Cotton Honey, From the Bee Folks, Mount Airy, MD

I came across a reference to cotton honey recently, and until then I never really thought about cotton flowers being a source for honey, but it makes sense. Cotton has flowers, after all. I’ve since read that cotton is one of the leading honey plants in the southern United States, which makes a lot of sense given how much cotton is grown there.

Cotton bolls

Why hadn’t I come across cotton honey before? Why isn’t it as common as clover honey? Well, the fact is that it may be, although it isn’t advertised as cotton honey; cotton honey is often blended with clover and wildflower honeys to make “generic” honey- honey that has a taste that reflects what most Americans think of as “honey” (think supermarket honey in the plastic bear containers). About 70% of cotton honey in Texas is sold this way.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself. First, here is a bit of information about the cotton plant: The cotton plant, part of the mallow family (related to okra, hibiscus, hollyhock and cocoa), is a tropical shrub that varies in size between 2 to 6 feet tall, depending on the variety. It has been grown for thousands of years for its fiber, and cotton seed oil and meal. It does well in warm temperate climates and is grown in the Arkansas Delta, Texas and Southern California (among other hot places) in the states. Of note, the Black Prairie area of Texas produces so much cotton that between one-half to one-fifth of all honey in the state produced is cotton honey.

States that grow cotton and produce cotton honey

Cotton blossoms are large and start out white turning to yellow, and then after a day turn to pink, then fuschia red. They look a little like hibiscus flowers. Of interest, bees collect nectar from both internal (i.e. from inside the flower- the usual way) and external sources (i.e. from secretions along the underside of the leaf and outside the base of the flower). I found this really interesting. I’ve never heard of external sources of nectar before. When the cotton flower is white or yellow, bees collect nectar from internal sources and when the flower turns pink, they move to external sources.  Flowering starts in June and continues until the first frost, at which time the plant dies. This makes for a very long flowering season and offers a nectar source for bees at times of the year when not much else is flowering, at least not in the southern states (late summer through fall). As one southern beekeeper put it on a beekeeper’s forum, “We had a lot of cotton honey this year--as there is absolutely nothing else blooming in South Alabama in July and August.”

Cotton plant showing white and fuschia flowers

However, cotton is not a very hardy plant and hard to grow organically. Farmers often rely heavily on herbicides and insecticides. In fact, I read that more pesticides are used on cotton in the Unites States than any other single crop. This is a BIG problem for bees and the source of much discussion on beekeeper forums. One question I had was why cotton farmers don’t limit chemical use to protect the honey bees that are pollinating their crop? They rely on having healthy honey bees for a crop, don’t they? Well, yes and no. Cotton farmers don’t have the same relationship with honey bees that farmers of others crops do (like almond farmers who completely rely on honey bees for pollination, for instance). Yes, honey bees can pollinate their crops but they aren’t the only pollinators, and some suggest that “cotton needs little assistance from insects.” And if farmers don’t use chemicals, they don’t have a crop to pollinate, so it is a trade-off, with chemicals generally winning.

Cotton Fields

Reading through archives of beekeeping forums on the subject showed that beekeepers are talking a lot about the use of chemicals in cotton production. But it is a little more complicated than just chemicals; genetically modified (GM) types of cotton are also available that make cotton resistant to the chemicals and/or insects. While chemicals are toxic to honey bees, the GM varieties may affect nectar yields, with some varieties producing next to zero nectar. Here are a few examples from the beekeepers forum to give you an idea of what they are saying:

“I believe the new Round Up [pesticide] tolerant Pima yields nearly zero nectar.”

“I can’t speak to Roundup Ready cotton [GM cotton that provides resistance to pesticides], but I know that local farmers are using BT-cotton [GM cotton that provides resistance to boll weevil] and the nectar yields seems great.”

“In California I spoke with a guy who specifically avoided placing hives near cotton. He felt that the honey was fine enough but it was a good way to poison your bees. He was alluding to the frequent use of insecticides in the Central valley.”

“My bees seem to ignore the cotton. Most cotton in my area is now BT cotton and Round up ready. The cotton blooms a long time but I never noticed much bee activity.”

“I used to get cotton honey but haven’t for the last 3 years. I assume it is because of the engineered cotton being used these days.”

“Putting bees on cotton here is pretty much a death sentence. They still spray here for the boll weevil. Which you’re OK unless they find a weevil in the trap. Then it’s an all out aerial attack.”

