From Bee


The color and flavor of honey varies from hive to hive based on the type of flower nectar collected by the bees. For example, honey made from Orange Blossom nectar might be light in color, whereas honey from clover nectar might have a dark amber color.

To Hive

then comes the HARVESTING AND EXTRACTING process. Fortunately, honey bees will make more honey than their colony needs, so it is necessary for beekeepers to remove the excess. On average, a hive will produce about 80 pounds of surplus honey each year. Beekeepers harvest honey by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that bees make to seal off honey in each cell.

Once the caps are removed, the frames are placed in an extractor that spins the frames, forcing honey out of the comb. The honey is spun to the sides of the extractor, where gravity pulls it to the bottom and it can be collected.

To Bottle

After the honey is extracted, it is strained to remove any remaining pieces of wax or other particles. Some beekeepers might heat the honey to make it easier to strain, but this does nothing to alter the liquid’s natural composition. It only makes the straining process easier and more effective.

After straining, it’s time to bottle, label and distribute the honey to retail outlets. Whether the container is glass or plastic, if the ingredient label says pure honey, you can rest assured that nothing was added, from bee to hive to bottle.