Tag: honey

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Sweeten up your valentine’s day with sayla bee!

 

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with your honey or looking to add a sweet touch to your night, we’ve got your back!

Historically Sweet

Did you know that many cultures associate honey as a symbol of love and romance? Ancient Egyptian newlyweds were traditionally given jars of honey to ensure sweetness and harmony in marriage. In Greece, honey is often associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and was thought to be used in love potions to ignite passion and desire. The term “honeymoon” even dates back to medieval times when newlyweds drank wine made from honey to celebrate their union.

Modern Sweetness

Honey continues to remain a symbol of love in today’s modern era – and is often used in everyday recipes or special occasions, like Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Honey and Chocolate Brownies

When celebrating Valentine’s Day, we think honey and chocolate make the perfect marriage of romantic flavors. To make the perfect batch of Valentine’s Day honey and chocolate brownies, we recommend mixing a decadent chocolate with a selection of flavors from our SayLa Bee line of infused honey:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup your choice of honey – we recommend orange, rose, and cinnamon!
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and cocoa powder until smooth. Add honey, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the batter is completely combined. Gently fold in the flour and chocolate chips. Pour into the baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The center should still be slightly soft (they will firm up as they cool). Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Garnish as desired— we suggest powdered sugar, or zest to pair with your choice of infused honey!

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How to incorporate GLBC’s SayLa Bee Infused Honey in your Thanksgiving turkey dinner

Thanksgiving turkey - Great Lakes Bee Company SayLa Bee Infused Honey

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! We’re looking back at our classic honey glazed turkey recipe, and experimenting with a sweet new favorite: roasted apples and sweet potatoes with a honey bourbon glaze. For extra splashes of flavor in the rest of your holiday cooking, take a look at our SayLa Bee Infused Honey!

Honey Glazed Turkey:
• Turkey
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Tie the turkey’s drumsticks together and tuck the wings underneath. Place turkey in roasting pan breast side up and bake at 325° F for two hours. Mix honey, Dijon mustard, dried rosemary, onion powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl and brush over turkey after first two hours of baking. Want some extra flavor? Our SayLa Bee Pepper infused honey adds an extra kick!

Return the turkey to the oven and continue to baste with pan drippings until thermometer reads 180° F (about two hours). Remove the turkey and cover it with tin foil for up to 15 minutes before carving. Serve with stuffing and gravy.

Roasted Apples and Sweet Potatoes with Honey-Bourbon Glaze:
• 5 large sweet potatoes
• 3 Golden Delicious apples
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Wash sweet potatoes, and place on a baking sheet; prick with a fork. Bake at 400° for one hour or until almost tender. Remove from the oven, and let it stand or 45 minutes or until cooled.

Meanwhile, peel and core apples. Slice apples into 1/3″ thick wedges; toss with lemon juice in a bowl. Peel cooled potatoes, and slice 1/3″ thick. Arrange potatoes and apples alternately in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Pour remaining lemon juice over potatoes and apples.

Combine brown sugar, honey, butter, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and bourbon in a saucepan, stirring well. For extra flavor, try SayLa Bee Honey in cinnamon or bourbon flavors!

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally; boil two minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour glaze over potatoes and apples. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with glaze in bottom of dish, and sprinkle nuts across top. Bake 14 to 15 more minutes or until apples look roasted. Baste with glaze just before serving.

Enjoy!

Great Lakes Bee Company SayLa Bee Infused Honey - Bourbon
Great Lakes Bee Company SayLa Bee Infused Honey - Black Pepper
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Great Lakes Bee Company Launches New Michigan-Made Honey In Celebration Of Honey Harvest Month

 

Continuing our celebration of National Honey Month this September, let’s properly introduce our two latest Michigan-made honey collections, SayLa Bee Infused honey, and our new brand of raw, unfiltered Michigan Wild Honey – both hand bottled right at the Great Lakes Bee Company facility in Fremont!

Our SayLa Bee Infused honey is pure, unfiltered, raw Michigan honey that is infused with a variety of flavors, ranging from sweet, fruity flavors like blueberry and apricot, to richer flavors like chocolate and cinnamon. There are a total of 18 SayLa Bee Infused honey flavors, and each come in the 6oz and 12oz options.

Our SayLa Bee products not only taste delightful, but nourish the body and soul – rose calms and relaxes, while orange supports immunity, and chocolate is a mood booster. Every ingredient that we use adds something special to our food and health!