To minimize chemical exposures of their bees, beekeepers develop working relationships with cotton farmers so they are told when sprays are happening and then can move their hives. ‘The farmers that I put them on let me know if they spray and I come in and move them out for a few days. They don’t have to spray much but they do spray from time to time.”

Thankfully, with the introduction of insect-resistant (GM) varieties of cotton, and boll weevil eradication programs, there may be less need for chemical spraying. This may be good news for cotton honey producers, if the new varieties also have nectar flows.

“I talked to a cotton farmer here in the Texas panhandle and he plants BT cotton. He told me he hasn’t sprayed cotton in 4-5 years. Just doesn’t need it. I plan on putting my hives on the cotton and work a relationship with him that IF he sprays he’ll tell me first.” 

If the chemicals and genetic engineering doesn’t make it complicated enough, there are other reasons that make cotton a less than ideal crop for honey producers, specifically, its nectar flow is also very sensitive to soil conditions, climate and weather, making it an “unreliable” source of honey.

“[You can] make honey on BT cotton but it depends on the soil. Sandy soil works, Georgia red clay doesn’t produce.”

So, between chemical use that is toxic to bees, genetically modified varieties of cotton that may produce no nectar, and soil and weather conditions that may also negatively affect nectar, it is complicated to produce cotton honey. But if the stars are aligned, cotton does produce a good amount of honey, and it has a unique taste and quality.  For one, cotton honey is high in dextrose sugars that encourage fine granulation, making it a natural for creamed or whipped honey. In addition, some have stated that the flavor of cotton honey “matures.” It starts out tasting like the sap of the cotton plant (a pleasant earthy flavor a bit like cut grass) and then it develops a mild buttery flavor, with creamy tones and a tang. It is “sweet and a bit sassy.” Others have commented that is has subtle notes of cinnamon and anise.

Cotton Honey

I got my cotton honey online from the Bee Folks out of Maryland. I’ve bought from them before and have never been disappointed by the service or the quality of honey. Neither the website nor the jar have information about where it was collected, but it is an American honey, so somewhere down south. It is a very thin amber-yellow color. My honey hasn’t started to crystalize and is very runny. It has a smooth texture. It is very sweet with a slightly molasses, smoky flavor at the end, maybe this is the “tang” that other have mentioned. It is possible, as evidenced by no crystal formation, that my honey is still young and I’m at the “early flavor” phase, and that with time I’ll get more of a buttery flavor and creamy tones. In any case, it is a very nice honey that would work particularly well in baking and anywhere else that a sweeter honey is needed.

Balparmak flower honey (çiçek balı), Eastern/Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey

Friends from Turkey, Net and Ayhan, brought me this honey from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. It is processed, packaged and distributed by Balparmak, the largest brand of honey in Turkey, a brand of Altiparmak, Inc. Balparmak works with 10,000 beekeepers across Turkey to produce regional honeys and assure quality with a state of the art laboratory facility. They started exporting their honey to European countries and the US in 2003. Their honey has also won numerous awards, the latest being the International Taste and Quality Institute (ITQI) superior taste award in 2013.

Regions of Turkey

 Balparmak has a website (luckily with an English version) and it is clear that they are real honey enthusiasts: their mission statement is "to protect the naturalness and purity of honey, the most miraculous food in the world, make it an indispensable element of quality living, and thus give honey the highest value it so richly deserves." Well said.

They also state that given Turkey's diverse terrain and climate it has an abundance of varieties of floral sources and honey is produced in every region of the country. However, monofloral sources are limited to specific regions and collected only at certain times of the year (e.g. chestnut honey from the Black Sea coastline). 

Anatolian wild flowers (from the Balparmak website photo gallery)

My honey is a wild flower honey with multiple flower sources from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. The combined regions are pretty big. In fact, the Eastern Anatolia region is the largest geographical region in Turkey (surface area of 163,000 km2). It is a mountainous area, with an average altitude of 2,000 meters, severe and long, snowy winters. It is mostly devoted to raising animals, but does have some agriculture (cotton, tobacco and sugar beets).

In contrast Southeastern Anatolia is geographically the smallest region of Turkey (75,000 km2). The terrain for most of the area is made up of valleys, plateaus, plains, steppes and mountains. It is known for its long, dry, hot summers and cold, rainy winters. Although the westernmost area has a Mediterranean climate. Apart from honey, the region produces wheat, barley, lentils, tobacco, cotton and pistachio nuts. 

