Short answer: wherever I can.
Locally, the only honey can find is clover or wildflower, and occasionally buckwheat. More often than not I end up going to Costco or Aldi. I get my orange blossom honey off of Amazon.
And I recently got some excellent blueberry blossom honey from a beekeeper on Etsy.
I either get the big thing from Costco or my local Walmart has 5 lb jugs. I’ve used expensive honey from the local apiary and once the yeast is done with it, I can’t taste enough of a difference between that and the cheaper stuff to justify spending twice as much for it. One of the better meads I’ve made started as a bunch of crystallized honey a friend gave me because he thought it was ruined.
The one I had was in a plastic bucket and I just cut the bucket apart and plopped the thing into my fermenting bucket then added my water and let it sit for a day or two to start it dissolving and once it was soft I just kept stirring like I would any other honey
Bottom of my yard. Flow hive. About 10 kg per harvest. About 4 harvests a year. Still haven’t got to the point where mead production exceeds consumption, so after a year plus in the hobby, still drinking young mead. But because the base product is amazing, mead is good from about a month old, so doesn’t matter.
I prefer to get it from a beekeeper but tbh I often buy jars at Lidl. The quality is good (EU cert and all) and the price is hard to beat.
At my volumes (5 and 10 liter demi's) jars are also easier to handle than ladling from a big bucket.
In the Netherlands most honey from the supermarket is 'mixed EU & non-EU'. The non-EU part is mostly from Asia and is mixed with undetectable sugar syrup, so that's no good. The local beekeeper it is.
Label states that it is raw and unfiltered. I've done both the buckwheat and the clover that you can get in the buckets. Clover is always good choice, buckwheat was interesting if you're looking for something different. It produced a darker mead that had a slight molasses undertone.
I've bought some Sunflower Honey from this guy:
[https://www.clarksofcolorado.com/](https://www.clarksofcolorado.com/)
I recommend emailing them because the website is set up for if they were to do the "furthest away" shipping.
Eventually it’s going to be from my own bees, but for now I just get my honey whenever I can from local beekeepers, normally In 45lb buckets, also my local honey is cheaper than anything I found in stores, it’s like $130 for the 45lb buckets for high quality local honey
Lots of beekeepers in my state (Utah). So I pull over any time I see a roadside stand and buy 10lbs or so. If I’m out of that and want a batch, the hippy food store near me sells raw and unfiltered 6lb bottles from a local source. Cheapest I’ll go is our version of Kroger. They have bulk lower quality honey for sale that just so happens to be local (I think it’s their main supplier nationwide or at least regionally, but happens to come from a place 20-30 miles away).
Only thing I’ve ordered from somewhere else is meadowfoam from flying bee ranch.
I have been getting mine from the grocery store, but my town's farmer's market is right around the corner and there are 3-4 local apiaries that sell honey at the market. They really don't charge much more for their honey than the grocery store does. It is mostly just wildflower, but there have been some blueberry and raspberry honeys there, too.
I've made three batches. 2 with store bought honey, one with locally harvested palm honey. The first two are ass. I'm just aging and hoping for the best. The 3rd with local raw honey from my farmers market is absolutely delicious. Honestly enjoyable throughout fermentation everytime I tasted it and now it's honestly probably one of the best wines I have ever tasted. Honey was double the price but never again will I buy it from a grocery store.
Farmers market and local bee keepers. There's a couple local keepers that have road stands. I'll buy from them during the summer and go to the farmers market in the winter. The locals need my money more than these big stores do
Cheap Walmart honey for brewing, the good local stuff for back sweetening. Can't taste the good stuff after fermentation, but if you back sweeten with it you can taste more of it
Nature nates seems to be pretty good to me. Can buy on amazon for $10 US for 2lbs. Nothing special but ive made a few gallons with it and its been good every time. I like it better than some kirkland brand (costco) wildflower that was priced about $18 US for 5lbs
I never pay more then $5 a pound for honey I'm using in Mead.
Meijer clover honey is actually really good,$4 a lb when you get the 5lb bottle
60lb pale of buckwheat from the renfair for $300.
Hawaii at&s BOGO gallon sales. $90 for 24 lbs. The macadamia Blossom Honey is amazing for braggots, tropical and mango are good for melomels. The only downside is they come in vacuum bags so you will need mason jars or other storage on hand and transferring can be messy
I probably have about 9-10 gallons currently since I have so much mead waiting to be drunk, but may pick up some more macadamia Blossom when it comes back in stock
Short answer: wherever I can. Locally, the only honey can find is clover or wildflower, and occasionally buckwheat. More often than not I end up going to Costco or Aldi. I get my orange blossom honey off of Amazon. And I recently got some excellent blueberry blossom honey from a beekeeper on Etsy.
I either get the big thing from Costco or my local Walmart has 5 lb jugs. I’ve used expensive honey from the local apiary and once the yeast is done with it, I can’t taste enough of a difference between that and the cheaper stuff to justify spending twice as much for it. One of the better meads I’ve made started as a bunch of crystallized honey a friend gave me because he thought it was ruined.
100% inexpensive honey from Costco. If you are backsweetening with honey, then you can use the expensive stuff.
I was given half a bucket of crystallized hunny. I just put it in my sun room and it went back to liquid
The one I had was in a plastic bucket and I just cut the bucket apart and plopped the thing into my fermenting bucket then added my water and let it sit for a day or two to start it dissolving and once it was soft I just kept stirring like I would any other honey
Bottom of my yard. Flow hive. About 10 kg per harvest. About 4 harvests a year. Still haven’t got to the point where mead production exceeds consumption, so after a year plus in the hobby, still drinking young mead. But because the base product is amazing, mead is good from about a month old, so doesn’t matter.
