Sea Island Life Magazine Fall/Winter 2014 | страница 41

S

ince biblical times, honey has been
a treasured commodity. The land
of milk and honey was a coveted
reward that was promised from
above; ancient Egyptians and Romans
gave honey as a gift to their gods; and
the Greeks began the tradition of using
honey medicinally. Today, honey is still
properties and uniquely sweet taste. With a
dwindling number of bees and a heightened
appreciation for the farm-to-table movement,
people have recently begun exploring more
opportunities to help recover and maintain
bee populations through beekeeping, an
activity where the rewards can be sweet.
This has led to higher quality and more
interesting honey becoming commonplace
in kitchens, on shelves and, perhaps most
importantly, on our plates.

BOOK PHOTO BY MEG SMITH/ANDREWS MCMEEL PUBLISHING

From Hive to Table
Across the country, the practice of beekeeping has taken off. Even in urban hubs like
New York City, resourceful restaurants and
individuals alike keep bees on rooftops and
tiny plots. Although they are not particularly
selective about their environment, bees
operate within a rigidly structured and organized hierarchy
similar to the honeycomb that
they produce.
Everyday life in the hive is
centered around the queen,
whose main purpose is to lay
eggs. The male bees in the
colony, called drones, live for
roughly 90 days with the sole
duty of mating with the queen.
Worker bees are females that
do not reproduce but instead
collect and provide food for the other bees,
create the honeycomb and maintain the
hive. “The hive is like a thriving metropolis
with a very clear hierarchy and structure,”
according to Marie Simmons, author of
“Taste of Honey.” She is also a recipe
developer and hobbyist beekeeper.
When worker bees produce more honey
than the colony needs for a heat source
and food supply, a beekeeper can harvest
the surplus. While wearing protective
clothing, the beekeeper uses a smoker to
interrupt the pheromones that allow bees
to communicate, causing a calming effect.
Without harming the bees, the beekeeper
can then open the hive and extract wax and
honey. Once collected, the honey is strained,
bottled and ready for use in more ways than
one might expect.

The bees at
Broadfield,
a Sea Island
Sporting Club
and Lodge,
provide
honey that
can be used
in a variety
of recipes,
like the ones
in Marie
Simmons’
“Taste
of Honey.”

FALL/WINTER 2014/15 | SEA ISL AND LIFE 41

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