Ooh that smell

[Bakersdozen]

I discovered this interesting story about a Honey Flavor and Aroma Wheel that was developed by the Honey and Pollination Center at UC-Davis.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/12/347372500/from-cotton-candy-to-cat-pee-decoding-tasting-notes-in-honey

Personally, I find people that have these over developed taste buds very annoying.  The phrase 'food snobs' come to mind.  Maybe I am just jealous.

But, I thought this tool has possibilities.  Those that sell as farmer's markets could use it as an educational tool, or use it to get folks to stop and stay longer at their booths.  It might also help some beekeepers identify and label their honey.  It might also be fun to use at a beekeeping meeting.  In the fall, ask beekeepers to bring in a sample of their harvest for everyone to taste and compare.  Using the wheel they could guess what they think the floral source is.

[lazy shooter]

Oh, I like the term "food snobs."  I know some of them.  Good word coined by Bakerdozen.

[riverbee]

well, i just hope my honey never get's described as 'cat pee'.............

[Jen]

Riv- "well, i just hope my honey never get's described as 'cat pee'

     omg  .... I've had to dispose of many ferel cats in our neighborhood due to massive cat pee scent. If my hives ever smell like cat pee, I am out of the beekeeping business with great sadness.

[riverbee]

jen, the 'food snobs' (well coined) are describing the flavor and aroma. no different than the 'food snobs' that describe wine.....
then you have not had a good whiff of goldenrod?  i have had young beeks call me and ask me for a lookie see in their hives cuz they thought for sure there was a disease going on in there.  soon as i walked up to the hives, i could smell the goldenrod.

i found the little description of buckwheat, somewhat inaccurate, but i am a beekeeper, and i just appreciate honey.  lot's of times i have thought, hmm what the heck did the bees get into.....and i did this year when i took off and extracted the buckwheat honey......
it's great honey though, has a bite to it, with a little woodsy aroma and a hint of maple flavor......description not on the wheel though.....woodsy......

the honey wheel is interesting bakers, thanks for posting the article!

[Jen]

Hubby said that we have goldenrod here, I search some out, or have him bring some home from work. Then I can see what your talking about

[riverbee]

"Then I can see what your talking about "

when your hives are packing this away.......your nose will tell you......

[Jen]

How does goldenrod honey taste to you Riv? and does this honey smell good to you?

[brooksbeefarm]

I'm not the squirt, but it taste strong at first,then after it cures awhile it's not that bad. I like it, but i like White Lighting too. Jack

[Jen]

Now Jack, I don't mind the taste of any liquor even white lightning, and by the way white lightning doesn't really have a taste, but if the honey tastes and smells like dirty gym socks, I Will Not Partake.... just sayin' 

[brooksbeefarm]

Your right jen, the first time i tasted my uncles white lighting, i reached inside my mouth to see if i still had a tongue A family recipe , said when he was a kid  they sold it at the ball games in Collins, Mo. in pint jars. They would put two x's on some of the lids and three x's on the others, that they always sold out of the three x's first, then they would hide and add another x to the two x jars and sell out. That was in the 1920's and 1930's. Jack

[Jen]

I know we're off topic but  --  Good story there Jack, yah, I'm not saying it doesn't have the fire    My dad remembered when he was 6 years old, he would be allowed to go for a ride into the Oklahoma forest with his dad and uncles. They would give my dad 25 cents, and he would go into the woods to a house and buy a quart of white lightning. He would bring it back to his dad and uncles and they would fill the cap of the bottle with the white lightning and give it to my dad. He loved it. It ruined the rest of his life, but he said he felt like he was part of the big men when he got his capful.

[riverbee]

How does goldenrod honey taste to you Riv? and does this honey smell good to you?

so back on topic...........like jack said, it's strong, darker honey, flavor of it's own, it does have a distinct smell, some have used the term 'sweaty, dirty gym socks', that's really not how i would describe it. hmmm, well let's put it this way, goldenrod honey tastes better than what it smells like......
i like it, i will get some but most of the goldenrod is left on for the bees for winter.

[Bakersdozen]

i like it, i will get some but most of the goldenrod is left on for the bees for winter.

Most around here leave it for the bees as well.  A lot of folks like the fall honey for baking as it is more flavorful.

[brooksbeefarm]

About 5 yrs ago a fellow vendor at the farmers market beg me to sell honey at there up coming open house( that fall). I told them i was out and all i had left was some aster and goldenrod honey, they said bring it After more begging i said i would, but i wouldn't sell it to anyone without them tasting it first. You know i never had one person turn it down (sold out)and still have people calling me to see if i had anymore. I haven't had that good of a fall flow since, but if i do it's going up for sale. Jack

[Jen]

Okay then! I would enjoy tasting goldenrod honey, but I need someone to mail me some, I will pay for it shipping included, or we can do an exchange. How About It? Any takers?

 So far, from the members of this forum I have recieved honey from Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, and Alabama.

[riverbee]

i have some that ask for the fall honey as well jack.  fall honey's are typically for me, of the aster family, we have a number of asters, including the goldenrod. this year was a pretty good year for aster blooms.

[brooksbeefarm]

Very strange, my bees in the past never gave goldenrod a second look? Coming home from town yesterday i checked the goldenrod in my fence row and the girls were all over it Of course it's the only thing in bloom now, but the Aster is coming on. Hope we get a good fall flow. Jack

[Jen]

Me too Jack! I would love a little more honey. Astonished that I got 4 pints to date. I keep staring at it like it's going to vanish or something ... snark

[Bakersdozen]

I haven't had that good of a fall flow since, but if i do it's going up for sale. Jack

Maybe this is the year Jack.  You are close enough to me that maybe you got the same amount of rain.  They are calling for more today! 
I know I have supers out there that I am going to have to pull again.
My vitex is even has blooms on it again.  The native bees are working that hard.  My bees seem to be going for the sedum and are leaving the goldenrod alone.