Outer Banks hive products are special!! Our bees are raised in an area without the usual agricultural chemical influence found in many other places, producing some of the most unique and delicious honey in the world.  Many Outer Banks beekeepers also use chemical-free and/or natural beekeeping practices.

Below is a list of Guild beekeepers who have seasonal offerings… please check availability with each individual:

• Denise Deacon, hives in Kitty Hawk, (252) 722-3118
• Daniel Lane @ Grandy Bees (252) 3059500
• Gunther Heyder @ OBX Gold (919)8016624
• Gary McDonald @ (757) 331 0593

Honey Fast Facts:

For each one-pound jar of honey:

• The bees made approx. TWO MILLION FLOWER VISITS!
• The bees flew the equivalent of around 55,000 miles, which equates to more than TWICE AROUND THE EQUATOR!

One teaspoon of honey took TWELVE BEES their entire lives to produce.  Properly harvested & stored honey never goes bad and is the only food humans get from insects.

Honey as a Natural Healer:

Whether you are searching for a natural sweetener or an alternative medicine, local raw honey is a wondrous product and is said to provide many health benefits.

Why Buy Local?

Local honey reflects the floral source from which the bees collected nectar. Nectar from spring flowers such as holly ripens to a light-tasting almost clear honey. The same hive may produce a dark molasses-like honey from flowers in the fall. Local beekeepers appreciate the different honeys and may offer them unblended to consumers. Local raw honey is available seasonally and many beekeepers sell out rapidly; the demand for local honey far exceeds the supply.

Most local raw honey is only strained and bottled, preserving all the goodness.  The beekeeper removes the capped honeycomb from the hive, then from the comb, straining it to remove wax particles, then bottles the honey.

When purchasing honey, be sure to question the beekeeper to find out their practices; i.e. whether they use chemicals or antibiotics in their hives, if they feed their bees sugar syrup and what time of year (could mean that you are receiving sugar syrup that the bees stored in the comb with or instead of real nectar/honey), if they have heated the honey and/or filtered it during processing (both of which could mean damage to the honey’s beneficial properties), how they have stored it (sunlight or high temps can also damage honey; refrigeration can make it crystallize faster).

Most honey sold in stores has been filtered (removing the pollen) and heated to high temperature (to keep it from crystallizing), thereby degrading it.  Much of the store-bought honey is also “counterfeit,”  adulterated (corn syrup, rice syrup, or other sugars/ingredients added) in order to “stretch” the honey.

For a real eye-opening documentary, watch Netflix’s five-part “Rotten” series, the segment regarding Honey.  Also…  http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/08/honey-laundering/#.WW_PhVGQzIU

Crystallized Honey

Almost all honey crystallizes naturally over time based on the ratio of glucose to fructose in the ripened honey; the time to crystallize varies depending on the floral source and is not an indicator of honey quality. There are several methods to re-liquefy honey but the most important consideration is to treat honey gently. Heating honey above100° F alters the flavor; above 120°F, the beneficial enzymes are lost.  Additionally, placing jars of honey in direct sunlight will also destroy beneficial properties.

• Water Bath – Heat water to about 105°F and remove from heat. Remove the top from the honey container and partially submerge the container in the hot water. This is best done with glass containers because plastic may float and tip over in the water. Stir the honey occasionally to help with the reliquifying. The process may have to be repeated several times but it is gentle and most likely to preserve the enzymes in raw honey.
• Microwave – It is not recommended to microwave honey to re-liquefy, as the chance of overheating & destroying the beneficial properties is too great.
• Solar Heating – This is a hands-off approach to reliquefying honey. Any enclosed area which experiences a dramatic temperature increase from solar gain will work to liquefy honey; however, remember that it is NOT recommended to put honey in direct sunlight.