bearhughoney

Top 10 Best Pure Raw Honeys in the World

samuel.s.johnson@gmail.com (Samuel Johnson) — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 19:30:16 GMT

Top Ten Best Honeys in the World! (Our world here at Bear Hug Honey Company)

Hey Friends!

Here’s my (Sam, owner of Bear Hug Honey Company) Top 10 Honeys here at Bear Hug Honey Company in Athens, Georgia! Feel free to let us know your favorite honeys in the comments! We love finding new varietals and sharing them! I’ll put links to the honeys below so you can purchase them from us if you like! Hope you enjoy.

~ Sam & Coraline (aka, Caroline)

10. Chestnut Honey

Chestnut Honey has a very distinct flavor! Chestnut Honey is smooth and silky like you'd expect a honey to bee, but it has a dry and bitter taste to it! It's the least sweet honey I've ever had, and for being so unique, Chestnut Honey makes my Top 10 Honeys!

Link to Chestnut Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Chestnut-Honey-p678356868

9. Orange Blossom Honey

Orange Blossom Honey comes straight from the nectar of Orange Grooves in Florida. Orange Blossom Honey has a super distinct citrus zest to it! You can taste the orange in the honey. Perfect for making salad dressings, cocktails, or sweetening up a hot tea!

Link to Orange Blossom Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Orange-Blossom-Honey-p93109865

8. Manuka Honey

Manuka Honey hails from New Zealand and is the healthiest honey in the world! It has more Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties than any other honey! Manuka Honey is packed with Nutrients and Enzymes, and works great on your skin for any kinds of cuts or scrapes! It's a spun honey so, its more of a spreadable consistency, perfect for biscuits, waffles, bagels, or melting down in a hot tea or coffee!

Link to Manuka Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Manuka-Honey-p643144509

7. Lavender Honey

Our Lavender Honey hails from France and it's soooo good! It has a light, fresh, cooling taste to it! You get a light lavender flavor, but not too strong; a perfect balance. Lavender Honey is a spreadable honey too, and is perfect on bagels, biscuits, waffles, drizzled over strong cheeses, and in hot tea!

Link to Lavender Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/French-Lavender-Honey-p678356873

6. Lehua Honey

Lehua Honey comes all the way from Hawaii where Lehua is the State Tree! Lehua Honey has a deep, rich, butterscotch sweet to it. It's decadent and taste like a dessert honey. Lehua Honey has a creamy consistency that goes great on just about anything.

5. Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey

Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey is probably the most unique honey I have ever tried. It has a leathery, floral sweet to it! I've never tasted anything like it before. Stronger in flavor, and works well in coffee, strong cheeses, or by the spoonful.

5b. Wildcard: Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey

Our Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey is sooo good! I cook the most with this one. It's literally great on anything! We add applewood smoked chiles to our Georgia Wildflower Honey to let the heat and smokey flavor infuse into the honey, then after some time, strain the chiles out! What's left in a paradox of deliciousness! Sweet, smokey, spicy. Sriracha Spicy Honey is great drizzled over Salmon, chicken, cheeses, bacon, avocados, stir fry, PIZZA, just about anything. It was also a Flavor of Georgia Finalist.

Link to Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Southern-Sriracha-Spicy-Honey-p91624912

4. Tupelo Honey

Van Morrison sang it best: As Sweet As Tupelo Honey. Tupelo Honey is definitely one of the best honeys in the world, it's also one of the rarest. The Tupelo Flower only blooms for 2 to four weeks out of the year, and is a tree to only grows in the swamps of Northwest Florida, specifically Wewahitchka. So, not only does Tupelo Honey have a super short harvesting season, it also is extremely regional. Now, for the taste! Tupelo has a delicious buttery, floral, bright sweet to it, which hits you on the back of the tongue. Tupelo Honey also is also one of the few honeys that never crystallizes, which makes it super unique too!

Link to Tupelo Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Tupelo-Honey-p91636745

3. Honeysuckle Honey

Our Honeysuckle Honey is divine. Divine. Talk about decadence melting on your tongue. Silky smooth in a spreadable texture. Light, creamy, delicious. Harvested in Southern Italy by Nomadic Beekeepers, our Honeysuckle Honey is how I imagine a perfect honey tasting.

