Growers and Grocers

Honey is evocative for me. I can’t smell it without thinking of my grandparents’ home in the country, the honey jar a permanent fixture in the walk-in pantry there.

My grandparents brought their ”old country” way of life with them when they emigrated, locavores before the term even existed. They bought neighbor-made rye bread in loaves as large as couch pillows.  My grandmother pickled cucumbers and bottled raspberry juice. My grandfather made yogurt on a sunny windowsill. They bought their honey by the quart in squat square jars from a local guy who delivered it.

My grandfather would stir honey into his coffee, tip it from mug into saucer, and sip it from there. Old country.

Things have changed quite a bit since my childhood summers in the country. Some things haven’t changed so much. I find myself making bread. Making yogurt. Buying honey by the quart. I drink my coffee black, no sipping from the saucer, but like honey in my tea occasionally (still no saucer).

And as much as I find myself turning to the “old-country” ways of the past for practical wisdom, every now and then, an innovation comes along that I’m intrigued by. That I find genuinely helpful, useful. (I wouldn’t be making yogurt every week without my Salton machine, I can tell you that.) Now Honibe has come up with the Honey Drop, and I bet my grandfather would have gotten a kick out of these!

For everyone who’s ever carried a teabag or a packet of liquid honey in his or her pocket or purse, this one’s for you. Honibe’s Honey Drop is a tablet of dried honey, 100% pure and completely free from artificial coloring, flavoring, or preservatives. Unlike other dried honey products, the Honey Drop contains no supplementary sweeteners. It’s simply a teaspoon of honey, in solid form. Period.

Available in plain or with natural lemon flavor, the Honey Drop is perfect for carrying in a purse, backpack, or briefcase. Because it contains no liquid, there’s no danger of your honey packet rupturing and making a mess - making it ideal for travel. Tea and coffee drinkers who avoid white sugar and artificial sweeteners don’t have to compromise now. You can have your honey and take it with you.

You can order Honibe Honey Drops online at their Web site. While you’re there, be sure to take a look around. In addition to the Honey Drops, they offer a unique selection of creamed and liquid honey varietals. And that’s another bonus - I like that this “convenience product” comes from folks who really know their honey and have a personal connection with it.  Just like in the old country.  

This just in . . . Honibe’s Honey Drop has been named a Top 10 Innovation of 2008 by Food in Canada magazine. Congratulations!