on the link below:
*Note: Leave the queen in the cage for 2-4 days
New Zealand-Arataki Packages - 2020
Australian-Tasmanian Packages - 2020
Australian-Tasmanian Packages - 2021
Winterizing your Bees
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