At Honey Ridge Farms, beekeeping has been the family business for over five generations. The farm however, was founded in 2004 by Leanne Goetz in Brush Paririe, Washington to produce and source artisan honeys from several American regions. It’s the unique flavour of their honeys, determined by the flowers the bees visit that will make it into a jar of their gourmet products.
Colour Does Matter
As a general rule, the family suggests that lighter coloured honey is milder in taste that its darker counterparts. “It’s all about where the bees buzzed,” is the explanation given by the beekeepers. There are over 300 different types of honey available in the US- each stemming from a unique floral source.
Here are some of the Honey Ridge Farm varieties:
- Black Bottom Sage- from coastal California. Light in colour and taste. A crowd pleaser and a favourite with strong cheeses such as blue and parmesan.
- Pumpkin Blossom- from central California. Amber in colour with a sweet-spicy flavour. Perfect for salad dressings or quick sauces.
- Wild Blackberry- from the Pacific Northwest. Light amber in colour with a berry-inflected flavour that’s ideal for marinades, hot scones, tea, cakes, and anytime you’d rather use honey than sugar. It’s the family’s best seller- one taste and you’ll know why!
Balsamic Honey Vinegar
Apart from gourmet honeys, the family has developed an award-winning Balsamic Honey Vinegar, made wholly from honey. It’s sweet, a bit tart and the perfect addition to a bowl of sun-ripened strawberries spooned over top-notch vanilla ice cream. It’s sulfite-free and delicious when swirled into pan sauces for meats, poultry, seafood and vegetable dishes. It’s also the ideal “secret” ingredient to your home made vinaigrette. Best of all, a portion of profits help fund bee colony health research.
Honey Crème
Another pantry staple is the farm’s honey crème. Honey is blended with top quality fruit or spices, producing a wonderful alternative to jams for scones, hot buttered toast, waffles, crepes, cakes, muffins or pancakes. The fruit in these is never cooked either, lending the spread a fresh, fruity nuance. Flavours include the popular honey apricot crème, raspberry, cranberry, blackberry, spiced, and clover crèmes.
Here are a few sweet recipes to keep you buzzing this summer- especially if you’re hosting a cocktail party, an outdoor or poolside BBQ, or gathering around the cottage lake.
Spicy Sanguine Sling Recipe- courtesy of Honey Ridge Farms
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces vodka
- 0.5 ounce grand mariner
- 2 ounces blood orange juice (approx 1 fresh blood orange)
- 0.25 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 ounce spiced honey syrup (recipe below)
Method:
- Shake all ingredients on ice and strain over ice in a high ball or martini glass.
Honey Simple Syrup Recipe - courtesy of Honey Ridge Farms
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Honey Ridge Spiced Honey Crème
- 1 cup Water
Method:
- Warm honey and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until honey is dissolved.
- Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes.
- Cover and chill 4 hours.
- Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
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