Browsing Month 'September, 2010’
Some pictures from this week’s honey harvest.
Cutting Honey Comb, Grampa's Gourmet Honey 2010
Harvesting Honey, Grampa's Gourmet Honey, 2010
Harvesting Honey, Grampa's Gourmet Honey, 2010
She’s doing some amazing work.
As I mentioned in my previous post, there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of varietals in the world. Below is a short list with some of those most frequently found at retail (I compiled the list from here and here).
These are honeys that are monofloral – as opposed to those that are made from distinct combination of many flowers from a specific region – which I’ll write about in my next post.
| Honey Varietal | Flavor | Color |
| Acacia (Black locust tree) | Mild, slightly tangy, floral, doesn’t crystallize | Water white to pale amber |
| Alfalfa (generally blended) | Nearly flavorless to milky, some has spicy notes | White |
| Apple Blossom | A hint of apple in the aroma | Light to medium amber |
| Aster | Flavor depends on region and species of aster; crystallizes quickly | White to light amber |
| Avocado | Fairly strong, buttery flavor | Dark amber |
| Basswood | Strong, zesty (becomes minty when mixed with a mild honey) | Dark amber |
| Blackberry | Delicate and sweet with a hint of fruit | Very light amber |
| Black Button Sage | Slightly herbaceous, slow to crystallize | Medium amber |
| Black Locust | Fruity, rare (the trees blossom only every few years) | Pale to dark amber |
| Black Mangrove | Thin bodied. Swampy aroma, with a mild, sweet, but brackish flavor. | Pale to dark amber |
| Blueberry | Fruity, blueberry aftertaste | Medium amber |
| Buckwheat | Strong buckwheat, malty flavor | Dark brown |
| Blue Curls | Minty, fruity flavor. Granulates quickly and smoothly | Extra light yellow-amber to milky white |
| Boneset | Rank in aroma, but a mellow, herbal, sagelike flavor. Think, heavy, molasseslike texture. | Very dark reddish amber |
| Borage | Herbal and floral bouquet with hints of cucumber and orange pekoe tea. Sugary aftertaste. Delicate and silky textures. Slow to crystallize | Medium to dark amber, with a gray tinge |
| Buckwheat | Pungent and somewhat earthy with notes of burnt molasses, cherry, tobacco, and plum. Malty. | Dark purple turning to deep wine red to black; opaque |
| Canola | Delicate, low acid, crystallizes easily | Light amber to white |
| Carob Seed | Bittersweet honey flavor woven with strains of caramel and subtle chocolate. | Dark autumn honey |
| Cat’s Claw | Rich aroma. Sweet, mild, and buttery flavor with a hint of iron. Heavy body. Granulates smoothly and with a waxy grain. | Water white to medium amber |
| Chamiso (Rabbit Brush) | Bittery overtones | Medium amber with reddish tinge |
| Chestnut | Strong, nutty, spicy, a bitter aftertaste (perfect with gorgonzola and parmesan) | Extremely dark amber, with a hue similar to chocolate. Sometimes reddish |
| Clover | Tangy and delicate; most labeled “clover” are actually blended; crystallizes easily | Water white to amber |
| Cranberry | Mild fruity flavor with tart aftertaste | Medium amber |
| Eucalyptus —Yellow Box, Blue Gum, Red River Gum (U.S. & Australia) | Mildly sweet, fruity aftertaste; some varieties have a slight menthol flavor | Dark |
| Fireweed | Mild, fruity, buttery | Light to medium amber |
| Gallberry | Tart wildflower flavor | Dark amber |
| Goldenrod | Robust flavor of wildflower and beeswax | Light amber |
| Heather (Scotland) | Slightly bitter with an aftertaste of burnt caramel | Dark amber |
| Horsemint | Highly aromatic, spicy, and minty in flavor. Hints of lemon and oregano | Clear water white to amber |
| Huajillo | Extremely delicate and distinctive taste that is described as very light, smooth, and tangy. | Mild, light colored |
| Huckleberry | Full-bodied | Dark amber |
| Kamahi (New Zealand) | Full-bodied, complex | Light amber |
| Kiawe(Hawaii) | Rich tropical fruit and menthol flavors. | Pearly water white with waxy, golden overtones |
