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Article Launched: 10/12/2005 01:00:00 AM food & dining Honey A Boulder County couple turns harvesting the sweet liquid into a family affair By Ellen Sweets Denver Post Staff Writer

(Special to The Denver Post / Steve Peterson) Boulder - Never mind those photos of beekeepers spraying smoky stuff after donning bulky white suits that make them look like parodies of the Michelin man. The real-deal honey extraction is remarkably drama-free. If you're Laura Tyler and husband Andy Schwarz of Boulder Backyard Bees, the labor-intensive process happens quietly among friends and family, as it did on a recent Saturday. In space borrowed from the Culinary School of the Rockies, several bedsheets are duct-taped to the pristine floor in a U-shaped configuration. The sheets protect the floor from sticky spills. Tables support a kind of assembly line that will see Tyler do a first scraping, after removing honey-filled frames from a box. The frames, removed just days before, are from 50 hives scattered throughout Boulder County. "Each set of hives makes a different kind of honey," Tyler says. "Some will be Boulder wildflower, some will be Prairie Honey and some will be Sweet St. Vrain, my favorite. We don't say where the hives are because some are on private property, and we want to protect the privacy of the owners." The rectangular frames of honey, originally placed in hives where the bees fill and seal them, are transferred to what are called superboxes, sort of chests of drawers for the frames. Once the frames are pulled, the honey must be extracted before it crystallizes, usually within four to five weeks, depending on the sugar content. This year it will be a 12-hour process from extracting to bottling the honey. The manual process is what distinguishes natural honey from the commercial product. "With large commercial operations, they buy honey from a group of beekeepers under contract to them," Tyler says. "It's all poured into one giant vat, processed and marketed. We can tell you exactly where our honey came from. There is a variation in color. There are separate and distinct flavors." Tyler's father, Donald, and his wife, Sonia, flew in from their home in Auburn, Maine, to help with extraction. Tyler pulls a frame from one of the superboxes and scrapes away the wax with which the bees have sealed the frames. This wax, called propolis, purportedly has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory properties. "We don't make any medicinal claims," Tyler says, "but I've used it before, just stuck on the back of a sore tooth. It does have anesthetic properties." As she talks, she loosens the wax seal by scraping the edges away and passes the frames on to her stepmother, who in turn scrapes away the thick layer of wax that has sealed the surface of the frame on both sides. Tyler, an artist, got the buzz to raise bees from her aunt Anne, who still lives in Maine. "The idea popped into my head about five years ago when I was a video producer and Andy was a computer consultant. (Bees) are so interesting in terms of how they interact with one another. And so generous in what they produce for us." As Sonia completes each frame, she hangs it on a rack. Schwarz then transfers each one to an extractor, a cylindrical, centrifugelike piece of equipment that holds 18 frames. Coils around the exterior of the extractor keep walls warm so that once the device is activated and achieves its high-speed rotation, the honey that's spun free runs down the sides and into a 5-gallon bucket. Once the bucket is filled, either Andy or Donald transfer it to the final step, filling the 12-ounce jars from a spigot on the bottom of the bucket. The honey will be sold at Boulder Farmers Market. "Sport," a friend who only uses one name, sits, patiently filling jar after jar, until a 12-unit box is filled. The St. Vrain, taken from a low-lying valley, is a pale golden hue - as opposed to the deeper hues from other locations. It has a delicate sweetness with a hint of citrus. "There can be considerable color differentiations from hives only a few miles apart," Laura says. "They feed off gardens that have a variety of flowers. They might be clover and herbs, such as thyme, sage, oregano. "Then there are the prairie bees, that feed off of milkweed, yellow clover and sunflowers." Along with selling their honey, Tyler and Schwarz use honey around the house. He likes to make candles, sometimes scenting them with lavender and cedar. She sweetens lemonade, tea, cakes, fruit salad and salad dressings. In gratitude the couple leaves the hives an ample supply of honey to see them through the winter. "They give us so much," she says. "The least we can do is