Link to Honeysuckle Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Honeysuckle-Honey-p301177950

2. Georgia Wildflower Honey

Our Georgia Wildflower Honey is a bit of a wildcard here too! Super light in color and taste, floral, sweet, with a hint of earthiness. Our bees visit an abundance of flowers when the Georgia Wildflowers are in bloom, and you can get a glimpse of each with each taste. I would also like to say here that you should definitely try your own local wildflower honey! It could be some of the best honey out there too.

Link to Georgia Wildflower Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Georgia-Wildflower-Honey-p90685100

1. Sourwood Honey

Drum roll.. The honey of all honeys for me has to be.. Sourwood Honey : it's just that good. Sourwood Honey hails from the North Georgia Mountains and has a super complex yet smooth taste to it. The flavor profile is caramel, buttery, rich, deep, complex, and sweet (but not too sweet). Every summer we take our bees up to the North Georgia Mountains, place a bear fence around them for protection, and cross our fingers hoping for an awesome Sourwood Flow. Due to the short harvest season of the Sourwood Tree blooming and the regional aspect of where the Sourwood Tree grows, this makes Sourwood Honey not only one of the tastiest honeys in the world, but also one of the rarest.

Link to Sourwood Honey:

https://www.bearhughoney.com/store/Sourwood-Honey-p90679065

Sriracha Spicy Honey Chicken Recipe

Sat, 23 May 2020 19:46:07 GMT

Spicy Honey Chicken Recipe ~ Cast Iron & Oven

The first 2 things to know when cooking our Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey Chicken Recipe are:

1. It's going to be delicious

2. This is as easy as it gets

I am cooking here on a Cast Iron. Mainly because I love Cast Iron Skillets, but also because I can sauté the vegetables on the stove top in the Cast Iron, then use the same Cast Iron Skillet to roast the Chicken and Vegetables in the oven.

Here's the ingredients:

3 ~ Chicken Breasts (or thighs)

1 ~ Red Bell Pepper

1 ~ Yellow Bell Pepper

1 ~ Sweet Vidalia Onion (or any Onion if you aren't lucky enough to have Vidalia's : )

1 ~ Handful of Mushrooms

2 ~ Garlic Cloves

2 ~ Tablespoons Butter

3 ~ Drizzles of Olive Oil

1 ~ Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey Jar (you'll use about 1/2 cup of Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey. And definitely don't worry about using too much.)

~ Salt & Pepper to Taste

Easy Steps for Cooking Spicy Honey Chicken:

1. Slice all Vegetables (Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper, Onion, Mushrooms, Garlic)

2. Place the Cast Iron Skillet on the Stove Top, and turn to Med/High Heat.

3. Drizzle Olive Oil on skillet (about 1 tablespoon)

4. Drop 1 tablespoon of butter in Skillet and let melt. (I use both butter and olive oil as butter add more flavor and I'm from the South :)

5. Once the butter is sizzling, add in all Vegetables except Garlic.

6. Stir Vegetables and saute for about 5 minutes.

7. Add Garlic and stir for 1 more minute

8. Add Chicken to Skillet. Pro Tip: Use a Tongs to move Vegetables to one side of the Cast Iron Skillet, then lay down Chicken so that Chicken is touching the bottom of the hot skillet. Then, grab Vegetables with Tongs again, and move Vegetable to on top of Chicken.

9. Slice remaining tablespoon of butter into 3, and place each slice of butter on top of each piece of chicken.

10. Drizzle 1/2 Cup of Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey over Chicken & Vegetables.

11. Place Cast Iron Skillet in Preheated 400 degrees oven for 15-25 minutes depending on your Oven.

12. After 15 minutes, check the internal Temperature of the Chicken. I use a this: ThermoPro Meat Thermometer . It reads the internal temp instantly and it also has built in magnets, so it sticks to my fridge & grill!

13. When the internal temp of your Chicken is 165 degrees, pull your Cast Iron out of the Oven.

14. Let sit for 5 minutes.

15. Place the Spicy Honey Chicken and Vegetables on your plate

16. Spoon out Garlic Spicy Honey Butter Sauce from your Skillet and drizzle over Chicken and Vegetables.

Now, eat up! It's going to be soooo good!