| Knapweed | Bitter, tangy, and astringent flavors | Light to medium amber |
| Knotweed | Rich, heavy and robust. A fruitier version of buckwheat honey without the malty flavors | Very dark amber with reddish tones |
| Kudzu | A rare honey with a strong flavor | Bluish to very dark purple |
| Lavender | Lavender floral | Medium amber |
| Leatherwood(Tasmania) | Strong and spicy | Dark amber |
| Linden | Spicy | Pale amber |
| Lehua | Buttery with lily-like overtones | Crystallizes quickly and is made into a light golden cremed honey |
| Lemon | Strongly scented, citrusy, bright, tart, sour, aromatic. | Bright amber yellow |
| Purple Loosestrife | Rich, strong and unappealing | Extremely dark purple |
| Macadamia | Exotic, rich, not too sweet, with delicious tangy, musky floral undertones. | Medium amber to dark, deep amber |
| Mesquite | Sweet, yet warm, smoky, woody, citrus flavors. | Medium amber with a brown tint |
| Milkweed | Very heavy in body, fruity, quincelike, slight spicy tang. | Water white with a light yellow tinge. |
| Mint/Spearmint | N/A | N/A |
| Nodding Thistle (New Zealand) | Delicate floral | Light amber |
| Orange Blossom | Hints of citrus-orange and orange blossom | Light amber to dark amber |
| Pine Honey (Turkey) | Molasses | Dark amber |
| Prickly Pear | Heavily bodied. | Medium to dark amber with bright red tint |
| Pohutukawa(New Zealand) | Distinct butterscotch flavor | Pale – the whitest honey in world |
| Poplar (Tulip Poplar) | Strong | Medium amber |
| Pumpkin | Light with a hint of pumpkin flavor | Medium amber |
| Purple Sage | Mild flavor, slow to crystallize | Water white |
| Rata (New Zealand) | Mild, rich, almost salty | White |
| Raspberry | Will have a mild hint of raspberries; crystallizes as soon as it leaves the comb so is always sold in cremed form | Cremed light |
| Rewarewa (New Zealand) | Rich, malty | Burnished amber |
| Rhododendron | Medium sweetness, light aroma, and subtle flavors | Light to medium amber |
| Rosemary | Fragrant and herbaceous; great with cheese | Pale amber |
| Safflower | Milky flavor | Amber to dark amber with a slight greenish cast |
| Sage | Herbal notes | Medium amber |
| Sainfoin | Sweet, fragrant, and floral with a spicy, delicate flavor. | Pale yellow |
| Saw Palmetto | Citrusy and herbal with woody overtones | Medium amber |
| Sidr | Applely, rich and buttery. | Very dark amber |
| Silkweed | Strong scent and flavor, spicy condiment honey | Dark amber |
| Snowberry | Butterscotch | N/A |
| Sourwood | Spicy ginger | Medium amber |
| Star Thistle | Wet grassy, musky, spicy, anise and cinnamon aroma | Extra light amber |
| Sunflower | Distinctive floral aroma; crystallizes easily | Light to medium amber |
| Tahonal | Deep and tropical | Extra light amber to dark amber |
| Tamarisk (Salt Cedar) | Heavy body, with flavors of molasses and chocolate | Dark amber |
| Tawari | Butterscotch | Light amber |
| Thyme | Herbal notes | Burnt grass |
| Tulip Poplar | Rich, pleasant, sweet, flowery and smoky. | Dark amber |
| Tupelo | Medium, complex; slow to crystallize | Golden amber with a slight greenish cast |
| Ulmo (Chile) | Anise and violet | N/A |
| Viper’s Bugloss (Borage) (New Zealand) | Delicate flavor, floral bouquet | Light amber |
| Wenchi (Ethiopia) | Intense flavor with a floral fragrance with notes of caramel and balsamic | Yellow-amber with a reddish tinge |
| White Sage | Clover-like flavor, elegant floral aftertaste | Translucent yellow |
| Wilelaiki (Hawaii) | Spicy with floral, smoky, peppery flavors. | Light to medium amber with a greenish tint |
| Zambezi (Zambia) | Rich, smoky, spicy, and woodsy flavor | Dark amber |
One of the most common conversations we have with people who visit us at the farmer’s market is about the fact that not all honey is the same. It’s remarkable how many times after having tasted our honeys I hear the phrase: ”I didn’t know there were so many different kinds of honey!”