to keep them well-fed too. After all, they did make the honey." Staff writer Ellen Sweets can be reached at 303-820-1284 or esweets@denverpost.com. Buying the honey Laura Tyler and Andy Schwarz sell their honey at the Boulder Farmers Market every Saturday until the 800 to 1,200 jars are gone (through Nov. 5). Prices are $5 per jar for the Boulder Wildflower and Prairie Wildflower, and $6 per jar for the Sweet St. Vrain. For additional information about their beeswax products, e-mail them at honey@backyardbees.com. RECIPES Hot and Fiery Chicken When used in a marinade, honey helps tenderize meat. While it's cooking, honey provides a distinctive barbecue flavor to food as it caramelizes. Recipe courtesy of the Honey Association of Great Britain. Die-hard grill-meisters might want to do the breasts and vegetables on the grill. Serves 4. Ingredients 6 tablespoons clear honey 2 red chiles, seeded and finely chopped 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons distilled (or white) vinegar 1 tablespoon sage, freshly chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 skinless chicken breasts 1 red pepper, cut into 8 vertical strips 8 button mushrooms 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 red onion, cut into 8 thin ("Seasons: A Year of Great Tastes") wedges 1 cup long-grain rice Directions Preheat oven to 350. Mix honey, chiles, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Add sage and season with salt and pepper. Score chicken breasts 3 times diagonally across, place in a non-metallic, ovenproof dish. Cover with honey mixture. Marinate 1 hour. Meanwhile, make 8 vegetable kebabs, threading one piece of pepper, 1 mushroom, 1 squash slice and 1 onion wedge onto 8 small metal kebabs. Bake chicken 20-30 minutes, basting 2-3 times during cooking. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear. Either bake kebabs until vegetables are soft, or grill 3-4 minutes. Cook rice according to package instructions. Brush griddle pan with a little more oil and cook vegetable kebabs until tender and char-grilled, turning frequently. When cooked, transfer to a plate and keep warm. Pour juices and remaining sauce into a small saucepan, reduce by half. To serve, divide rice among four plates, place one chicken breast on top of rice and lay 2 kebabs across chicken. Pour sauce over kebabs and serve. Wine ideas: "Fiery" is a word that should put you on guard when it comes to wine: Adding alcohol to chile heat can start a conflagration in your mouth. Look for relatively low-alcohol wines, like German rieslings. Wines from the excellent 2004 vintage in Germany are just coming onto the market; look for wines like Selbach's Fish Label or Zilliken's Butterfly label. Both are dry wines that sell for less than $17. -Tara Q. Thomas Cranberry Salsa From honey.com, makes 2 cups. Ingredients 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1 orange, peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon orange peel, grated 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 1/3 cup honey 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed Directions Coarsely chop cranberries in food processor. Add orange, orange peel, ginger, parsley, cilantro and jalapeno pepper; process 30 to 40 seconds or until mixture is coarsely chopped. Add honey and orange juice concentrate; process about 5 more seconds. Serve with turkey or other poultry. Honey-Roasted Ham From "Seasons: A Year of Great Tastes," this traditional dish, served at holidays, the family picnic or the next tailgate party, combines sherry and honey for an unusual touch. If the ham has a bone, use it to flavor soup later. Serves 8-10. Ingredients 3-4 pounds unsmoked fresh ham 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons sherry 1 tablespoon unrefined (raw) sugar Directions Preheat oven to 350. Spread a large piece of foil in a roasting pan. Place ham on top, rind side up. Bring foil up around it and crimp edges together to enclose meat, Advertisement being careful not to wrap it too tightly. Put ham in oven and roast for 25 minutes per pound. Remove ham from oven, and increase heat to 400. Carefully fold back foil and cut rind from ham, leaving the layer of fat. Score fat in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife. Combine honey, sherry and sugar and spoon on ham. Leaving the side of the meat protected by the foil, but the top open, return ham to oven and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool and set before carving. Wine ideas: The sweet richness of ham calls for a wine that's high in acidity, like many white wines. Its rosy color and meaty texture, however, can be complemented by a red. Split the difference and go for a rose Bodegas Muga makes an