If you do not have a Cast Iron Skillet:

~ Simply Saute Vegetables in a regular saute pan with Oilive Oil and Butter

~ Place Chicken Breasts & Vegetables on a pan, then drizzle over with Olive Oil

~ Drizzle Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey (1/2 Cup) over Chicken & Vegetables

~ Place a 1/3 tablespoon of butter on each piece of Chicken

~ Salt & Pepper to taste

~ Cook in 400 Degree Oven for 15-25 minutes until the internal temp of your Chicken is 165 degrees.

Click the image below to purchase Sriracha Spicy Honey!

Local Georgia Honey ~ Never Tasted so Good!

Wed, 20 May 2020 16:39:35 GMT

Our Georgia Wildlfower Honey ~ The Perfect Sweet

Harvested in Georgia, our Wildflower Georgia Honey has the perfect combination of floral flavors and sweetness. A little bolder to the taste; it's a true Classic Honey!

Honey & Allergies:

If you are looking for a Local Georgia Honey to help with seasonal allergies, then this is the one! The trick is to find a local Wildflower Honey. Wildflower, means that the bees are visiting many different flowers, and therefore the honey will have a variety of trace pollens in it to help build up an immunity to your allergies. We recommend a tablespoon of our Wildflower Georgia Honey in the morning, and one in the evening to help with allergies and also to sweeten your day!

Bear Hug Tidbit: Wildflower Honey simply means the hardworking honeybees are gathering all the nectar they can from whichever 'Wildflowers' are currently blooming. Therefore, Wildflower Honey gives you a unique taste of the region as well as the season in which the honey was collected!

100% Pure Raw Honey

Sriracha Honey ~ The Best Spicy Honey for Cooking

Wed, 20 May 2020 15:54:45 GMT

Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey ~ Delicious on Everything!

Our Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey was a "Flavor of Georgia Finalist" and once you taste it, you'll know why.

Sweet, Smokey, Spicy: Our Sriracha Honey is the best of all possible worlds. We infused Southern grown and smoked chilies, a dash of vinegar, and a light, sweet honey to create a spinoff of Sriracha with a Southern flavor of depth and delight. Perfect for topping off grilled salmon, pork or peaches, stir-fry vegetables, fruits, sharp cheeses, and drizzled over Pizza!

For grilling, simply slather on a healthy amount before placing (salmon, pork, chicken) on the grill, then, 3 minutes before removing from the grill, slather on another healthy portion and close the grill for those 3 minutes. Our Sriracha Honey will soak in and caramelize over whatever you are cooking to create a juicier and more flavorful dish.

For pairing with cheese, we recommend Sharp and/or Strong Cheeses such as Manchego, Goats Cheese, Hot Brie, Gouda, etc - then drizzle over each bite. Our Sriracha Honey adds a whole new level to Charcuterie Boards.

Bear Hug Tidbit: Sriracha is name after a small coastal town in eastern Thailand, Si Racha where the hot sauce is thought to have been first produced.

---------------

We thought our Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey was so tasty that it deserved it's own poem:

Ladies and Gents,
gatekeepers of taste,
thank you for having me,
I bow to your grace.

Now if I may,
I’ll explain my flavor,
I’m smokey, I’m spicy,
I’m sweet; please savor.

We wracked our brains
to bounce beyond the box;
we didn’t want a condiment
we strove for a paradox.

I came up with the ingredients,
my best friend, Rosie, the label,
and though we were naïve,
I hope we’ll prove able.

The recipe consists
of the nectar of flowers;
Applewood Smoked Peppers
provides the sweet power.

Sunbeams shine down,
and allows us to live;
the flowers they bloom,
and bees toil just to give.

Now the sweet that you taste
is the flora of Georgia,
and I think we can all agree:
nothing rhymes with Georgia.

But Georgia’s our home,
and home ain’t always a cinch;
It’s an ungraspable odyssey
of miles, composed of an inch.

So, here comes the smokey,
that hits like the fog;
it’s the 4th of July barbecue,
it’s another fire on the log.

Then comes the spice,
it’s the spark and the flame,
it’s the kick in the butt,
it’s the ideal of the aim.

