From left to right we have:
Name: Golden Gate Honey
Purchase location: Warming Hut at Chrissy Field
Bee/hive location: Golden Gate Park
Nectar/Plant source: eucalyptus, blackberry
General tasting notes: Not my favorite (as you can see from the amount I used). I was so excited to get, but kind of ho-hum. Probably need to eat it more!
Name: Bill’s Bees Orange Blossom
Purchase location: Los Feliz Farmer’s Market
Bee/hive location: Little Topanga Canyon
Nectar/Plant source: Orange trees
General tasting notes: Pretty good, mild, not that distinctive but not bad
Name: GPH (Glen Park Honey)
Purchase location: Gift from friend who harvests, @aperte
Bee/hive location: Glen Park Canyon, southern San Francisco
Nectar/Plant source: eucalyptus, ceanothys
General tasting notes: Really good – clear, bright, not too sweet, great viscosity, I really taste the eucalytpus here, not the menthol of it, but a kind of bright flavor.
Name: Oakland Raw Honey
Purchase location: SF Underground Food Market (vendor fair thing South of Market maybe 6 months ago)
Bee/hive location: Oakland near Berkeley
Nectar/Plant source: (not stated, but, from the photos I’d say) nasturtium, pear trees, peppers, varieties of South American squashes and vegetables
General tasting notes: My favorite so far- as you can tell from the diminishing bottle. Contact info- http://www.citysown.org. What makes a great honey? I’ve noticed that if I can put it with various dishes, and it doesn’t overwhelm, but enriches, as well as tasting quite well on its own (I’m a spoon-licker). Another backyard production but this honey is by far the best I’ve had and started my hobby hunting down small honey shops for more samples!
My common honey recipes:
– with tea, Earl Grey or black teas
– plain yoghurt and fruit
– yoghurt and granola or meusli
– baking
– around meats as a marinade
– salad dressing
– banana, milk, honey dessert
Interesting for me is that I’ve never been a “add sugar” person, but honey makes me sweeten up most of my dishes, which, if you have some salt or acid, is a very nice combination.
Hives! Photos!
CitysOwn.org‘s beehives
Raw Oakland Honey at SF Underground