excellent Rioja rose that's easy to find for about $11; Gonzalez Lara is another name to look for, with a rose from Cigales, Spain, at about $10. -Tara Q. Thomas Blazing Bronco Burgers with Smoking Chipotle Honey Sauce From honey.com, serves 4. Ingredients 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, sliced 1/3 cup honey 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 pound ground beef (or ground buffalo) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning 4 roasted Anaheim chile peppers, fresh or canned 4 slices pepper jack cheese 4 hamburger buns 4 lettuce leaves 4 slices tomato 4 slices red onion Directions Combine ketchup, mustard, chipotle, honey and mayonnaise in a bowl and set aside. To prepare burgers, divide meat into 4 equal portions and shape into patties. Combine salt, pepper and Creole or Cajun seasoning, and sprinkle evenly over the 4 patties. Grill burgers until nearly cooked to desired level. Top each patty with a chile pepper, followed by a slice of cheese. Cover grill until cheese melts and burgers are cooked. Spread chipotle-honey sauce evenly on bun. Serve patties on buns and garnish with lettuce, tomato and red onion. Top with more honey-chipotle sauce as desired. Wine ideas: Sweet, hot and smoky, these burgers need a big red wine. K, a winery in Washington's Columbia Valley, makes a blackberry-rich blend of cabernet, merlot, syrah and cabernet franc that fits the bill at $10. Or, look for a juicy, spicy syrah, like one from Talus or Smoking Loon, both of which run less than $10. -Tara Q. Thomas Honey French Toast with Powdered Sugar & Lime Adapted from a recipe from Seattle chef Danielle Custer. Note: With a fork, whisk the egg batter just before dipping each piece of bread to create a more uniform allocation of cinnamon and better appearance. Serves 4-6. Ingredients 12 slices (3/4-inch) challah bread 1 cup whole milk 1/3 cup (National Honey Board) any light-bodied honey, such as clover, plus extra for drizzling 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 4-6 tablespoons butter, divided 2 limes, each sliced into 4 wedges lengthwise (8 wedges total) Confectioners' sugar, for dusting Directions Preheat oven to 300. Lay bread on a cutting board or other flat surface to dry out slightly. Heat milk with honey over medium heat until honey dissolves. Cool slightly. With a fork, lightly whisk eggs. Add milk mixture, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla; continue mixing until uniform in color. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and melt. Quickly dip 4 bread slices into egg batter, coating both sides. Add to skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Place slices on plate and keep warm in oven. Wipe skillet with a paper towel; repeat with remaining butter and bread. Place two slices of toast in the center of each of 6 plates. Put powdered sugar in a small sieve and lightly dust slices. Serve with fresh seasonal fruit and berries and a lime wedge off to one side. Place a cruet of honey, a plate of soft butter and additional lime wedges on the table. Wine ideas: In the States, we're used to having French toast for breakfast. In France, though, it's more often served for dessert, in much smaller portions. Try a slice with a glass of orange-scented Essensia orange muscat from Quady in California or Renwood's version from Amador County. -Tara Q. Thomas Apricot Honey Oat Bar Cookies As more and more Americans jog, bike, ski and swim, health bars have become a popular on-the-go snack for extra energy and curbing hunger. However, store-bought varieties can be expensive and full of ingredients you don't need. So, why not make your own? Honey is a natural source of energy - nearly 82 percent carbohydrate - just what athletes and weekend warriors need. From honey.com, serves 8. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked 1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt 2 egg whites 2 tablespoons wheat germ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions Preheat oven to 325. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until center is firm and edges are lightly browned. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.
	Honey Photos by Steve Peterson / Special to The Denver Post Photo 1: The waxy honeycomb is scraped off of a heated frame to expose the honey. Photo 2: GLaura Tyler gets to work extracting honey from a frame. Photo 3: Andy Schwarz spins frames in an extractor to separate the honey, which flows into a bucket. Later, the honey will be put into jars. Photo 4: Honey being poured into a jar. Photo 5: The color of honey depends on what flowers the bees feed on, says beekeeper Andy Schwarz.

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