OUR PRODUCTS...
Local Natural Raw Wildflower Honey
Our honey comes directly from the hive, bottled in jars labeled to show location of origin - 
typically a location in central NJ's Somerset,
Mercer and Hunterdon counties. Much of our honey is produced on locations owned by friends and benefactors who allow us to place beehives on their property. And, many of the bottles we sell have labels that are unique to them. Some of our current product labels are shown on this web site.
In 2009, we produced limited quantities of honey in the following places: Princeton, Hillsborough, Hopewell & Hopewell Valley, Ringoes and Skillman, New Jersey
Where Can You Buy Our Honey Products?
We generally sell our honey and other bee products primarily through natural food stores and local farm stands. See our
Sales Locations web page for availability and specifics.
Honey Flavor & Color
Based on the nectar and pollen sources (i.e. types of flowering plants) that are found in each beehive's location, the flavor and color of the honey will vary. Color and taste will also vary with the seasons - as flowering plants come and go with the advance of summer and fall. We typically extract and bottle most of our honey in the
late summer and fall - and leave substantial amounts for the bees to
feed on for the ensuing winter months. We usually also leave the bees' mid-fall
nectar collection. This usually ensures sufficient winter food stores -
and avoids the need to supplement the bees' food stores with processed sugar.
A typical hive in New Jersey needs about 60 lbs. of honey to survive the winter!
Natural vs. Commercial Honey
"Local, natural, raw honey" means that the honey you buy is as it existed in the beehive
located in the town shown on our label. No destructive heat above 110°F or so is applied during extraction and bottling. Even at room temperature, honey will not flow well -
so a little warmth helps when we manually bottle it. Some filtering is
done (with a stainless steel strainer) to remove the larger bits of wax and such
which comes off the honeycomb when the honey is extracted.
Natural raw wildflower honey contains minerals, valuable enzymes, some pollen and possibly small particles of wax and other debris.
Natural raw honey may have a cloudy appearance because of the included pollen - and may also tend to crystallize more quickly than commercially produced honey. Most commercially available honey is a blend - a mixture of two or more honeys differing in floral source, color, flavor, density or geographic origin. It is also heat-treated - up to 180°F, after extraction from the bee hive. This reduces the moisture level, destroys yeast cells and enzymes, and liquefies crystals in the honey. Heat-exposure may also results in product deterioration, effects sensory qualities, reduces freshness and can darken the natural honey color.
Allergy Relief ?
Local natural raw wildflower honey is sought by allergy sufferers as the pollen in the honey is thought to lessen the sensitivity to hay fever and allergies. The location of honey production helps in selecting the honey that will best meet the needs of customers who are treating their allergies with local honey. That is, honey produced close to where the customer lives is thought to have more of the pollen types that the customer breathes normally. See our
Allergy Relief web page for a more on this topic.