It is that glorious time of year with the harvesting of this season’s honey. For the aficionados, it’s like the release of Beaujolais, the first flush of wild mushrooms or the first crop of feijoas. Nectar is collected by our industrious little pollinators while the plants that they forage on produce flowers and nectar. This window of opportunity lasts from spring to late summer; typically, November to January but this can extend either way depending on annual climate variations.
Honey is a bit like wine - in that the terroir affects the taste; single sources of nectar or mono-floral honey are distinct and can be compared to a wine from a single grape in a particular region, and then there are years with good vintages. Blended honey or wine will produce a predictable brand flavour. If a beekeeper harvests all his honey at the end of the season, the honey will be a combination of everything that the bees have collected all year; but if the beekeeper harvests throughout the season the honeys will be noticeably different. Spring flowers tend to produce a lighter, milder honey, while honeys from later in the season will usually be darker with more flavour. Consider what time of year you see plant flower – clover, manuka, cabbage tree, Pohutukawa; each produces a different honey.
Taking honey out of a hive whose bees have foraged your garden is one of the most satisfying experiences. Few gifts can compare to that sweet amber liquid from a year’s hard work from you and your bees. Get to know a beekeeper to ensure a steady supply of local honey. Bartering eggs or fresh produce will help the circular local economy and allow us all to specialise. Buy your honey to satisfy your needs for the rest of the year; any honey that you buy later in the year will likely have been harvested about now anyway. Comb honey has to be harvested before New Year to ensure food safety, and may therefore be in short supply, hence the extra cost. The restrictions on comb honey is due to the fact that it can’t be laboratory tested, whereas liquid honey can be. The risk is from honeydew produced by the Australian vine hopper on the tutu plant. This is very unlikely and the test is easy and conclusive. We are very fortunate in New Zealand that we have strict biosecurity laws, banning the importation of honey, this reduces the risk of honey adulteration so prevalent in other countries. This also helps to protect our bees from exotic diseases.
Our bee farmers have been working tirelessly since early spring to bring you this harvest - nature’s sweetener, packed with natural sugars, trace elements, antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins and polyphenols. How many things that are so beneficial taste so good?
Ken Brown
Apiculture Tutor, Land Based Training Ltd
President Auckland Beekeepers Club
