About Local: Crooked Hills Honey

 

Crooked Hills Farm is located just north of Sharbot Lake. Mark Saunders, his wife Jennifer, and their three children have lived on the farm since 1990, and have kept bees since 1998. Their approximately 120 hives are spread out over four locations near Sharbot Lake and Maberly.

"We intentionally locate our apiaries in areas where the bees have natural and healthy nectar sources." says Mark. "Our bees forage on sweet clover which we grow on the farm, and wild nectar sources like milkweed, basswood, and goldenrod, which occur in abundance near the apiaries."

Mark and Jennifer are especially proud of their creamed honey, which they have been producing for the past few years.

"We produce all our own honey," points out Mark "And we maintain the highest standards of production to keep it pure and natural. Our honey is raw and unpasteurized to keep the floral flavours intact and maintain the honey's health benefits."

For Mark, it's a labour of love. "I like to read the latest research on honeybees, and I enjoy the science side of the business."

You'll find Crooked Hills Honey in our natural sweeteners aisle, and in our bulk section.

A word from Mark: "Hi, I'm Mark Saunders of Crooked Hills Honey. I supply Foodsmiths with my local honey and I thought people would be interested in the seasonal floral tastes that occur naturally with wildflower honey.

I have extracted my honey in three different time periods this season, so I have three different nectar sources influencing the honey taste. Here is the breakdown of the predominant nectar sources for each type:

1. June blossom: clover, milkweed and basswood, which produces a lighter, milder flavour
2. July blossom: star thistle and milkweed, producing a light golden colour and sweet, fruity flavour
3. August blossom: goldenrods, asters and joe pye, which results in a golden amber honey that is rich and strongly flavoured

My honey is now labelled with the extraction month, so customers can try their favourite month and enjoy that seasonal taste.

Did you know that creamed honey is almost always produced in June to take advantage of the milder flavour?

Please enjoy this delicious, locally produced honey!"

Foodsmiths Note -  Crooked Hills honey is pure, raw, unpasteurized honey. We also carry it in our bulk bin, where the different seasons have been blended to represent a consistent taste.

-- updated June 2022
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