Steve and Epi Goldstein, owner and operator of Texas Range Honey, recently shared the secret to their tasty wild honey. Wild honey is processed differently from honey you find in most grocery stores. It has never been heated past temperatures that naturally occur inside the hive. As bees deposit nectar which becomes honey into their hives, their activity increases the temperature inside the hive. Bees suck the nectar from flowers and store it in their stomachs. Later, bees will pass the nectar to other bees through their mouths. As the bees pass the nectar, the sugary substance turns into honey. Then, the bees store the final product in honeycomb cells.
Large producers of honey will usually harvest honey with commercial bee blowers and large quantity spinners. They will also heat honey to make it faster and easier to filter and bottle, removing many of the nutrients in the process. Wild honey is not pasteurized or altered in any way. It is unfiltered and responsibly harvested, free of any chemicals, additives, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, and pollutants.
Raw and wild honey is an all-natural and readily available option with many health benefits. Some evidence suggests that honey helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes and supports a healthy stomach. It has a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants. In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey to treat coughs and apply it topically to treat burns and promote wound healing.
Interestingly many people eat bee pollen sprinkled on their morning toast, in a sandwich at lunch to lower cholesterol, reduce hardening of the arteries, improve metabolism, and increase hormone levels. It may also improve stamina and strength, reduce depression, decrease inflammation, as well as improve immunity, menopausal symptoms, and wound healing. While both Steve and Epi say the flavor of pollen is not sweet like honey, they cannot dispute the health benefits. If you are interested in starting a bee pollen regimen, start slowly with as little as ¼ tsp per day. People can have allergies to bee pollen.
Eating unfiltered, unheated, raw honey produced within your area, (50-mile radius or less) is like receiving a natural anti-allergy shot. Quercetin, a component of honey, has been found in studies to reduce inflammation and pollen allergy symptoms. It stabilizes the cell membranes that release histamine, which triggers allergic reactions. Raw honey also contains bee pollen and bee propolis, which boosts the immune system, and builds immunity to allergens.
Sources for Local Honey
Mence Farms
1908 Baker Ridge Rd.
Sherman, TX
Cloud 9 Honey Bee Farm
333 Ranger Rd.
Pottsboro, TX
Country Hill Honey
1200 Ridgeview Dr.
Sherman, TX
Texas Range Honey, LLC
108 Main Street
Weston, TX
HONEY GARLIC SALMON
INGREDIENTS
SAUCE
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light soy sauce)
1 tbsp white vinegar (or sub with any other vinegar except balsamic)
1 large garlic clove (or 2 small) , minced
SALMON
2 salmon or trout fillets, skinless (6oz / 200g each)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
OPTIONAL GARNISHES
Sesame seeds
Finely sliced chives or shallots/scallions
INSTRUCTIONS
Take salmon out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Pat salmon skin dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Whisk together the Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Drizzle oil in a non stick fry pan and heat over medium high heat (or just under, if your stove runs hot). Place salmon in the pan, and cook the first side for 3 - 4 minutes until golden. Turn, then cook the other side for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden.
Pour sauce over salmon. Cook for 1 minute or until it starts to thicken slightly. Check the side of the salmon to tell how cooked through the middle is. If Sauce thickens too much before your salmon is cooked to your taste, just add water 1 tbsp at a time.
Remove onto serving plates.
Serve salmon drizzled with Sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chives/shallots, if desired.