All this to say, that it is impossible to know what wildflowers are the source of this honey. The Balparmak website doesn't really specify either. I suspect given the large operation of Balparmak they likely blend honeys from different producers over large geographic but similar areas to produce large volumes of a consistent product.  As the Balparmak website stated, their wild flower honey is "a blend of nature." 

Balparmak Flower Honey

The honey is a light, clear, soft, yellow color. It has no particulate matter, which shouldn't be surprising since the label makes a point of stating that the honey is filtered. It is quite thick and easy to spin on a toothpick, and has a smooth texture. It has a clean, uncomplicated, sweet consistent taste as it melts, with a subtle floral and menthol after taste. I think that when most people think of what honey tastes like, they think of what this honey tastes like. It would be great in hot tea, hot cereal, in baking, or right out of the jar. Since the Balparmak website states that they are exporting honey to the US and Europe, you may be able to find it in food stores, although it may be in only specialty food stores; I've never seen it in my local supermarkets. Alternatively, a trip to Turkey may be required. I understand it can be found in supermarkets throughout the country.

 

 

Fir Honey, Central Greece (Wedderspoon Gold, Malvern, PA)

I got this Greek fir honey from my friend Barbara. It is packaged and distributed by Wedderspoon Organic USA and she got it locally.

Like many honey operations Wedderspoon began as, and still is, a family affair. Catherine and Sebastien Martin created the business to initially bring quality, unpasteurized, raw and organically certified Manuka honey from New Zealand to the Canadian/US markets. Their operation is based in Duncan, Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada), but they have since expanded with offices in the US, and offer other honeys and honey products, mainly across North America. They pride themselves in providing superior products that are BPA free, and certify that their honeys are chemical and pesticide free. You can order their products, which include raw and organic honeys, body care products, candles, lozenges, and honey dippers, on their website. And, for those of you who consume a lot of honey, they offer "super saver deals" for buying by the case...

The label on the fir honey states that forests of central Greece are the source of this fir honey.

Areas of Greece; Central Greece is in blue

When I think of Greece I think of Athens, a sprawling urban metropolis, or the Greek islands with their white washed houses with blue shutters perched on parched hills overlooking the Mediterranean in impossible shades of blue. I don't think of forests. However, I've since learned that 50% of Greece is covered by forests, and fir forests (primarily made up of Abies cephalonica and Abies xborisii-regis) are common in the mountains of central and southern Greece. In addition, Greece has three climate zones: Alpine, Mediterranean and Temperate. The forests of central Greece have an Alpine climate, where winters are harsh, with lots of snow, and summers are cool, with lots of thunderstorms. Of interest, not only do these forests produce fir honey, but they are home to some endangered species, including the brown bear, lynx, roe deer and wild goat. 

The mountains and forests of central Greece

Fir honey, as you may know, is a honeydew rather than a blossom honey. I've mentioned honeydew honeys before (see blog about miel de sapin). You probably are familiar with how honey bees make honey from floral sources- collecting nectar from flowers and then transforming it into honey. In honeydew honeys, honey bees collect, rather than nectar, honeydew, which is a sugary secretion from scale insects, like aphids. These insects live in cracks under the scales of the bark, consume sap and excrete honeydew. Bees then collect and process honeydew to make honey. Honeydew, however, is chemically different from nectar and so honeydew honey is usually darker, more aromatic and has a higher mineral and antioxidant content compared to blossom honey. There are many types of honeydew honeys depending on the sap collecting insect and the source of the sap.

Hives in central Greece

Firs, however, are reported to produce the best quality of honeydew honeys. A fun fact is that honeydew honeys generally do not crystallize, in case you always want to have on hand a liquid honey no matter how long you've had it.


The fir honey I have is very thick-  which makes sense since I understand that honeydew honeys are generally thicker than blossom honeys. It is golden, light yellow and very shiny. There is no problem getting a large twirl on a toothpick. It rolls around on the tongue, has an unusually smooth texture and takes a moment (or two) to dissolve. It has a clean, sweet taste with a hint of molasses and a slight menthol after taste. The flavors gradually move from one to the next. It would be great drizzled on thick plain yogurt (in the Greek tradition), in hot cereal or on whole grain buttered toast. It might also be a good complement to a strong cheese.