But now here’s the sweet..
to sooth us all down,
and remind us what’s important:
to keep our feet on the ground.

So slather me on salmon,
drizzle me atop hot brie;
I’m delicious on pizza,
set your tastes free.

For I’m not just a condiment,
cause life ain’t a box;
It’s a complicated explosion,
and I’m the sweetest paradox.

Tupelo Honey - So, delicious.

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 21:19:02 GMT

As Sweet As Tupelo Honey

As sweet as Tupelo Honey

Tupelo Honey (one of the rarest honeys in the world due to the short bloom season) is like no other. Buttery and floral; it's almost as if you can taste the Tupelo flower. Van Morrison may have helped introduce people to Tupelo Honey, but it is most famous for it's delicious taste.

Hailing from Apalachicola, the Tupelo Tree, which only grows in the swamps of Northwest Florida, blooms every April for 1-3 weeks tops.

Bear Hug Tidbit: Tupelo Honey is one of the very few honeys that never crystallizes. This is due to the higher fructose to glucose / sucrose content of the nectar of the Tupelo Flower.

100% Pure Raw Honey

As Sweet As Tupelo Honey ~ Van Morrison

You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right around all the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee

You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't keep us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey, baby, from the bee

You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't stop us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor intent on chivalry
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey, baby, from the bee

You know she's alright, oh she's alright with me
You know, you know, you know she's alright, she alright with me
You know, you know, you know you know
You know she's alright, alright with me
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright with me
She's alright
She's alright with me
She's alright
She's alright with me

She's al, she's alright, she's alright
She's alright with me
She's alright, she's alright, she's alright, she's alright

You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail it right around all these seven oceans
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Because, she's as sweet as Tupelo honey, yes she is
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey, baby, from the bee

She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like the honey, from the bee
She's alright, she's alright with me
She's my baby, you know she's alright
She's my baby, she's my baby, she's alright
She's my baby

Sourwood Honey - The Best Honey in the World!

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 21:02:25 GMT

Sourwood Honey ~ Pure, Raw, Delicious

Sourwood Honey is one of the most sought after honeys in the world. The Sourwood Tree is a tree that grows in the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia, North Carolina, and parts of Tennessee.

Sourwood Honey comes from the nectar of the flower on the Sourwood Tree, which blooms in July/August of each year for about 6 weeks. It's during this time that we take our bees up to the Mountains of North Georgia and prepare for the Sourwood bloom. Once the Sourwood bloom sets, our Beekeepers place new Frames in the Supers allowing for the the Sourwood Honey Nectar to be brought back to fresh frames, ensuring pure delicious Sourwood Honey.

The Color & Taste:

Sourwood Honey has a beautiful, light amber color, and a full buttery, caramelized flavor that will melt on your tongue. It's like no other honey, and once you have pure Sourwood Honey, you'll understand why!

Sourwood Honey also has the distinction of winning Worlds Best Honey on two separate occasions!

What's it good on?

Sourwood Honey is delicious on just about anything!

From hot tea, cheeses, fruits, oatmeal, granola, biscuits, waffles!

Health Benefits of Sourwood Honey

All honey is naturally anti-bacterial, which is why honey never goes bad! For this reason also, honey is great for your skin; on cuts, scrapes, and burns. Honey also has the local pollen in it, which has been known to help with allergies.

Sourwood Tree

The Sourwood Tree, Oxydendrum arboreum , has beautiful white bell-shaped flowers in early summer. Its leaves are rich green color and turn crimson-red and purple in the Fall.

Sourwood Trees bloom from June to July, which is when our Beekeepers will take their hives up to the North Georgia Mountains to harvest Sourwood Honey.

Sourwood Trees can live up to 200 years.

Sourwood Honey got it's names from the semi-sour taste of its leaves. Mountain hikers and climbers still use Sourwood leaves to make a tasty tea while hiking.

Where to Buy Pure Sourwood Honey?

You're in luck!

As long as supplies last, you can purchase directly from our website here: Sourwood Honey

or our shop in downtown Athens!

