Frequently Asked Questions
Honey
Which varietal is your favorite?
Camille's favorite is the Cardwell Hill : Poison-Oak & Wild Blackberry. If you're unsure of what to choose, we suggest purchasing the Wild Blackberry, Clary Sage, Meadowfoam Sampler, which will give you a wide array of flavors.
Why is "pumpkin" honey called pumpkin honey or "wild blackberry" honey called wild blackberry honey? Do you flavor your honeys?
These honeys contain no added ingredients or flavorings. The bees produce pumpkin honey by harvesting nectar from pumpkin flowers. Wild blackberry honey is made of nectar from blackberry flowers. The flavor of each varietal comes exclusively from the character of the nectar source plants.
Can or do you control what kind of nectar the bees gather? How do you know what the bees have been foraging on?
Honeybees will fly up to three miles from the hive to find food, and they are never controlled or limited in their foraging. Hives are placed in different areas to take advantage of diverse nectar flows. Old Blue varietals are classified by what the beekeeper observes to be the primary nectar sources based on hive location and season. None of our varietals are strictly mono-floral.
Old Blue honey varietals are divided into two broad categories, crop honey and wildflower honey. It is fairly easy to determine the nectar sources of the crop varietals because hives are placed in and around sizeable acreage of a single blooming crop (for example, clary sage, coriander, raspberry, pumpkin, meadowfoam). For a few weeks, the bees will have their nutritional needs met by that one crop and the minor amount of forage in the surrounding area, which does not significantly impact the flavor of the honey.
For wildflower honeys, the beekeeper observes what species are blooming in the area during times of honey production, and when it is harvested later later, he makes notes about the nectar sources of that honey. Wildflower honeys have more diverse nectar sources than crop honeys, but generally one or two nectar sources will predominate either in volume of nectar or flavor of the particular wildflower honey varietal.
All of our honey was produced in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties in Oregon.
Will I be able to tell the difference in flavor between two varietals?
Many of our varietals are distinctly different in flavor. You do not need a particularly sophisticated palate to taste the differences, especially if you try them side by side. For example, the meadowfoam honey tastes like marshmallows and vanilla in contrast to the bigleaf maple honey which people think tastes like cough drops and toothpaste. The differences between some of the honeys are more subtle.
I got some of your honey a couple years ago. Do you have that specific kind again this year?
Our wildflower honey varietals vary considerably year to year. Nectar availability varies depending on multiple factors such as weather and flower bloom cycles. Some years, we may not have a particular varietal available at all. If you find something you like, you should purchase it now because we may never have it again.
Our crop honeys are relatively more consistent from year to year, but we can't guarantee their availability in the future.
How long does your honey last before it goes bad?
Properly cured honey never goes bad unless it has been contaminated. All honey will crystalize eventually, but you can still use it when it is crystallized. Crystallization does not change the flavor and does not mean that it has gone bad. If you prefer, you can liquefy crystalized honey by placing the jar in a bowl of warm water.
Will poison-oak honey cause me to have an allergic reaction? Will poison-oak honey cure my allergy to the poison-oak plant?
We are not medical professionals and are not qualified to give medical advice. If you have questions about allergies, you should consult with your doctor.
Poison-oak honey is derived from poison-oak flower nectar. The honey may also contain poison-oak pollen. There are no added ingredients in our poison-oak honey. The skin condition that can develop from poison-oak generally comes from contact with the oils of poison-oak leaves and stems.
I have seasonal allergies, and I've heard that local honey is supposed to help. What would you recommend?
We are not medical professionals and are not qualified to give medical advice. If you have questions about allergies, you should consult with your doctor.
Our Coast Range wildflower honeys are made from the nectar and pollen of native and naturalized plants including local trees and weeds. Our Willamette Valley crop honeys are made mostly from the nectar and pollen of those specific crop plants. All grasses are wind pollinated, so honeybees generally have very little interaction with grass and grass pollen.
Why "Old Blue"? Is that the name of a truck or a dog?
Though quite a few customers have told us of trucks and dogs in their lives named Old Blue, our namesake Old Blue is a mountain in the Oregon Coast Range near Alsea. It has particularly interesting ecology.
Sales, Delivery, and Shipping
Do you have a retail location with business hours?
No, we do not have a retail location or regular business hours. Preordered honey is available for pickup in SW Corvallis (near the fairgrounds) or at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers' Market. Email oldbluerawhoney@gmail.com to get the full availability list and to coordinate pickup.
When is your next Fill Your Jar event?
We do not have any Fill Your Jar events scheduled for the foreseeable future.
Where can I buy your honey? Do you sell at any farmers markets?
Old Blue will be selling at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers' Market through June 2022. Other places to buy our honey are here on our website, at a store that sells Old Blue Raw Honey, or by emailing oldbluerawhoney@gmail.com to coordinate local pickup or delivery.
You can find our honey in these stores and restaurants in the Philomath/Corvallis area, Junction City, Dayton, and Portland.
Do you sell honeycomb?
We will have a limited amount of honeycomb available at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers' Market only. We don't ship honeycomb. Sorry.
Do you sell beeswax?
Yes, you can find it for sale here.
Do you sell propolis, royal jelly, or bee pollen?
We do not sell propolis, royal jelly, or bee pollen at this time.
Do you sell honey wholesale?
We do sell wholesale to a number of restaurants, businesses, and stores in Portland and the Philomath/Corvallis area. Email us at oldbluerawhoney@gmail.com if your business is interested in using or carrying our honey.
I live near you. Can I order honey and pick it up instead of paying for shipping?
We are offering contactless pickups of preordered honey in SW Corvallis or at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers Market. Email oldbluerawhoney@gmail.com to coordinate local pickup. If you order off the website, you will automatically be charged for shipping.
I live in Portland. Do you deliver?
During Covid times, we have expanded our Portland deliveries to individuals as well as businesses. Portland deliveries happen about once per month, and the minimum order for home delivery is $50. Email oldbluerawhoney@gmail.com to get updates on delivery days and options.
Do you ship internationally?
No. At this time, we do not sell or ship our honey internationally.