Wedderspoon Gold Fir Honey

Pure Wildflower Honey, Essex County Beekeepers Association, Topsfield, Massachussetts

This past October I went to the Topsfield fair in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It is an agricultural fair that begin in 1818 "to promote and improve the agricultural interests of farmers and others in Essex County." Nearly 200 years later it is going strong with lots to do and see. If you like fancy chickens, fuzzy sheep, large pumpkins, and pig races, to name a few attractions, it is the place to be! They also have a great website in case you want to know more about it.

Poultry at Topsfield Fair

Needless to say, the fair also has a Beekeeping and Honey Show which has the distinction of being the largest honey exhibit in any fair in North America (according to the Topsfield fair website). It is one of the oldest too, with the first exhibit taking place in 1844. Since 1928 the show has been operated and sponsored by the  Essex County Beekeepers Association. This beekeepers association is a regional organization of beekeepers large and small who are generally found in and around Essex county, a country in the northeastern corner of Massachusetts. They educate the public about bees and beekeeping, promote the art of apiculture, and produce bees, honey and related products. At the fair they had four observation hives (very cool) and beekeepers on hand to explain all things bee, honey and beekeeping. They also had lots of honey and honey related items on display and for sale. I came home with two jars of honey and some beeswax.

Essex County Beekeepers Association Honey Competition

The honey I bought was a raw, wildflower honey. In my experience you can't go wrong with wildflower honey. It generally is a interesting honey that can be quite complicated, with layers of flavors and aromas. Although both jars I have are wildflower, given the color of each I suspect that they were collected at different times of the year. I have a very light, clear jar and a reddish/amber jar, which I think were collected in spring and summer, respectively. The wildflower honey for this review is the darker, potentially summer honey. 

Given the amber color and the opacity, because of particulate matter, I thought this honey would be thick, but in fact it is medium-thin in consistency. In small quantities it has a lovely amber yellow glow. It is very smooth, not very sweet and has a very light, floral flavor, which is fresh with a hint of citrus or menthol. If honey was a morning, this would be a clear morning with a fresh, gentle breeze and a warm sun. It would be very tasty in a hot cup of black tea, in plain, thick yoghurt, or on hot buttered toast- pretty well anywhere where a light, floral honey might be needed.

Pure Wildflower Honey, Essex County Beekeepers Association

 

 

UC Davis Northern California Wildflower Honey, Davis, California

I was recently in Davis, California visiting the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) and was really impressed. For starters the campus is a gem: it covers 7,000+ acres and has an incredible diversity of plants and trees, from succulent gardens to old growth redwoods and eucalyptus with peeling bark. The colors and textures of tree trunks were amazing (see photos).

?Paper Maple Tree Trunk, UC Davis

Within this beautiful campus there is also an arboretum (the Davis Arboretum), a public botanical garden along The Waterway that has a collection of plants native to California, among many others. With water views, a well maintained path and benches in the shade, it is a refuge of green and tranquility.

It isn't surprising that all of this green and diversity is found here.

(Very) Old Oak Tree Trunk, UC Davis

UC Davis is located in prime farmland (Yolo country) and it began as an agricultural college. The 1905 University Farm Bill together with Peter J. Shields' vision and commitment created the school which opened its doors in 1909. In its early days it was known at "University Farm" and was affiliated with the University of Berkeley, just a one and a half hour drive away. In 1922 it was renamed the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture and in 1959 the Regents of the University of California declared it as the seventh general campus in the University of California system.

Redwood Tree Trunk, UC Davis

While UC Davis is probably best known for its agricultural and environmental science programs (especially its viticulture and enology, and animal science programs- they have an on-campus dairy, equestrian facility and experimental farm!) it is a research university with a large menu of nationally and globally ranked programs, and is considered a "Public Ivy"- a public university with the academic rigor and standards of an Ivy League university.

Farmland around Davis:w/ view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains

UC Davis is adjacent to the small town of Davis, California. Davis  is a college town full of cafes, restaurants, bike stores, and funky nooks and crannies. It has a farmer's market on Wednesdays and Saturdays (bought some very tasty local almonds and pistachios there) and is home to the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame (Davis and UC Davis are extremely bike friendly and everyone bikes there).

The Davis region is found within the Sacramento Valley and is 15 miles west of Sacramento, about an hour's drive to San Francisco and Napa Valley, and about two hours drive to Lake Tahoe. The surrounding countryside is flat farmland, with views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains inland. It is quite dramatic. Did I mention how perfect the weather is? Cool mornings and warm, sunny days 265 days of the year. It is not surprising that there are solar and wind farms between the fields of crops.


