In 2006 the Red Stringybark was in full flower and we still have some of this very popular honey available. Rain has come in time for the Yellow Box to flower in 2007. This honey is considered Australia’s premier honey, and is light golden with a mellow flavour. The extended drought has seriously affected Australia’s fresh honey supplies, as there has not been enough nectar around for the bees to collect.
We extract only when the bees have surplus honey, and this is usually when one species of tree has flowered profusely. So our honey is predominantly from one species of tree, giving uniquely pure flavours. When this is combined with cold extraction and minimal filtering, the results are superior taste and unique flavours.
Bee Facts
· A productive hive contains at least 40,000 bees and a strong hive can contain 100,000 bees.· The hive contains one queen bee – the mother. She only leaves the hive to mate or to find a new home (“swarming”).
· The drone (male) fertilises the queen (in flight).
· The worker bee (female) is the smallest. She is a “busy bee” gathering food and water, cleaning and defending the hive,
and rearing the young. She lives for 28-35 days. She will fly the equivalent of two and a half times around the world during
her lifetime collecting nectar.
· 12 worker bees will work a lifetime to collect enough nectar to produce one teaspoon of honey
· Honey is the food reserves for the hive
· Beeswax is to make the honeycomb to store the honey
· Pollen makes bee bread to feed the young
· Propolis is a sticky substance to seal the hive
· Bee Venom is a defence against predators and the bee dies once it has stung
· Royal Jelly is fed to the larvae to turn it into a Queen bee.
· Honey bee wings stroke 11,400 times per minute causing their distinctive buzz (190Hz).
Honey Nutritional Information
Servings/kg: 66Serving size 15g Quantity Quantity
Per serving Per 100g
Energy 212kJ 1416kJ
Protein 0.05g 0.3g
Fat-Total 0g 0g
Carbohydrate 12.5g 83g
Sugars 12.5g 83g
Sodium 2.3mg 4mg
Specific gravity 1.43
Honey may contain small amounts of royal jelly and pollen, which may cause allergic reactions.
Untreated and unblended honey is very special – sometimes it may crystallise, this is completely natural. If your honey crystallises you can put the honey container into fairly hot water (not boiling) and let it gradually return to its liquid state. It is extremely rare for honey to ‘go off’. We label our honey with the month of collection and it is best used within the next year.
© 2007 by Michael Croft and Mountain Creek Farm, All rights reserved.