It's the Good Honey

I usually bring twenty dollars when I visit the West Seattle farmer's market. I have a strategy. I circle and weave my way through each of the tables. First, I wonder my way past vendors selling fresh flowers such as brightly colored tulips and hyacinths that have such a lovely Spring smell that it lingers in the air even as I continue walking past.  Families and children delightfuly and busily fill their baskets with farm fresh produce.

Apple cider. Squash. Fresh pasta. Salmon. Honey... honey!

And that is where I make my first stop. It isn't every day that I purchase a $12 jar of honey. But the friendly beekeeper of Eagleman Farms in Skagit County convinced me that there is no substitute for pure, unfiltered raw honey. Conventional store bought honey is watered down and can contain other sweeteners like granulated sugar or High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Raw honey, on the other hand, is a pure substance that comes directly from the bees and only the bees! Raw honey will not spoil.  In fact, edible honey was found in ancient Egyptian King Tut's tomb! As one of history's oldest agricultural products, people have savored its taste and health benefits for millions of years. Raw honey is also considered a superfood that provides antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients.  Honey aids in digestion and is a remedy for minor scraps and burns and is naturally antibacterial. Honey packs a punch when it comes to the amount of fructose and glucose it contains and is therefore much sweeter than sugar. Honey can be used in cooking, baking, and as a sweetener in beverages. It should never be heated in the microwave as heat can destroy its chemical properties. It should be stored in a sealed glass container and preferably stored in a dark place.  

Tomorrow morning when I drizzle my newly purchased raw honey over my yogurt and toasted walnuts I will think back to all I learned this weekend from a very knowledgeable beekeeper and I will now know, it's the good honey.