September is National Honey Month! To celebrate, we’re taking a deep dive into Ontario’s honey scene to see what the buzz is all about! Whether you like slathering honey on your toast, spooning it into your tea, or using it as an ingredient in baked goods, marinades, and salad dressings, this sweet, sticky substance is delicious! Scroll down to discover more about Ontario honey including flavours, recipes, fun facts, and more!
Honey in Ontario
With the exception of honeycomb, honey in Ontario has two distinct classifications: grade and colour. Ontario honey colours are White, Golden, Amber, and Dark. Honey grades are determined by moisture content and flavour. Honey grades in Ontario include Ontario No.1, Ontario No.2, and Ontario No.3. (Ontario No.1 is the most common.)
The Ontario Beekeepers’ Association is one of the best research tools for those interested in beekeeping and honey making, as well as finding local producers in the province. From candles to honey to mead, the OBA offers a directory for anyone interested in award-winning, small-batch honey!
To learn more about the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association and an in-depth look at Ontario honey, visit their website.
Types of Honey
- Flavour: Very sweet with a clean, mild flavour.
- Appearance: Very pale and clear.
- Best For: Tea and baked goods.
- Flavour: Bold, nutty, and slightly bitter.
- Appearance: Dark gold to brown.
- Best For: Baked goods, marinades, and glazes.
- Flavour: Mild, sweet, and floral.
- Appearance: Light gold in colour.
- Best For: Baked goods, salad dressings, sauces, glazes, and tea.
- Flavour: Rich, with caramel and toffee undertones.
- Appearance: Creamy gold to dark brown.
- Best For: Drizzling on toast or yogurt and eating raw.
- Flavour: Mildly citrusy.
- Appearance: Light to dark amber in colour.
- Best For: Baked goods, pancakes, tea, salad dressings, sauces, and cocktails.
- Flavour: Varied, but predominantly floral and fruity.
- Appearance: Light to dark, depending on the wildflowers.
- Best For: Drizzling and charcuterie boards.
Honey Infusions
Infusing honey is exactly what it sounds like: taking raw honey and mixing it with different herbs or spices to great a brand new and infused flavour! Once you’ve added your desired spices or herbs, place the honey in a jar and let it sit, undisturbed, for 1-2 weeks. This allows the flavours to really integrate into the honey. A few popular honey infusions are:
Cinnamon Honey
How To Make: Simmer on low heat with ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks before storing.
Best For: Spreading on toast or serving in tea (especially if congested!).
Hot Honey
How To Make: Simmer on medium-low with dried chili peppers for 1-2 minutes. Strain chili peppers out if desired. Store in glass jar.
Best For: Drizzling over fried chicken, biscuits, cornbread, cocktails, seafood, and pizza.
Vanilla Honey
How To Make: Scrape a vanilla bean pod and place seeds and pod in pot with honey. Simmer over medium low for 6 minutes. Remove pod if desired. Store in glass jar.
Best For: Drizzling over ice cream, yogurt, or your charcuterie board.
Honey FAQs
How many types of honey are there?
Over 300 different varieties of honey are produced across the globe! Each has its own distinct flavour profile and colour.
What is raw honey?
Raw honey is honey that comes straight form the hive. Raw honey is only strained before being bottled, preserving all its naturally beneficial nutrients and antioxidants. Pure honey is pasteurized and contains no added ingredients. At Farm Boy, you’ll find both Raw and Pure Honey!
What is creamed honey?
Creamed honey is still regular honey, it’s just been processed to control crystallization. Creamed honey has a smooth, spreadable consistency, and tends to be more opaque and lighter in colour. Try our Farm Boy™ Pure Ontario Creamed Honey if you’re curious!
Does honey go bad?
No! Store honey indefinitely by keeping the lid on tight and the container free of added moisture. Crystallized honey doesn’t indicate your honey has gone bad, just that the sugar has separated from the water. You can simply heat the honey to remove the crystallization.
What does the colour of my honey mean?
Honey can vary in terms of colour, from very light and almost clear to dark brown. Lighter honeys tend to be milder in flavour, while darker honey has a stronger taste. The colour of the honey depends on where the bees are gathering their pollen and nectar. In 2012, French beekeepers found their bees producing blue honey! It turned out that the bees were feasting on M&Ms from a nearby candy factory!
Honey Products We’re Buzzing About
An oven-ready treat perfect for any party! Made with our rich Double Cream Brie, this Brie Bake is topped with chopped dried apricots, walnut pieces, honey, and a pinch of thyme. Serve it warm for that ooey-gooey cheesy pull alongside our crispy, crunchy Farm™ Boy Artisan Crackers.
Our beloved Lemon Garlic Dressing gets a touch of sweetness thanks to the addition of honey. Made in Ontario with simple, real ingredients, drizzle this dressing over salads or use it as a marinade for chicken and seafood. It also adds delicious zing to stir fries and rice bowls.
Elevate your brunch game with these sweet and salty sausages. Made right here in Ontario with simple, natural ingredients like Canadian pork and honey, they’re sure to leave you feeling satisfied. Simmer them in a pan on the stove or cook them right in the oven.
Recipes and Ideas!
Whipped Honey Lemon Ricotta
Ingredients: ricotta cheese, honey, whipping cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, assorted fruit.
A delightfully easy dip, make the most of fresh fruits by using them to scoop up this light, sweet spread. Creamy and bright, this whipped ricotta would also taste delicious spread over toast or served in our Traditional Crêpes!
Chef’s Tip: Transform this into a savoury appetizer by garnishing with fresh herbs and serving with Farm Boy™ Baguette Crisps!
Grilled Halloumi with Honey
Ingredients: halloumi cheese, extra virgin olive oil, honey, black pepper, figs, thyme.
Fire up the grill and enjoy these halloumi skewers! This salty Mediterranean cheese can handle the heat, and the char from the BBQ amplifies its delicious flavour. A simple appetizer while the weather is still warm, drizzle this dish with our Pure Ontario Honey and garnish with fresh figs for a truly tasty dish.
Chef’s Tip: Up the spice factor by making a hot honey infusion for drizzling!
Honey Walnut Phyllo Rolls
Ingredients: sugar, water, honey, cinnamon sticks, lemon juice, orange blossom water, walnuts, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, unsalted butter, phyllo dough, pistachios.
If you like baklava, you’ll love this recipe! If walnuts aren’t you thing, try pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts! You can also add a floral element by swapping the orange blossom water for Farm Boy™ Rose Water.
Chef’s Tip: This dessert can be made ahead of time, frozen raw, and then baked on the day you’d like to serve them!
More Bee-utiful Honey Recipes
Did you know?
- Honey is a natural preservative.
- Egyptian pharaohs were buried with jars of honey to enjoy in the afterlife.
- A single beehive can make up to 100 pounds of honey a year!
- Aylmer, Ontario hosts an annual “bee beard” competition.
- 11th century German peasants paid their lords in honey, used to sweeten beer.