We feel that honey is often misunderstood and underestimated as an artisan ingredient in food.
In fact, there are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States (more than any other country in the world!), each originating from different floral source. And that number doesn’t include honeys that have a blend of floral sources, but have a distinct flavor profile based on the location of the hive (ex: downtown Denver).
To explain the variations of honey flavors I like to make the analogy to wine.
For wines, it’s all about the grapes. And the grapes used to make wine could take on different characteristics depending upon the French concept called gout de terroir, or “taste of place”. Terroir is what dictates the taste of the wine – and it depends on the geographic location, soil, the weather (was is a drought year?) – all of which gives each wine its unique, individual, complicated profile and personality.
The same is true for honey. A honey’s flavor profile will vary not only from year to year but also from hive to hive. The exact same field of flowers, if produced by two different hives that stand right next to each other, can bear honey that is completely different in color, flavor, texture, and aroma.
As long the beekeeper doesn’t mix all of the honeys together (and then heat/filter/process them), and instead uses traditional methods emphasizing quality and character (instead of quantity and homogeneity) – the complex regional variations come through in taste!
All Grampa’s Gourmet honeys have distinct “terroir”. It’s the flavors of the San Luis Valley in a jar. This region is an amazing place to practice traditional migratory beekeeping to produce varietal honeys because we have access to vast fields of very distinct floral sources to place our hives around.
"Our Taste of Place" San Luis Valley (picture via Gareth Llewellin, 2010)
As some of you know, we participated in this year’s Local Foods Festival in Denver last weekend – and we had a blast! Met lots of new interesting people, made new friends and sold some honey. Thanks again to the Denver Botanic Gardens, Junior League of Denver and Chipotle for putting on the event.
Scott Dressel-Martin, the official photographer of Denver Botanic Gardens took lots of pictures and sent us over a couple of great ones:
Grant and Jessica in front of Grampa's Honey booth at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. Local Food Festival 2010.
Grampa's Gourmet honey jars against the sky at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. Local Food Festival 2010
We’ll definitely be back next year!
Some pictures of this year’s honey harvest in the San Luis Valley.
Brent Edelen harvesting Honey, San Luis Valley, CO, 2010
Harvesting Honey, San Luis Valley, CO, September 2010
Harvesting Honey, San Luis Valley, CO, September 2010
Brent Edelen harvesting honey, San Luis Valley, CO, September 2010
This year we’re participating in the Local Food Festival at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, co sponsored by the Junior League of Denver.
Come visit our booth!
Also Available:
Varietal Honey Sampler
Great for allergies too!
Our Non-Scientific Poll:
Loading ...
Twitter Updates
Recent Blog Posts
-
Grampa’s Gourmet is proud to be able to offer nucleus colonies "nucs" for sale this year. Buy Bees from Grampa's [...]Dec 16, 12 pm
-
Also today, LA Weekly published a Q&A with Brent Edelen on it's blog. It's a fairly in-depth interview and really captures [...]Dec 07, 02 pm
-
Today Grampa's Honey got "discovered" on Treat du Jour! I quote: Honey is one of those indescribable miracles of nature. [...]Dec 07, 01 pm