Dee and all: Last year I started buying local honey from a farm stand. It's not the farm stand owner's honey, she is selling it for a friend. But she is very informative...

She told me that many people with allergies benefit from eating locally grown honey. I don't recall all the details, but I got the general idea that local allergans are best treated with local honey. Seemed like it made sense. And since then, I quit buying honey at the local grocery (for me that is Wal-Mart) and started buying local.

I also recall that my grandfather, who was a practicing MD of the general practitioner variety for 50 years, was a huge fan of honey as a natural healing product. He even found a book which touted the medicinal virtues of honey, and liked it give copies of it to his patients.

So good luck with the bees, Dee, and I hope they prosper. By the way, I finally watched the movie version of the book, "The Secret Life of Bees" the other day. It, too, was chock full of training on what bees can do for us...

Agree about the value of honey.Yes Anne local to the area is said to help allergies.
I use honey in many ways.Manuka honey although expensive is something I buy.Our local health shop often gives over of three for two price so I stock up.Applied to wounds it is wonderful.

the taste of honey varies depending on where the bees gather their pollen and for Scotland heather honey is an export.
What are your bees feeding from Dee?

I only buy local honey, too, because I had heard it supposedly helps with allergies. Plus I like to support local businesses as much as I can instead of supporting big box stores.

I use honey to cure a sore throat. Works like a charm!

Wow...so many folks using honey...that's really wonderful! Popcorn tree honey is what we harvested last year and oh goodness the taste is sweet and a beautiful light color.
I've not worked enough with bees yet to figure out what honey comes from what flowers but James Burford, our expert bee friend, can taste it and tell you right away what it is.
The Wal mart honey is probably watered down and comes from heavens know where...if you can find a local beekeeper it's better to buy from them and it will help with local allergies. Hopefully!

we still have my husband's honey from 30+ years ago. It's really dark. He won't let me open it. Two jars full!

He was a beekeeper and sold honey to get him thru college way back then. No hives today, but he still knows so much. He still has his son's little gloves, net and hat. Too cute!

I admire you, Dee. It's not easy. But very rewarding.

Two Di, DeeBee's; cool!

Dee, No worries, I quit buying honey from the grocery store once I discovered local sources. I don't know if it would be legal to water it down, but I'm totally into the health benefits of LOCAL honey.

Some "beekeepers" also add corn syrup. Beware of the honey that separates....that means there's corn syrup in it. We've had one.

We buy ours from the folks who taught my DH the trade 30 years ago. It's pure and wonderful! Normally we have about 24 quarts on hand....we use it a lot!

In our grits; making my chocolate syrup; in tea; in coffee; in cakes; on toast; for bronchitis symptoms.

Di I try to avoid eating corn syrup, and especially high fructose corn syrup, which they now call "corn sugar."

Thankfully I have never had any honey that separated... But good to know what that means, should I ever acquire any...