People who really enjoy natural, raw honey know that it does not stay the same throughout the year. While honey is scrumptious regardless of when you eat it, its flavors tend to change by the season.
At Crystal's Raw Honey, we focus on varietal raw honey, like raspberry and orange, meaning the flavor of each of our honeys comes from only one or two types of blossoms the bees pollinate. We work with farmers to pollinate their crops, such as apples, blueberries, cranberries, and more, so we can produce honey from a single source. This gives us a sense of the flavor range of honey across the season. We even see that year to year, a honey varietal like wildflower can taste different depending on the pollen content of the flowers.
In this article, you’ll learn the differences between spring, summer, and fall honey so that you can be a more informed shopper next time you choose raw honey.
Why They Are Different
Bees make honey by collecting nectar from different flower sources. Even if you are not an expert in botany, you know that different flowers grow at different times throughout the year. As a result, bees collect different types of nectar, depending on the season. The differences between spring, summer, and fall honey have everything to do with the variety of flowers found throughout the year. With different flowers come different flavors.
Spring
In the spring, bees have access to the buds and flowers of trees like apple, maple, oak, and black locust, which produce light, delicate honey. This honey tends to be lightest in color and has a distinctive taste with sweet, floral notes.
Spring honey is also the slowest to crystallize. All honey, if it has been unheated, will eventually crystallize. Honey is a supersaturated solution of fructose and glucose, generally in a 1:1 ratio. Black locust is naturally very high in fructose and low in glucose, and glucose is the specific sugar responsible for crystallization. Less glucose = less crystallization.
Varietals:
Black Locust
Orange
Summer
Summer honey is more floral and fruity. During the summer months, bees have access to a wide variety of wildflower sources. They can draw from wild blackberries, clover, and Canada thistle. It typically has a light to medium amber color, and some tasters might notice a spicy finish, depending on the varietal.
Summer is also when pollination occurs for blueberries and cranberries, creating a honey that is generally available only in small quantities and carries the flavors of both fruits.
Varietals:
Blueberry
Cranberry
Clover
Fall
You can expect bees in the fall to visit plants like goldenrods, asters, and wild raspberries. As a result, they produce a more robust flavor. The color also tends to be darker. Honey connoisseurs can detect notes of mint, butterscotch, and slight spice when they taste fall honey. Many consider it the most flavorful option.
Summer and Fall
Wildflower honey can be harvested in the summer and fall, and its taste varies depending on the region.
Varietals:
Vermont wildflower
New York wildflower
Louisiana wildflower
Northeast wildflower (NY & MA)
Regardless of the season, honey is always a delicious treat to eat alone or mixed with other ingredients. Make sure to check out all of our Crystal's Raw Honey varietals as you look for raw honey options, and check out our raw honey recipes for inspiration.