Honey, bee products and where to buy them

Honey can vary widely in colour and flavour, depending on what the bees have been foraging on. The colour of liquid honey can range from very pale yellow to dark amber, and the flavour can range from light and delicate to strong and sweet. Two honeys may have the same colour but taste quite different. No one honey is ‘better’ than another – it’s simply a question of what you prefer. The only way to find out is to try a selection.


Foreign honeys sometimes claim to come from a single floral source, but that doesn’t mean they taste better!


All honey will crystallise (ie become solid) over time. It can be re-liquified by warming at 150°F for several hours, but be careful: if you overheat your honey, you will ruin the flavour. Honey is also sometimes sold in the comb.


Heather honey is unique because it has a jelly-like consistency and doesn’t crystallise. It has a distinctive taste and many regard it as the premier honey, but as always, it’s a question of your personal preference.

Honey is not the only product we obtain from honey bees. Others include:

• Beeswax, which can be used on its own and in products such as cosmetics and polishes.
• Pollen, which bees collect in addition to the nectar they use to make honey.
• Propolis, a resin from trees which bees use to seal cracks in their hive.
• Mead and other drinks made by fermenting honey.