-----

Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood) Heath Family (Ericaceae)Botanical

https://www.uky.edu/hort/Sourwood

Introduction:

Truly a tree for all seasons, Sourwood is one of our most beautiful natives and is ideal as a small specimen tree. It has lovely flowers that open in mid-summer, excellent fall color, and hanging racemes of fruit capsules in the winter. Sourwood offers some of the best fall color among trees in the South, and has the best red of any of our natives. Fall color ranges from red to purple to yellow, and all three colors are often on the same tree.

Culture:

Sourwood is an exceptional tree for slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5), well-drained soils. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade although fl owering and fall color are best in full sun. The tree does reasonably well in dry, neutral soils. Sour-wood can be grown in Zones 5 (perhaps 4) to 9. This tree will not tolerate dry, compacted, alkaline soils or deicing salt, and is sensitive to root disturbance, so it is not ideal for urban areas. Sourwood has no serious pest problems. It should be transplanted as a young, balled-and-burlapped or container-grown plant.

Additional information:

Sourwood’s bark is grayish brown tinged with red, and deeply furrowed with scaly ridges. In the wild, its bark often looks blocky like that of persimmon. Planting Sourwood next to black gum (Nyssa sylvaticato black gum (Nyssa sylvaticato black gum makes for a great fall color combination. Sourwood makes an excellent specimen tree, and can also be used in shrub borders with Rhododendron, Pieris and Leucothoe. Sourwood’s wood is hard and has red-tinged brown heartwood and thick layers of pale sapwood. Lumber is used for tool handles and was once used to make wagon sled runners. Sourwood flowers are very attractive to bees, and Sourwood Honey is common in the South. Its honey, which has a medium to light color with heavy body, is slow to granulate.

The scientific name for Sourwood comes from the Greek words oxys (acid) and dendron (tree) and refers to the sour taste of its leaves. The leaves are used as a thirst-quencher by hikers and mountain climbers, and were once brewed to make a tonic. The largest known Sourwood in North America is in Robbinsville, N.C. It is 118 feet tall with a 2-foot trunk. Sourwood was introduced into the landscape in 1747.

Benefits of Beeswax Candles!

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 19:06:02 GMT

The Cleanest, Healthiest, and Longest Lasting Candle!

Our Beeswax Candles are spectacular! It takes approximately thirty-three million visits to flowers for bees to create a single pound of beeswax and then that wax gets transformed into gorgeous, decorative candles that are actually good for us when burned.

Our Beeswax Candles are naturally drip-less and smokeless, and they tend to have longer burning time than other candles made from various types of waxes. When beeswax burns, it cleans and purifies the air; it’s beneficial to us. Some types of candles produce minute traces of chemicals known to be carcinogenic, but this is not a problem with beeswax candles. Since it is an all-natural product, they are more attractive to individuals who practice a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Even though they usually are more expensive, they also burn longer. Thus, are more cost effective, in the long run. Unlike paraffin candles, which are made from petroleum-based wax, beeswax candles have completely a clean, non-toxic burn and produce negative ions when burning.

Negative Ions - These charged molecules are created when air molecules break apart because of sunlight, radiation, or the movement of air and water. The number of negative ions in an environment can vary greatly depending on the environment, and it is unknown exactly why negative ions affect the body in such a positive manner.

Positive Results:

· Negative ions relieve stress

· boosts energy and alertness levels

· reduces the amount of dust mites, mold and dander in the air, easing allergy and asthma symptoms and improving breathing for anyone nearby.

· they may help protect against airborne germs by attaching to positively charged ions that are holding other contaminants airborne.

Possible Theories Explaining How This Works:

· They cause a biochemical reaction that increase serotonin levels

· They increase the flow of oxygen to the brain

· They stimulate the pituitary gland, which regulates the endocrine glands including the adrenal and thyroid glands, causing a positive result.

The simple act of burning a candle has relaxing properties and can aid in stress relief and meditation. The mildly sweet, natural honey scent of beeswax candles can aid relaxation without being overwhelming as artificially scented candles can become. And if aromatherapy is desired, place a couple drops of essential oils into the warm wax around the flame. It’s a lovely way to infuse a room with scent.

