Today, I tasted honey that never crystallizes. I imagined it slicker, wetter, less sticky on tooth fillings and tongue, as I licked the thick glob on my spoon. This rare honey is made from the tupelo gum tree, which grows along the rivers of northwest Florida, and it is gold with a greenish cast, like a tornado sky or a tarnished ring. It is resin that never hardens into amber. Lava that never dries into hard crust and rocks. Timeless.
To produce honey without time, you must first build the bee colony's strength, making honey from other blossoms, such as Ti-Ti and Black Gum. You must strip every honeycomb clean, to prevent contamination, as even one drop of the wrong sugar will upset the delicate balance. And you must build high platforms for the bees, so they can fly above the swamps in search of the tupelos. All of this labor, just to keep honey from changing. To keep it as viscous and sweet as the first taste, the first lick from your finger, dipped deep into the jar, warped by rounded glass, suspended.
Comments (4)
Huh. This is so bizarre. So if the honey doesn't ever crystallize, does it eventually rot? Wet moldy honey? You're so cool Karrie ...I'm going to spend the rest of the day thinking about honey, which is so much better than whatever other bullshit I was going to find myself fretting over. Thank you!
Posted by Dewi | October 29, 2003 10:28 AM
Posted on October 29, 2003 10:28
No, it doesn't ... Tupelo Honey resists fermentation as well, for far longer than average honey types ...
I am posting more on the Tupelos later. I have a line in my head that I can't get out ...
The reason it doesn't crystallize is because it has a higher levulose to dextrose ratio than any other honey. Levulose does not crystallize.
Posted by karrie | October 29, 2003 10:33 AM
Posted on October 29, 2003 10:33
I wish we were in the same city, so we could meet for a honey treat somewhere ....
Posted by karrie | October 29, 2003 10:47 AM
Posted on October 29, 2003 10:47
testing comments after installation of plugin
Posted by karrie | October 30, 2003 5:08 PM
Posted on October 30, 2003 17:08