…call for cautious hoarding. 🙂 Of honey, that is. In case you have forgotten or you’ve only recently started reading our blog, I am not from here and after five wonderful years of only having to adjust to the long heat months, I was slammed pretty rudely by all allergens in the area. All of them. Like if I spent 15 minutes outside gardening, walking or anything, it’s more than likely I got a severe allergy headache within the hour. It had gotten to the point that I would forget about my allergies and plan an outdoor activity, only to reach for the door handle and suddenly realize, I’d have to pick between working/playing outdoors and wasting the rest of the day feeling miserable or just staying inside. Not happy. So…when Mark started hives again at the Krezdorn house so we could have some local honey, I was thrilled that after some time of eating honey, my allergies were very manageable. No more shots and steroids and antibiotics needed, not that they remained effective for me after a couple of years.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, see the picture above? It’s our honey cabinet (I stashed some vinegar in there since I ran out of reachable space elsewhere in the kitchen) and yes, there are lots of jars there. 🙂 Last week, Mark pointed out to me that there were quite a number of local honey jars up there…AND?!?!? haha I must have them! I must! It’s my medicine and the thought of running out before we harvest this year’s crop was not a happy thought. I take about a teaspoon a day in my coffee and I can tell when I skip out on the Guadalupe County honeys. While the Wildflower does the best work on me, I am particularly fond of the Mesquite from both Guadalupe and Gonzales counties. Imagine my joy when I rediscovered a bit of it when I perused the honey cabinet with Mark. I think it’s funny we have a honey cabinet, as opposed to most people having liquor cabinets. Anyway, random thought thrown in for fun.
I LOVE this Mesquite. We don’t know if we’ll get any this year – it just seems like everything overlapped in blooming so it’s probably going to be all mixed in with all the other wildflowers, from Bluebonnets to Indian Blankets to Primrose to all the bloomed out trees and brush. Not that this is a bad thing – a mixed pollens honey actually is even better for allergy relief! But, I do love the Mesquite smoothness. When people ask us to describe honeys we have, we always qualify it with the statement that everyone’s tastebuds are different. And what you like right now may not be the same taste you like two years from now. Our tastebuds change over time. But if I had to describe Mesquite, I go with the description that it’s one of the smoothest honeys I’ve ever had – a little like caramel, little like butter…sweet but not floral. GREAT in coffee. Which now makes me really want to brew a cup of my favorite Dunkin Donut Coconut. Yep. It’s gonna happen.
I have to fess up…this stash is on the stove below our honey cabinet. lol
Hmm…I’m trying to use up jars with a little honey left but you go with the honey that is best for what you are planning. If I cook (and depending what I cook), then I go with a bolder, usually darker honey such as the Huajilla or Blueberry. For coffee, I like a light one such as the Mesquite or Montana Clover. For Pecan Pie we’ve tried Blueberry and Orange Blossom and both have been very good; great flavor. I try and do Wildflower daily when my allergies are starting to irritate me though when I first started taking honey for allergies, I was strict about Wildflower always. Over time, I have had the luxury of switching it up. Besides, I enjoy all the other flavors so much!
Finally, I just want to say that we always appreciate our families supporting us in all of this. They help out, they order honey, candles and baskets, they pass out GBR postcards to friends and teachers and anyone who mentions they are interested in bees or honey…we are so loved and we sure appreciate it. We had commissioned one of our sweet nieces to paint several flower paintings for our new home. I told her to think about her commission, considering painting time, energy, thought and planning, materials, etc. She wrote back that all she’d like is some of the good honey her Uncle Mark makes. OMG, tear-fest. Seriously. What a sweetheart. So this is what we’re sending her. That darling girl. We are blessed beyond belief.
Gretchen Bee Ranch 