Beeswax candles have the brightest, purest light of any candles and are closest to natural sunlight. If the candles are to be used as a light source, this can help minimize eye strain and reduce headaches. Burning the candles for thirty to sixty minutes in the bedroom prior to sleeping can help clear the air for more restful sleep. Beeswax candles are also best to use in the kitchen where they will help neutralize odors without tainting food with artificial aromas. Beeswax candles can even be used in a nursery to clean the air for young, delicate lungs. Of course, burning any candle should occur with proper adult supervision.

Using beeswax candles not only supports bee keepers; it also keeps bee colonies healthy. This maybe one of the best reasons to use beeswax candles. Because beeswax candles are all natural, safer to burn, and provide health benefits, they are the best choice for burning.

2019 Big Dipper Wax Works https://candles.lovetoknow.com/Beeswax_Candle_Health_Benefits

Kimi Harris December 2, 2013

Ghost Pepper Honey

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 15:31:40 GMT

Ghost Pepper Honey: The Perfect Amount of Sweet Heat!

The Bhut Jolokia, also known as Ghost Pepper, Ghost Chili, U-morok, Red Naga, Naga Jolokia, and Ghost Jolokia, is one of the hottest (and tastiest) peppers in the world.

When most people hear, Ghost Pepper, they think painful, tear-inducing heat.. HOWEVER, the magic of our Ghost Pepper Honey is that the cool sweetness of our honey balances out the heat of the the Ghost Pepper. Sure, our Ghost Pepper Honey has a kick , but it is definitely an enjoyable and delicious kick.

In regards to a Scoville rating (how hot a pepper is), Ghost Peppers generally come in at 855,000 - 1,000,000. That's some serious heat! For reference, Tabasco Sauce hits less than 5,000 on the Scoville scale!

As far as aesthetics, Ghost Peppers have to be some of the prettiest peppers in the world. Large, long, wide, curvy, and glowing in bright red (there are Ghost Pepper varieties that are yellow, orange, chocolate) make the Ghost Pepper instantly recognizable.

How do we recommend using our Ghost Pepper Honey ?

- Drizzle over a cheese board to add a kick to your party

- As a Hot Honey Salmon Glaze

- As a Hot Honey Grilled Chicken Glaze

- Tea & Coffee

- Ice Cream (yes, Ghost Pepper Honey + Ice Cream = Yum)

- Drizzled over the top of you favorite Pizza! This is one of our favorite ways to use Ghost Pepper Honey (we eat a lot of Pizza)

Lastly, a pro-tip when using our Ghost Pepper Honey . The Ghost Pepper Oils tend to float to the top of the honey when sitting.. So, before dipping your spoon into your jar, flip your jar a few times to mix the Ghost Pepper Oils and the Honey for the perfect balance of Sweet & Heat!

The Health Benefits of Ginger; with a Ginger Honey, Lemon Tea Recipe!

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 19:23:54 GMT

Our Delicious and Versatile, Ginger Honey:

When you were a sick kid, did your mom give you ginger ale? If so, she was a wise woman. She knew how effective ginger is at correcting nausea and digestive irritation. But research has proven ginger can be effective in relieving inflammation and pain, reducing cholesterol levels and stabilizing the body’s sugar levels, too. These factors help with overall cardiovascular health and diabetes wellness. Your mom may have been giving you ginger to help your tummy, but maybe she knew it was just an all-around healthy spice.

Ginger is part of the Zingiberaceae family, as are the spices cardamom and turmeric, and is extensively researched for its medicinal properties. The oleoresin, oily resin, from the rhizomes, roots of ginger contains at least fourteen bioactive components: gingerol, paradol, shogaol, dehydro-gingerdione, hexahydrocurcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, gingerenone, bis-hydroxyl-methoxyphenyl, and variations of each. The proportion of each individual component in a sample of ginger depends on country of origin, commercial processor, and whether the ginger is fresh, dried, or processed. Ginger has long been known to be helpful in aiding digestion and reducing nausea before research validated its effectiveness. But ginger also relieves cold and influenza symptoms, reduces pain and inflammation, and may even improve cardiovascular health.

Research has determined that the phenolic compounds in ginger are known to help relieve gastrointestinal irritation, stimulate saliva and bile production, and suppress gastric contractions as food and fluids move through the digestive tract. At the same time, ginger also appears to have beneficial effects on the enzymes trypsin and pancreatic lipase, and to increase motility through the digestive tract. This suggests ginger could help prevent colon cancer and reduce constipation.

