Sea lavender honey

[Putnamsmif]

I'm going to look at a new out-apiary site tomorrow. As well as being on an organic farm that has a fair few acres of wildflower meadows it's only a couple of kilometres from copious acres of sea lavender on the North Norfolk coast which I believe flowers for quite long periods. Bees like it I believe, and I was wondering whether anyone has their hives near any and what the honey is like?

 

[joctcl]

That sounds amazing, would it not taste salty

 

[Putnamsmif]

That sounds amazing, would it not taste salty

That might not be a bad thing you know! Have you tried chocolate with sea salt?

 

[Foxylad]

My bees have been working it for about a week. As soon as there is a high tide to cover the fields, it stops. It's a dark honey, not to my taste, but unique to East Anglian Coast.

In my experience doesn't yield as much as heather, but worth the move. A few people ask for it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That might not be a bad thing you know! Have you tried chocolate with sea salt?

I make salted honey fudge for farmers' market and everybody loves it.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

I make salted honey fudge for farmers' market and everybody loves it.

Yum! Sounds rather delicious, I would love to try and make some ....... Is it a closely guarded secret recipe?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Salted Honey Fudge


2cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup double cream
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt, divided
1 vanilla bean, scraped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a heavy bottomed saucepan combine the sugars, honey, cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and vanilla bean. Place pan over medium heat and whisk until sugars are dissolved. Place a jam thermometer in the pan, and cook the mixture – stirring occasionally – until the temperature registers at 115 degrees C (which is soft ball) Remove pan from heat. Add the butter, stir until completely melted, then leave the mixture to stand – with the thermometer still in – until it’s cooled to 60 degrees . I usually leave it maybe 10 minutes
Pour the fudge into a parchment paper lined baking pan, I use a wonderful marshmallow try from Lakeland that has unclippable sides and a cutting grid), sprinkle with remaining sea salt, and let set for at least 4 hours in a cool place. Cut into squares. Fudge will last up to 7 days.........maybe.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Thanks for sharing that EricA, I will definitely give it a go. Sounds heavenly! I don't know about 7 days though....7 hours maybe!

 

[Norton Caff]

That looks delicious. Do you have to beat it when it's cooled or is it grainy anyway. I shall be giving this a go!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I whisk it till it goes grainy.

 

[Putnamsmif]

Salted Honey Fudge

Sounds lovely, I'll be giving that a go.

Looked at the new site yesterday. They offered me a site along a field edge, which for the next 2 years is going to be mixed red and white clover - 100 acres of it.

That's as well as the 50 acres of mixed wildflower meadows, hedgerows with large margins left for the pheasants, and mixed woodland. Only downside is it's a bit exposed to the north and east, and I'm going to have to buy a 4x4 to get to it!