UTAH HONEY, IT'S A NATURAL

Clover honey from Utah and the States surrounding Utah (Local Intermountain Area) will taste and appear differently than honey from outside this area.  Intermountain area honey is recognized as some of the best tasting honey in
the world. This also applies to the Wild Flower honey from this same area.  Wild Flower honey contains more Omega 3 properties and will provide more of the local pollens.

National Brand honey's are highly processed (polished and look crystal clear). These honeys are filtered under pressure and many of the benefits of local honey are removed. This honey will not turn back to its natural crystal form as quickly as strained raw honey.  Millers Honey, for instance, a Utah's Own product, is always a minimally processed raw honey. Honey adds beautiful golden color and delightful sweet flavor to bring out the best in so many foods. Honey comes in a variety of forms.

LIQUID HONEY
Liquid honey is free of visible crystals. It is extracted from the comb in the hive by centrifugal force, gravity, straining or other means. It is especially convenient for cooking, but can be used as a spread as well. Most honey in the United States is sold in liquid form.

CREME OR SPUN HONEY
Creme (or "spun") honey is finely crystallized. While all honey will crystallize in time, the crystallization of creme honey is controlled so that at room temperature it can be spread like butter on toast, biscuits, muffins or used as cake filling. In many countries around the world, creme honey is the preferred form.

COMB HONEY
Comb honey is the honey contained in the cells of the honey bee's wax comb in which it was produced. The comb is edible.

CUT COMB
Cut comb refers to honey which has been packaged along with chunks of honey comb. All honey will crystallize naturally over time. The crystals can be dissolved by placing the jar in warm water, or by microwave cooking 1 cup of honey in a microwave-safe container on HIGH for 2 to 3 minutes — stirring every 30 seconds. Honey should be stored at room temperature.
Honey has different flavors and colors, depending on the location and kinds of flowers upon which the bees foraged. Climatic conditions of the area also influence its flavor and color.

THE COLONY
Honey bees are social insects, with a marked division of labor between the various types of bees in the colony. A colony of honey bees includes a queen, drones and workers.  

THE QUEEN
The queen is the only sexually developed female in the hive.  She is the largest bee in the colony. A two-day-old larva is selected by the workers to be reared as the queen, she will emerge from her cell 11 days later to mate in flight with approximately 18 drone (male) bees. During this mating, she receives several million sperm cells, which last her entire life span of nearly two years. The queen starts to lay eggs about ten days after mating. A productive queen can lay 3,000 eggs in a single day.

THE DRONES
Drones are stout male bees which have no stingers. Drones do not collect food or pollen from flowers. Their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. If the colony is short on food, drones are often kicked out of the hive.

THE WORKERS
Workers, the smallest bees in the colony, are sexually undeveloped females. A colony can have 50,000 to 60,000 workers.  The life span of a worker bee varies according to the time of year. Her life expectancy is approximately 28 to 35 days. Workers that are reared in September and October, however, can live throughout the winter. Workers feed the queen and larvae, collect nectar, guard the hive entrance and help to keep the hive cool by fanning their wings.  In addition, honey bees produce wax comb. The comb is composed of hexagonal cells which have walls that are only 2/1000 inch thick, but support 25 times their own weight.  The honey bee's wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.

CONSUMPTION
The U.S. per capita consumption of honey is around 1.1 pounds per year.

ADDED VALUE
In addition to producing honey, honey bees produce beeswax and help pollinate agricultural crops, home gardens and wildlife habitat. The USDA has estimated that 80 percent of insect crop pollination is accomplished by honeybees. Approximately one-third of the total human diet is derived directly or indirectly from insect-pollinated plants (fruits, legumes and vegetables).

HONEY COLOR AND FLAVOR

EUCALYPTUS
Eucalyptus honey comes from one of the larger plant genera, containing over 500 distinct species and many hybrids. As may be expected with a diverse group of plants, eucalyptus honey varies greatly in color and flavor but tends to be a stronger flavored honey. Eucalyptus is the major source of honey in Australia. It is also produced in California.

FIREWEED
Fireweed honey is light in color and comes from a perennial herb that affords wonderful bee pasture in the Northern and Pacific states and Canada. Fireweed grows in the open woods, reaching a height of three to five feet and spikes attractive pinkish flowers.

ORANGE BLOSSOM
Orange blossom honey, often a combination of citrus sources, is usually light in color and mild in flavor with a fresh scent and light taste reminiscent of the blossom. Orange blossom honey is produced in Florida, Southern California and southern Texas.

TULIP POPLAR
Tulip poplar or tulip tree honey is dark amber in color. The flavor, however, is not as strong as one would expect of a dark honey. Tulip poplar honey is produced from southern New England west to southern Michigan and south to the Gulf states east of the Mississippi.

TUPELO
Tupelo honey is a premium honey produced in the southeastern United States. It is heavy bodied and is usually light in color with a mild, distinctive taste.

WILDFLOWER
Wildflower honey is often used to describe honey from miscellaneous and undefined flower sources.

HONEY BLENDS
While different types of honey are available, most honey, especially honey supplied in bulk, is blended to create a unique and consistent taste and color.

HONEY COLOR AND FLAVOR -IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE THE BEES BUZZ
The color and flavor of honeys differ depending on the nectar source (the blossoms) visited by the honey bees. Honey color ranges from nearly colorless to dark brown, and its flavor varies from delectably mild to distinctively bold, depending on where the honey bees buzzed. In fact, there are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the United States, each originating from a different floral source. As a general rule, light-colored honey is milder in taste and dark-colored honey is stronger. Honey is produced in every state, but depending on floral source location, certain types of honey are produced only in a few regions. Honey is also produced in most countries of the world. Following is a look at some of the most common honeys and their floral sources. To learn more about available types of honey in your area, contact a local beekeeper, honey packer, distributor or the National Honey Board.

ALFALFA
Alfalfa honey, produced extensively throughout Canada and the United States, is light in color with a pleasingly mild flavor and aroma.

BASSWOOD
Basswood honey is often characterized by its distinctive "biting" flavor. Basswood honey is generally water white in color and strong in flavor.

BUCKWHEAT
Buckwheat honey is dark and full-bodied. The production of buckwheat, and therefore buckwheat honey, has declined in the United States. It is still produced, however, in Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as in eastern Canada.

CLOVER
Clover honey has a pleasing, mild taste. Clovers contribute more to honey production in the United States than any other group of plants. Red clover, Alsike clover and the white and yellow sweet clovers are most important for honey production. Depending on the location and type of source clover, clover honey varies in color from water white to light amber to amber.