Winter Honey Sampler Box

Tangent : Coriander

The town of Tangent is at the heart of the grass seed growing region in the Willamette Valley. Farmer Cody Younger, a classmate of Henry’s at OSU, rotates vegetable seed, oilseed, and cover crops through his grass seed fields. This was Cody’s first year growing coriander as a rotation crop, and it performed well on the site. 

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is the seed of the cilantro plant, a widely used culinary herb. The flowers provide easily accessed nectar and pollen resources for honeybees and other native bees. Flowering cilantro in a home garden makes for a good opportunity to observe a diverse array of pollinators. 

The coriander honey has a floral flavor reminiscent of the smell of Queen Anne’s lace flowers and a lingering buttery finish. It has been very popular at tasting events this fall.

Cardwell Hill : Blackberry & Chittum

We have two apiaries in the Cardwell Hill area, but this honey comes from hives located near Cardwell Hill Cellars. The site is at about 600 feet elevation in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range. In the spring, the bees forage on vineyard cover crops such as crimson clover, mustard, radish, and vetch. These pollen and nectar sources are mostly used for spring population buildup. The nectar flow peaks when the weather warms up and the chittum and blackberry bloom periods overlap. 

Himalayan backberry (Rubus bifrons) is a non-native, naturalized species that is widespread in the area. It fruits prolifically in the summer.

Chittum (Rhamnus purshiana), also know as cascara or cascara buckthorn, is a large shrub or small tree that grows abundantly in our area. The name chittum comes from a Chinook jargon term derived from English for the laxative properties of the bark. Chittum has a sustained bloom from April until as late as June, and its small, inconspicuous, green flowers have easily accessible nectaries. It is a critical nectar flow for the bee colonies’ spring buildup in Western Oregon.

The blackberry and chittum nectar combination gives this honey an earthy, toasted malt flavor and darker color.

Sunset Valley Organics : Raspberry

Sunset Valley Organics is a farm owned by Bob and Diane Wilt just south of Corvallis, OR. They are known primarily for their large blueberry acreage, but in the last few years, they have expanded into cane berries (raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries, etc.), aronia, and strawberries. The farm is certified organic, and they sell wholesale berries, U-pick and direct-market berries, and processed berry products like jams and dried fruit. 

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) flower prolifically in May and fruit later in the summer. Oregon’s climate is particularly well suited for raspberry cultivation. Raspberry jam made with honey is also quite good. 

This honey is fairly mild in flavor with earthy notes and a clean citrus finish.