Among the many UC Davis departments, programs and centers is the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, established in 2012 and housed in the Robert Mondavi Institute (for wine and food science). It aims to teach people about honey, bees and beekeeping, and pollinators and pollination. They offer mead making courses and a Master Beekeeping Program is in the works. In addition, they are working to create bee-friendly legislation in California that would allow all communities to keep bees; in many bees are considered as "exotic pets" and are restricted (!) There is also a research facility, the Harry H. Laidlaw Bee Biology facility, that does bee biology and genetic research. Of note it is found on Bee Biology Road (!) With agriculture's reliance on pollinators, bee and pollinator research is an important field.

UC Davis Northern California Wildflower Honey

Amongst all of this teaching, research and political activity, the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center finds time to look after its own hives, and sells honey on campus and on-line. Proceeds go towards funding the Center's work and bee research.

The jar I have is from their 2013 harvest. The floral sources are coastal foothill and Sacramento Valley wildflowers. The honey has been heated and filtered (gently) to delay/reduce crystallization but to retain enzymes and pollen.

The honey is a slightly cloudy, orange-yellow color and of medium to thick consistency. It has a very smooth texture with floral and menthol undertones, and a slight spiciness. It is not overly sweet and its flavors are subtle making it an ideal honey for herbal tea, or wherever you want honey sweetness but not a strong, unusual honey flavor. I think it would be quite nice on hot, buttered toast, in hot cereal, or right out of the jar!

Raw Wildflower Honey, Golden Meadow (Reseska Apiaries), Holliston, MA

Holliston in Massachusetts (in red)

I got this local honey in a nearby grocery store. It is harvested and packaged by Reseska Apiaries out of Hollison, MA, just an hour or so from Boston. Reseska Apiaries is a family business that started on a very small scale in 1996. The operation expanded significantly in the first four years, and in 2000 the Reseskas had enough hives to make it a full time business. Andy Reseska is the founder and owner. He works alongside his wife, Addie, son Evan, and assistant apiarist, Nick Delaini.They currently manage several hundred colonies. They initially distributed their honey under the Golden Meadow and Boston Honey Company brands, but have since consolidated brands. Now all of their honey is packaged under the Boston Honey Company name.

Purple Loosestrife

Reseska Apiaries produce raw, unfiltered (and Kosher) honey harvested in Eastern Massachusetts (wildflower, clethra, Japanese knotweed, black locust, and basswood),  and Georgia (gallberry, tupelo and orange blossom).

In Massachusetts the honey is gathered from the revolutionary battle sites of Lincoln, the farms of Concord, public lands in Sudbury, and other sites in and around the greater Boston area.  It is truly steeped in New England history. Their operation in Georgia is also quite large with several hundred hives. Apart from collecting nectar from southern floral sources, the Georgian bees are brought up north in spring to pollinate apple trees in New England. Since the winters are easier and spring comes earlier in Georgia, the Georgian bees are in full swing for the early New England pollination season.

basswood

The Reseskas take great pride in their stewardship of their colonies and the self-sustained nature of their apiary. They raise their own queens, foster strong bee lineages, and generally take looking after their bees very seriously. If I were a honey bee, I'd like to be looked after by the Reseskas. They also take great pains in making sure their honey is of the highest quality. For instance, their monofloral honeys are done in small batches by hand. In addition to honey, they also produce comb honey, bee pollen, candles, lip balms and soap. Check out their website for all their products. You can also order from them online.

Goldenrod

I have their wildflower honey and according to their website, the sources for this honey include, among many other flowers, Buckthorn, Black Locust, Purple Loose strife, Goldenrod, Linden, Japanese Knotweed, and Basswood. Of note and of interest, most of these are considered invasive species in New England. Seeing that they produce a good quality honey makes me wonder if there might be some role for them other than as a species to uproot and destroy!

Japanese knotweed

I've had this honey for a while and it has started to crystallize. (Of interest, I learned from the Boston Honey Company website that honeys high in fructose are slower to crystallize than those high in glucose.) The wildflower honey is a rich orange/yellow color with red highlights. It is a medium to thin honey in its liquid form. It is complex in flavor, with a somewhat medicinal taste made up of hints of menthol, licorice, and floral sweetness. It is difficult to describe but a very interesting and tasty honey! Perfect right out of the jar or on hot buttered toast. It might also be interesting in a dark tea or paired with some mild cheeses.

Raw Wildflower Honey from Reseska Apiaries