Ingesting ginger is a common home remedy for motion and morning sickness, and because of its anti-nauseous capabilities, is now used during cancer treatments, as it squashes nausea. Additionally, a study involving seventy-four volunteers carried out at the University of Georgia found that daily ginger supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by twenty-five percent.

Ginger has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and treat inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds found in ginger that are beneficial to our health include gingerols, beta-carotene, capsaicin, caffeic acid, curcumin and salicylate. There’s a reason ginger has been used for millennium; it’s so much more than just tummy soother.

The root or underground stem (rhizome) of the ginger plant can be consumed fresh, powdered, dried as a spice, in oil form, or even as juice. It’s available fresh, dried, as ginger extract and ginger oil, and in tinctures, capsules, and even lozenges. Many produce departments in grocery stores may carry fresh ginger already cut and ready for use. But one of the best ways to enjoy ginger is infused in honey, and Bear Hug Honey Company has the best Ginger Infused Honey . Try this recipe:

Ginger Honey Lemon Tea Recipe

Makes 1 Quart

Ready in 30 Minutes

Ingredients

4 cups water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup grated ginger root
3 tablespoons of loose-leaf tea or 3 tea bags
2 lemons, juiced
3 tablespoons Bear Hug Honey Company Ginger Honey

Directions

Stir water, brown sugar, and grated ginger root together in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and add tea bags; steep tea to desired strength, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.
Stir lemon juice and honey into the tea; strain into a pitcher.

------

Ware RDN LD, Megan, Ginger: Health benefits and dietary tips, Monday 11 September 2017

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265990.php

Bode, Ann M. and Zigang Dong. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd

edition, CRC Press, 2011

michellebelle61. “Honey-Lemon Ginger Tea,” https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239811/honey-lemon-ginger-tea . Accessed 21 Sept. 2018

The Best Hot Honeys!

Tue, 01 May 2018 20:36:02 GMT

A Paradox of Flavor: Spicy Honey

Many people like sweet; many people like spicy. However, most have never considered combining the two. Until now..

After experimenting in the kitchen with a variety of different spicy peppers and sweet honeys, we here here at Bear Hug Honey Company think we have found a few perfectly delicious combinations: Hot Honey.

Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey

The first Spicy Honey in our Infused Honey Line we want to introduce was a Flavor of Georgia Finalist for 2017 ! Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey is perhaps our most flavorful Hot Honey in that it is bursting with flavors of Smokey, Sweet, and Spicy.

We infuse our honey with Applewood Smoked Chiles (and some secret Chiles) and wait patiently for the Smokey and the Spicy to soak into our honey. The finished product is more of an experience than a flavor: Think 4th of July, BBQ Ribs & Chicken, Bloody Mary's, Stir Fry, and Cheeses. It's as delicious as it is complex.

Dynamite Hot Honey is a crowd-pleaser. Smooth, Sweet, Spicy.

We infuse Red Thai Chiles (and some secret Chiles) into our honey to give it the perfect seesaw balance of sweet & heat. We call Dynamite Hot Honey a 'Pocket Honey' for as soon as you try it; you may find yourself sneaking a jar into your favorite Pizza Parlor (via your pocket) to drizzle over your favorite pizza (trust me), or your friend's house to spice up a cheese platter. Dynamite Hot Honey is also best friends with Grilled Salmon, Stir Fry Vegetables, and Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream. It will give a deliciously sweet kick to any and everything.

Ghost Pepper Honey

You can't have a Spicy Party and not invite the Ghost.

Now, before you turn and run from this Haunted Heat; let me just say this: Ghost Pepper has an amazing flavor. I know what your thinking.. 'How can you taste flavor when the Ghost Pepper has burned your tongue off?!'

Good friend, fear not. We have its kryptonite: Honey. Every time we taste out our Ghost Pepper Honey at our Honey Tasting Bar in Athens, Georgia we find 2 things:
1. People are amazed at Ghost Peppers full flavor
2. Their tongues never burn off

Now, don't get me wrong. Ghost Pepper Honey does have some solid heat. However, it's a super smooth delayed heat that hits you on the back of the throat and compliments the sweet taste of our honey.

