It's Orange Blossom Season!
If you ever get the chance, drive through Florida during Orange Blossom Season. Roll down the windows, let the sunshine in, and smell the bright, fresh citrus in the air. Spring in Florida is an exciting time of year for beekeepers - especially those pollinating the orange groves.
The Florida orange tree flowers up to four weeks and is so prolific 99% of the blooms never turn to fruit. Those blooms do make some delicious honey, though! The orange blossom is an open flower with five waxy pedals - perfect for pollination. Technically these blooms are self-fertile and can be pollinated without honeybees; however, studies show that orange trees secluded from honeybees only produce 35% of the fruit of those trees which are pollinated by honeybees.
Why are honeybees such good pollinators? For one, they have sweet little hairy bodies so the pollen sticks well to them. Additionally, honeybees reach all the way into the flower to gather fresh nectar, ensuring that the pollen integrates farther than it would if it were wind-pollinated, for example.
Beekeepers from all over take their hives to Florida's signature orange groves during the spring. The honeybees collect nectar for weeks to create this beautiful single varietal honey with sweet, subtle notes of citrus. Once the blooms fall and fruit begins to grow, beekeepers remove their honeybees before pesticides are sprayed. Our bright, zesty Orange Blossom Honey is available in four sizes: 3oz, 12oz, 20oz, and 80oz.
Try these bee-licious Orange Blossom inspired recipes!
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