Bees at the apiary collect nectar from alfalfa, snowberry, clover, sweet clover and vetch, among other flowers, and store them in honeycombs. To make creamed honey, Lee extracts raw honey from the beehive and stirs it in a creamer to create a smooth texture, like a spread.
The husband-and-wife duo moved their beekeeping operations from New Westminster in the Lower Mainland to Creston, B.C., in 2017. (Submitted by Jeff Lee)
The Lees also secured first place in the Extra Water White class for their fireweed honey, known among beekeepers as the “champagne of honey,” popular for its white colour and mild flavour.
The eight jars of the honey were also auctioned off at the event, each selling for US$250 (C$337).
Lee said the honey is extracted from the nectar of flowers that grow after clearcutting or wildfires. To produce the honey, the husband-and-wife duo set up hives high in the Purcell and the Selkirk Mountains of Creston Valley where little grows except fireweed.
“We also put up fences around and drive up there every few days to check on the bees,” said Lee.
