The flavours of local honey change dramatically depending on the types of flowers the bees visit.
Sounds strange? However, this is the truth, and hence every jar of honey tastes different.
When you buy local honey in Kent, you’ll experience a subtle shift in the taste, colour and aroma throughout the year. Bees, as you know, gather nectar from a wide variety of seasonal flowers across the gardens, countryside and from the orchards. Since the bees are busy collecting nectar throughout the changing seasons, a jar of honey will amaze you with different flavours.
What is the connection between flowers and honey flavour?
The flavours of the honey are influenced by the nectar that the bees collect from the blooming flowers. However, a bee is a wandering insect, and you cannot certainly expect them to collect nectar from one type of blooming plant.
Rather, they collect honey from different plants, seasonal flowers, which bring a noticeable flavour to each bottle of honey.
How source of the nectar shape the taste?
Wandering bees, travelling from one flower to another collecting nectar, are later transformed into honey inside the hive. Hence, the sources of the nectar matter. In Kent, there are landscapes with orchards, seasonal flowers, wild flowers and hedgerows. The diversity of the plans, flowers and gardens brings different flavours and tastes to every jar of locally sourced honey in Kent.
Spring blossoms give floral tastes
Honey produced during the spring season is generally lighter in colour and gentler in floral taste because the nectar is collected from the wild flowers, orchards and the early blossoms. This type of honey is typically mild in taste and sweeter than the others. The locally sourced honey in Kent during this season is fresh and delicate, and can be consumed in its raw form.
Summer wildflowers give a richer flavour
As the season progresses into summer, the plants begin to bloom, and the countryside offers the bees the option of drawing rich sources of nectar from the full-bloomed flowers. The summer honey jars generally have a more complex taste and a fuller flavour. Unlike the spring ones, this honey is deeper in colour. The bees generally gather the nectar from the clover and bramble flowers.
Autumn flowers give a deeper flavour
While most plants finish flowering by late summer, there are other variations, such as ivy and late-blooming flowers, which are available in autumn for collecting nectar. The honey produced from this nectar is darker in colour and richer in texture. They can be used for different culinary purposes; however, it might be difficult to consume them raw.
Different tastes for different seasons
Local honey in Kent offers a range of tastes for different seasons. Hence, if you want a mild, clearer-textured honey, start buying early in the spring season. For people who prefer a darker, textured honey, autumn and summer are the ideal seasons.
For local honey in Kent, get in touch with Bray’s Bees. We pride ourselves on selling our pure honey, direct from our own hives to you. We also make our very own beeswax reusable food wraps. Help save the planet by avoiding cling film and foil.