Live from the Hive – Page 3

January 12, 2015January 26, 2016Live from the Hive

Live from the hive: January 2015

Bee on black cohosh flower — Snowballs in summer: a honey bee gathers pollen from a Black cohosh flower

“Winter Miracles” by Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio

It’s a miracle that honeybees can survive the long cold northern winter. They do this by clustering in a warmth-preserving ball around their one and only queen, upon whom the whole colony depends to provide the eggs for the next generation. They detach their wings from their flight muscles and vibrate those muscles to generate heat; they take turns being at the outside of the cluster where it’s colder.

Miraculous too, that around this time, in the deepest and coldest part of the winter here in the northeast, the workers, knowing that the days are getting longer and spring will come, begin to feed the queen with stored pollen and honey. She responds by beginning to lay eggs.

All of this is in preparation to build up the colony to strong numbers who, over the coming summer, can gather lots of pollen and nectar to prepare for the next winter! And so the cycle continues. Despite all that we’ve learned, the ways of the bees are still mysterious and marvelous.

December 10, 2014January 10, 2020Live from the Hive

Live from the Hive: December 2014

Beehives covered with snow — Beehives after a snowstorm, Thistle Hill Apiary

“Winter Solstice,” by Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio

The cold and snow have arrived in the north country. Beekeepers have wrapped and insulated their hives to help the bees stay warm through the next few months.

This is such a sweet season. The holidays give us an opportunity to celebrate life, get outside and enjoy the snowfalls, sit by a fire with friends and family, and enjoy food and drink alive with honey from the bees’ diligent work throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The honey and spirits produced at Caledonia Spirits carry in their flavor subtle reminders of the flowers the bees foraged on last summer.

On December 21 at 6:03 p.m. Eastern Time, Winter Solstice arrives and the days begin to lengthen. Since before recorded history, people have acknowledged and celebrated the return of the light on this, the longest night of the year. Our modern celebrations are descendants of ancient ceremonies marking the darkness of the Solstice and the promise of light to come.

May you celebrate with honey, warmth, community, and fun at this special time.

November 9, 2014January 10, 2020Live from the Hive

Live From the Hive: November 2014

Honey in jars — Honey Harvest, Thistle Hill Apiary

“Honey, the Magical Food” by Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio

Imagine a food which has an incomparable rich sweet flavor, never spoils, and contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. That’s honey.

Honey is truly a magical substance. For thousands of years it was the only sweetener known to man. It’s mentioned in many ancient texts, from the Bible, to the Quran, to Hindu scriptures. It’s deeply embedded in the folklore of many cultures. Zeus, king of the Greek gods, was raised on honey. It stays fresh, too: thousands-of-years-old honey was found in Egyptian tombs, ready to eat.

Raw honey offers us amino acids, enzymes, vitamins B and C, a bouquet of nourishing minerals, and antioxidants. Its simple sugars, glucose and fructose, are more easily digested, and its glycemic index lower, than cane sugar. Honey has amazing healing properties. In the case of burns, honey heals faster and more completely than silver sulfadiazine, the standard treatment. And did you know that bacteria cannot live in honey?

The best thing about honey is that it tastes good. Depending on what flowers the bees have foraged on, different honeys treat us to subtle yet distinctive changes in flavor; but all are sweet and delicious! Raw honey has better flavor and a higher nutritional value than honey that’s been heated to keep it liquid. Heating honey causes the loss of hundreds of beneficial components.

The honey that goes into Caledonia Spirits Barr Hill gin is 100% raw. Fresh honey direct from the hive is truly “food for the gods”, and we are blessed to be able to partake.