Wild Flower Honey

Bees make sweet wildflower honey from the fragrant pollen of trees, bushes, flowers and herbs near their hive. It's a rich source of calories and carbohydrates to provide you with a quick energy boost. Eating honey local to your region may even reduce the symptoms of annoying seasonal allergies.

Bees collect nectar, which contains carbohydrates, from flowers and take it back to their hive. The nectar is partially digested into more simple sugars and stored in the honeycomb inside the hive. Eventually it loses moisture and condenses into thick, sweet honey. The type of flowers the nectar came from influences the color and flavor of the resulting honey. Some common varieties are clover, alfalfa or orange blossom. If the bees use a variety of flowers found in nature, the honey is simply referred to as wildflower honey.

The mild floral flavor and sweetness of wildflower honey make it a popular sweetener for hot or cold tea. You can use it to sweeten other beverages, such as coffee, as well. Try drizzling golden wildflower honey on top of pancakes or waffles instead of maple syrup or using it on muffins and biscuits instead of jam. Honey is an all natural alternative to refined white table sugar or corn syrup. According to the text "Understanding Food Principles and Preparation," substitute one part honey for every one and one-fourth parts sugar in recipes and reduce the liquid in recipes by one-fourth, as honey contains moisture.