What makes a honey local?  The Real Texas Honey website defines local honey as a honey that is produced and consumed in an area that has the same pollen and nectar as local flowers and plants.

The Plants Make the Difference

The flowers that the bees are visiting are what makes the difference.  Honey straight from a beehive contains many unique components from its environment such as pollen.  Honey from a particular location will have a unique composition and flavor.  I didn’t realize how unique they could be until I started tasting varieties from different areas.  The plants really do make a difference.

Texas Hill Country Honey

The honey from our area in Bandera and Kendall counties is a seasonal product.  Our area doesn’t produce large quantities of flowering plants that would make for an abundant harvest.  That means that it isn’t available year-round.  Most years there is a moderate honey flow in the spring and in good years a smaller harvest in the fall.  Some years, if there’s not enough rain, there may be no harvest.

Our Local Plants

If you are interested in the plants that bloom in our area you can contact us for a plant list.  We keep a list of the flowers that we see blooming and the bees are visiting.  Be aware that the list doesn’t include all the plants the bees visit.  Bees can forage up to three miles away, so they are probably visiting more plants that what we observe.

Try some local honey and taste the unique flavors of your area today.