Our Ghost Pepper Honey is perfect for drizzling over Grilled Chicken and Salmon, Hot Brie, Fresh Fruits, Ice Cream (trust me), and Hot Tea.

Athens Georgia Wedding Gifts!

Tue, 01 May 2018 14:34:28 GMT

The Sweetest Athens Wedding Gifts!

Hey friends,

We just wanted to let you know that we love being a part of Athens weddings! We offer bulk discounts for our honeys and are more than happy to work with you to make your Wedding Day extra sweet!

Our most popular Athens Wedding Gifts & Favors are:
- 3oz Honeys*
- Lip Balms (Lavender, Mint, Peach, or Honey)
- Organza Pouch with a 3oz Honey & a Lip Balm

*We offer an array of 3oz Honeys, and are happy to do any kind of combination you would like! Our most popular Athens Wedding Gifts & Favors / Honeys are:
- Vanilla Bean Infused Honey
- Ginger Infused Honey
- Lavender Honey
- Georgia Wildflower Honey
- Sourwood Honey
- Southern Sriracha Spicy Honey

For more information about our Athens Wedding Gifts and Favors, feel free to email us; we would love to work with you!

Our email address is:
workerbee@bearhughoney.com

What is Royal Jelly?

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 20:11:07 GMT

Royal Jelly ~ Food Fit for a Queen!

Royal jelly is a substance that honeybees naturally produce to feed bee larvae in the hives, but especially to feed the Queen Bee. Most larvae are fed royal jelly in the first few days of their lives, but females chosen to become possible queens are constantly fed an abundant amount of royal jelly. Many believe that Royal Jelly consumption is the reason the Queen Bee lives 8 times longer than the worker bees!

Royal Jelly is packed full of bioactive compounds, and actually is one of the main causes of differentiation in bees – that is, females that eat large quantities of royal jelly develop active ovaries to become effective queen bees. The protein and probiotic components of royal jelly have led many people to use it as a dietary supplement, eating a teaspoon or two per day. Some research suggests eating royal jelly can help boost your immune system as well as fight allergies, menopausal symptoms, and is rejuvenating for various skin conditions. Our royal jelly combines the pure royal jelly with other “bee-power” components including bee pollen and propolis, which are other protein-packed substances coming straight from the hive. Eat like royalty & try some Royal Jelly for yourself!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18719401

The Best Honey Dispenser / Way to Get Your Honey Out of Its Jar!

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:54:13 GMT

How to Fill & Use Your Sticky-free, No-Drip Honey Dispenser!

Do you love honey, but hate the sticky mess it can make when trying to spoon it out of the jar?

Well, fret no more!

We have the perfect solution in our New Honey Dispenser ! Two quick cool facts about our Honey Dispenser :

1. The honey comes out from the bottom of the Honey Dispenser , so gravity does all the work and there is no wasted honey!

2. It comes with a bottom holding dish, which can be used if your honey ever crystallizes! Simply place some hot water i n the bottom dish , then sit the dispenser in its dish. The hot water will bring the crystallized honey back to liquid form ! (Bear Hug Tidbit: Honey is the only food that never goes bad!)

Watch the video clip above for a quick and easy demonstration on How to Fill & Use Our Honey Dispenser!

The Best Honey Dispenser:

Best New Business in Athens, Georgia!

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 17:27:15 GMT

We were voted Best New Business in Athens, Georgia by the Red & Black Newspaper!

We are super excited to have been named Best New Business of 2017 in Athens, Georgia by The Red & Black Newspaper! Such a cool honor. Thanks for the love everyone!

Welcome to Bear Hug Honey

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 17:30:01 GMT

Bear Hug Honey, Downtown Athens

Bear Hug Honey Company is a specialty Honey Shop located in downtown Athens, Georgia. We specializes in the tastiest Artisan Honey (locally as well as internationally), Infused Honey (Vanilla Bean Honey, Spicy Honey, Lavender Honey, etc), All Natural Skin Care, Beeswax Candles, Local Pottery, Apparel, and all your Bee-Themed Home Goods. We also offer a tasty and educational International Honey Tasting Bar so everyone can experience the sweet wonder of honeybees.