Our Michigan Wild Honey is raw and unfiltered from hives across Michigan. The honey is carefully extracted, strained and filled without overheating. The summer harvest of Michigan Wild Honey captures the diverse flavors of area wildflowers, flowering trees, clover, lavender and thistle all blended into a lovely natural mix of medium-amber Michigan deliciousness.

You can shop the SayLa Bee collection and Michigan Wild on our website.

 

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June in the Hive

 

Summer is here! Bees will be building up their populations through June 21, which should have been a turning point for your bee hives. Your queen will be starting to take cues from the sun and slow down bee production. This is around the time you should anticipate the main honey flow.

The timing for adding and removing the honeycombs is very important: Removing the honeycombs too early might risk having honey that has too much water in it, which could lead to fermentation. Removing them too late may lead to overcrowding in the hive, which may trigger swarming – for tips on managing a swarm, check out one of our previous blogs about swarms.

Generally, the best time to remove the honeycomb is when it is at least 3/4 full. There are a few methods to check if the honey is ripe: Observe if bees are actively fanning at the hive entrance, which indicates they are still reducing moisture in the honey. Harvest only when fanning activity decreases significantly. When you have confirmed that the bees are no longer fanning the hive entrance, you can take the frame, shake it, and if the honey does not drip, it means it is ready to be removed. However, if the weather is warm enough, using the shake method it may be hard to differentiate if the honey has too much water or is just too warm.

Another way to tell is to harvest your honey only when at least 80-90% of the honeycomb cells are capped with wax by the bees. Capped honey typically has a water content of 16-17% or lower, as bees reduce moisture through fanning before sealing. You can also measure the water content directly with a calibrated refractometer. Take small samples from multiple frames to ensure consistency. A reading of 17% or below indicates the honey is ready for extraction.

By combining these methods, particularly waiting for capping and using a refractometer, beekeepers can reliably ensure honey is below 17% water content before pulling it from the hives.

June will be filled with tons of activity from your bees! By paying close attention and listening to the natural rhythms of your hives, you’ll be sure to enjoy a successful harvest.

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May in the Hive

Great Lakes Bee Company - May in the Hive graphic

 

Welcome back to bee season! Your bees should be settling into their hives, and they may even be in a good mood if they have access to plenty of flowers and greenery. For tips on gardening catered to your bees, check out our recent gardening blog! Bees can be easier to work with in environments they like!

There’s no need to frequent hive check-ups this month. You can still monitor your bees, but excessive interference can disrupt their natural activities and reduce productivity. Checking on the hive sparingly will help maintain the bees’ productivity and won’t interrupt their natural rhythm.

We loved seeing all of your faces for Bee Nuc Pickup Day earlier this month! Photos from the event are below. We also posted additional photos on our Instagram and Facebook channels, where you can always hear the latest buzz about upcoming events, promotions, and news.

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April in the Hive

 

Good friend of the Great Lakes Bee Company Larry Hasselman once told us “the hardest part of beekeeping is lighting the smoker!” Beekeeping novices and veterans alike may find themselves needing to refamiliarize themselves with their beekeeping equipment as spring rolls around.

Let’s walk through the basic and most essential equipment to help you get started!

Hive Tool

  • Hive tools are an essential and versatile piece in your beekeeping toolkit. When bees glue everything in the hive together, the hive tool allows you to detach the combs from the sides of the hive, cut and scrape propolis, and even remove nails or take apart boxes.

Smokers and fuel

  • Bees are naturally aggressive creatures, which is why beekeepers use smokers to make their bees docile. Smokers mask the pheromones let out by guard bees, which minimizes the defensive reaction from the colony, allowing for effective and safe hive inspections.

Queen clip

  • Queen clips are used to pick up or hold a queen bee. The clip acts as a cage that contains the queen, but the bars still permit worker bees to pass through and attend to the queen’s needs. The clip helps protect the queen during any work that needs to be done inside the hive.

Feeders

  • Feeders are convenient for feeding bees and checking on your sugar syrup levels without needing to open your beehive. Typical entrance feeders have a jar filled with syrup that drips onto a tray, which is inserted to the front of the hive.

Protective gear

  • The most important equipment in your arsenal will be your protective gear. Veils and gloves protect your head and face from any arrant aggressive bees, and prevent stings.

All of this equipment and more is available in our online store!

AND … If you’re looking to purchase bees, we still have 5 Frame Nucs and Mated Queens available for purchase online!