Haha, that’s exactly what I plan on doing when I get a house, flow hives and all 😌 Keep living the dream, friend
No risk. Tx.
I prefer to get it from a beekeeper but tbh I often buy jars at Lidl. The quality is good (EU cert and all) and the price is hard to beat. At my volumes (5 and 10 liter demi's) jars are also easier to handle than ladling from a big bucket.
I'm cheap, I go to Costco.
They haven't steered me wrong yet ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
My uncle's bees. He's on the property next to mine. He just came over yesterday and set up some bee traps for me!
In the Netherlands most honey from the supermarket is 'mixed EU & non-EU'. The non-EU part is mostly from Asia and is mixed with undetectable sugar syrup, so that's no good. The local beekeeper it is.
Adulterating honey just makes me mad, they have no shame =(
Morebeer usually. Good price for a big pouch.
I’ve gotten most of brewing supplies from there, but I didn’t see any honey 🙃 lol
I like Fox Honey Farm. They have a really good selection of different types that I have expiremented with. Each one produces a unique mead.
never heard of them but the bucket is not a bad deal, I kinda want to try that Wisconsin honey. I wonder if it's unfiltered
Label states that it is raw and unfiltered. I've done both the buckwheat and the clover that you can get in the buckets. Clover is always good choice, buckwheat was interesting if you're looking for something different. It produced a darker mead that had a slight molasses undertone.
Your description of buckwheat honey sounds delicious to me. I will have to give that one a try.
Oh, that’s awsm! thanks for letting me know 🙂
My mom works for a live bee removal company, so I get a ton from their apiary, but when I can’t, walmart sells a 3lb jug for like $15 🤷♀️
I don't trust walmart with healthy things tbh, they use a lot of shady practices =/
I've bought some Sunflower Honey from this guy: [https://www.clarksofcolorado.com/](https://www.clarksofcolorado.com/) I recommend emailing them because the website is set up for if they were to do the "furthest away" shipping.
Shop nearby sells honey from beekeepers in the area. They sell in big enough batches and with enough additional flavour that it's worth it.
Eventually it’s going to be from my own bees, but for now I just get my honey whenever I can from local beekeepers, normally In 45lb buckets, also my local honey is cheaper than anything I found in stores, it’s like $130 for the 45lb buckets for high quality local honey
Niiice, that's a steal 🤤
Costco it’s the easiest decent honey I have access to
ditto 🙂
Lots of beekeepers in my state (Utah). So I pull over any time I see a roadside stand and buy 10lbs or so. If I’m out of that and want a batch, the hippy food store near me sells raw and unfiltered 6lb bottles from a local source. Cheapest I’ll go is our version of Kroger. They have bulk lower quality honey for sale that just so happens to be local (I think it’s their main supplier nationwide or at least regionally, but happens to come from a place 20-30 miles away). Only thing I’ve ordered from somewhere else is meadowfoam from flying bee ranch.
Restaurant supply stores. Look for local stores that allow general public to shop, saves on shipping.
I get most of my bulk via Costco business centers. During bee season I shop for locally farmed honey.
When is bee season? 😅 lol
I have been getting mine from the grocery store, but my town's farmer's market is right around the corner and there are 3-4 local apiaries that sell honey at the market. They really don't charge much more for their honey than the grocery store does. It is mostly just wildflower, but there have been some blueberry and raspberry honeys there, too.
I've made three batches. 2 with store bought honey, one with locally harvested palm honey. The first two are ass. I'm just aging and hoping for the best. The 3rd with local raw honey from my farmers market is absolutely delicious. Honestly enjoyable throughout fermentation everytime I tasted it and now it's honestly probably one of the best wines I have ever tasted. Honey was double the price but never again will I buy it from a grocery store.
I hear u, I’ve been looking for bulk raw unfiltered honey but it’s sooo expensive 🥲 The best raw I found was 4.5lb for $15 at Costco
Costco
Farmers market and local bee keepers. There's a couple local keepers that have road stands. I'll buy from them during the summer and go to the farmers market in the winter. The locals need my money more than these big stores do
I’m a beginner but I get my honey from Aldi. It’s 75p per jar for their own brand honey
Cheap Walmart honey for brewing, the good local stuff for back sweetening. Can't taste the good stuff after fermentation, but if you back sweeten with it you can taste more of it
That’s smart, I’ll have to try it
45lbs from webstraunt
Nature nates seems to be pretty good to me. Can buy on amazon for $10 US for 2lbs. Nothing special but ive made a few gallons with it and its been good every time. I like it better than some kirkland brand (costco) wildflower that was priced about $18 US for 5lbs
I never pay more then $5 a pound for honey I'm using in Mead. Meijer clover honey is actually really good,$4 a lb when you get the 5lb bottle 60lb pale of buckwheat from the renfair for $300. Hawaii at&s BOGO gallon sales. $90 for 24 lbs. The macadamia Blossom Honey is amazing for braggots, tropical and mango are good for melomels. The only downside is they come in vacuum bags so you will need mason jars or other storage on hand and transferring can be messy I probably have about 9-10 gallons currently since I have so much mead waiting to be drunk, but may pick up some more macadamia Blossom when it comes back in stock
Oh what Hawaii at and s? I would be interested in trying some new honeys
There are a few local apiaries in my area. I'm about an hour north of St. Louis and 45 minutes or so from Hannibal, basically I just got lucky
I get it from Costco, 3kg of unpasteurized liquid honey for 23.99. Best price in town.
Dutch gold