BEE-SPLAINING: Why is Local Honey So Expensive Compared to Grocery Store Honey?
Welcome, Honey Enthusiasts!
Hopefully you are having an amazing summer. The weather here has finally calmed and cooled down after a couple of extremely hot weeks and record tornadoes in NY. We had a total of 18 tornadoes so far in July! To let you in on how crazy that is, we typically have an average of 9 per year. Thankfully all our hives are intact as most of the storms went north and south of us. We've also been very busy with making new Honey Jams, Jellies, and Spreads since the harvest season is upon us, as well as harvesting and drying our garden herbs. Bee sure to check them out. Now on to this week's blog. Grab your iced coffee and settle in to read about why local honey is so expensive compared to grocery store honey.
"I can buy it at the store for a lot less." We frequently hear this comment, and while it pains us, we totally understand. Times are tough. While some of our honey IS sold at grocery stores, you can't always trust others you might see there, especially if the price difference is extreme. As beekeepers deeply invested in the honey business, we want to try to shed some light on the sweet mystery for the price difference and hopefully help inform our consumers. Here's why local honey often carries a heftier price tag, and why it's worth every penny.
1. The Quality Difference
Local honey is often produced in small batches with a lot of care. Beekeepers ensure that the bees have access to a variety of flowers, resulting in a rich, diverse flavor profile. Grocery store honey, on the other hand, is usually mass-produced and can be blended from various sources, which might dilute its flavor and quality. Local bees make local honey, which means the pollen they collect and bring back to the hive is all sourced from local plants. Since many seasonal allergies are caused by these same plants, eating honey that contains that pollen can possibly combat those allergies. Plus, the taste difference between local raw honey and grocery store honey is like the difference between a vibrant garden in full bloom and a barren field. Yuck! We're not beeing biased, try a side-by-side comparison and see for yourself.
2. The Purity Factor
When you buy local raw honey, you’re getting a product that’s pure and unadulterated. And those are some words to look out for on labels. "Pure" means nothing. Just that other ingredients, like corn syrup and sugar, haven't been added. It doesn't mean the honey hasn't been heated and processed. Many commercial honey producers do process their honey, which can involve heating and complete filtering to extend shelf life and improve clarity. Unfortunately, this process can strip away some of the honey’s natural enzymes and nutrients. Local honey is often raw and unfiltered, preserving all its natural goodness. Our Finger Lakes Honey is 100% raw, which means we don't heat our honey at all. Also, much of the honey you see in stores may be imported and can come from anywhere. Some of the world’s top honey exporters are China, New Zealand, Argentina, Ukraine, Brazil and India.
3. Support for Local Beekeepers
Buying local honey means supporting your community’s beekeepers. These folks work tirelessly to maintain healthy hives, manage bee populations, and ensure sustainable practices. The money you spend on local honey helps keep these small businesses thriving, contributing to the local economy and encouraging environmentally friendly practices. So in the process, by buying local honey, you are definitely helping the bees.
4. Seasonal and Regional Variations
Local honey varies with the seasons and the region, offering unique flavors you won’t find in mass-produced honey. The plants that bees pollinate change throughout the year, giving each batch a distinct taste. This variety is part of the charm of local honey, but it also means that beekeepers can’t produce large quantities of the same product year-round. Many store-bought honeys are blended by large companies, from various sources, and sold as "Pure", "Natural", "Clover", etc. But you never know what you are actually eating. Beekeepers know the flowers and plants that their bees are gathering nectar and pollen from.
5. Labor-Intensive Process
Harvesting honey is no small feat. Local beekeepers often manage their hives personally, ensuring that the bees are healthy and the honey is harvested sustainably. This hands-on approach is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive. In contrast, commercial honey production is often automated and scaled up to reduce costs.
6. No Shortcuts
Local honey producers take pride in their product and avoid shortcuts that might compromise quality. This means they’re not using additives, high fructose corn syrup, or other fillers to cut costs. What you get is 100% raw honey, which is not only healthier but also more delicious. Make sure the label reads, "raw" for no heating being involved in the honey process.
7. Environmental Benefits
Supporting local beekeepers means you’re also supporting the environment. Local beekeepers are more likely to practice sustainable beekeeping, which includes protecting bee habitats and promoting biodiversity. This contrasts with some large-scale operations that may not prioritize environmental stewardship.
In conclusion, Real honey isn’t cheap, and cheap honey isn’t real. While local honey may be pricier, it's a small investment in quality, purity, and sustainability. You're not just buying honey; you're supporting a local beekeeper's hard work, contributing to the local economy, and helping the environment. Plus, you get to enjoy a unique, delicious product that you know you can trust. So next time you’re tempted choosing between that cheap squeezy bottle of honey of dubious origin and the honey from the local beekeeper, ask yourself which is more likely to be real honey made by honeybees and not in some factory on the other side of the world. We think you know the answer. Your taste buds, your community, and the bees will thank you! And so will us beekeepers!
Until Next Time- Stay Sweet!
Tom and Stacie
Our Beekeepers, Tom and Stacie, are co-owners of Fingerlakes Honey Company located in the bee-utiful Fingerlakes region of New York State. When they are not tending to all things bees, they enjoy spending time with their grown children, their dog, and lots of chickens on their homestead. They love learning more about the bees they foster and helping others to learn more about them as well.
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