Our 2025 Spring Bee Pick-Ups dates are:

  • Packages & Queens: Tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 19
  • Nucs: Confirmed for Saturday, May 10
  • Location: Great Lakes Bee Company, 5973 S. Warner Avenue, Fremont, MI 49412
  • More info: https://bit.ly/2025_GLBC_BeePickups
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February in the Hive

 

We’re not over the hump of winter just yet! It’s best for bee keepers to hold off on getting back into their hives until March, or whenever warm weather settles in for the season. Once the temperature has risen to around 50 degrees and you’ve seen bees taking flight, you can begin checks; try to keep them brief, 30 seconds or less, so as not to disturb the bees as they begin to properly wake up.

Honey stores should be at their lowest at this point in the season. The easy way to find out about the honey stores is to go to the rear of the hive and slide your hand under the bottom board and lift gently. If it’s really heavy, then the hive has honey stores remaining in the hive. If it’s light, then you should provide food immediately; you can use dry sugar, fondant, or a candy board, or replace empty combs with combs of capped honey.

It won’t be much longer before spring is in full swing! If you’re preparing to order new batches of bees this upcoming season, make sure you check out our previous blog post about the bee varieties we have to offer!

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Sweeten up your thanksgiving with these honey recipes!

 

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days in the kitchen every year. Whether you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or looking to experiment with classic Thanksgiving recipes, this honey glazed turkey and honey pumpkin pie are sure to be crowd pleasers.

 Honey Glazed Turkey:

  • Turkey
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1/2 cup dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Tie the turkey’s drumsticks together and tuck the wings underneath. Place turkey in roasting pan breast side up and bake at 325 F for two hours. Mix honey, dijon mustard, dried rosemary, onion powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl and brush over turkey after first two hours of baking. Return to oven and continue to baste turkey with pan drippings until thermometer reads 180 F about two hours. Remove turkey and cover with tin foil for up to 15 minutes before carving. Serve with stuffing and gravy.

 Honey Pumpkin Pie:

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (half n half or whole milk will work in a pinch)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 unbaked pie crust

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix the puree, honey, vanilla, salt, and spice together. Mix in the cream, then gently beat in the eggs. Carefully pour the mixture into the pie shell. Cover the edges of the crust with a pie shield or foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the shield/foil, and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Let cool, and serve with a generous dollop of real whipped cream.

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November in the Hive

 

You should already be preparing your hives for colder weather by providing plenty of food for your bees and insulating the hive, but November means your bees may be entering dormancy.

A strong hive won’t need much help feeding during the winter. To know how much assistance your bees may need to keep their nutrition up, look at their stores of honey. If the honey has been recently depleted or the bees have simply not produced enough, it may be time to add sugar, fondant, or liquid feed to the mix before it gets too cold.

You can also prepare for the cold by providing wind-breaks, such as hay bales or scrap metal, to protect your hives from harsh wind. But be careful not to shade the hive, as the bees will be needing as much warmth and sunlight as they can get.

Now is the time to start preparing for next year! Take stock of what kind of equipment you’ll need, such as more hives, new foundations, or more specialized tools. We have a variety of bee equipment and hive tools available for purchase online at Great Lakes Bee Co.! You can also spend the extra time this winter not tending to your bees by studying up on bees and beekeeping. Check out this selection of books recommended by the Best Bees Company!

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October in the Hive

 

As we near the end of October, there are several things you should be keeping in mind as the weather continues to get colder.

Now is a great time to be checking on your queen bee. If she is no longer present in the hive, don’t wait to find a replacement. It’s best to find a new queen bee sooner rather than later so she will have time to settle into the hive and lay eggs. This would also be a good time to consolidate hives if you have multiple weak ones. Any hives with empty space should be restructured to allow enough room for the strongest bees.

Another aspect of preparing your hives for the colder winter months involves hives insulation. To insulate your hive, wrap it in black tar paper to absorb heat from the sun, remembering to leave the hive entrance and upper ventilation holes uncovered. You can also utilize a hive stand to protect your bees from the cold while preventing moisture problems. Moisture is one of the biggest things to look out for, as too much moisture could potentially freeze your bees. Wood chips or burlap in a quilt box can help keep condensation out of the hive.

Lastly, make sure your bees have enough food before winter. If you were keeping them healthy throughout the summer and early fall, ensuring they had a productive queen, you shouldn’t have to worry much. But if your hive doesn’t have 60 to 100 pounds of stored honey, October will be your last chance to feed them with liquid feed. You can also use fondant or sugar bricks. Pollen and pollen substitute is not recommended at this time, as the reduction in pollen flow signals the bees to finish rearing winter bees as they prepare for winter.