Essex Otto Apiary

Our apiary adventure began as a spark in 2019, ignited by a class at the NY Botanical Garden. From that moment, I knew beekeeping was in my future. The events of 2020 only excellerated this decision as we all suddenly couldnt leave our houses.

Today, we (my partner Jay Otto and myself) find immense joy in hosting these gentle pollinators in our yard. Observing their diligent work brings a sense of peace and wonder.

Our "Farm"

Our little "farm" spans a single acre near Schenectady, NY, enveloped by picturesque blueberry fields and apple trees. The honey we harvest is a reflection of the diverse blooms our bees discover on their foraging flights.

Support Our Buzzing Friends

While our honey and other products are offered for free, we warmly welcome any donations you wish to make towards our bees' well-being. Beekeeping is a deeply rewarding yet costly endeavor. Ensuring our hives thrive requires ongoing investments in equipment, supplies, and other essentials. Your generosity allows us to continue this fulfilling journey and keep our bees happy and healthy.

 

Serving suggestions

Beyond just adding to your tea, honey can be used in so many ways.

  • Spread on toast

  • Replace sugar for baking

  • Add to your favorite charcuterie board, or just dip cheese in it

  • Put it on savory dishes like pork

  • Use it to make salad dressing

  • Makes a great simple syrup for cocktails

Does honey go bad?

No! they have found honey in the tombs in Egypt. When honey is about 10 months old it may start to crystallize. You’ll see it start to thicken and this happens to honey that is not pasteurized (which is what you want, has the most benefits). Some people prefer crystalized honey because it spreads easier, others like to heat it in the microwave and it takes it back to its more liquid state. Figure out how you like it.

Honey hand scrub

This is a new thing I’ve been trying out (I have so much freggin honey) so I’d love your feedback on it. Its made of crystalized honey, large grain raw sugar and coconut oil.

Other :)

Want to help out the bees? We would love your donation to supplies and upkeep of our small bee apiary. Venmo https://venmo.com/u/erinessex

The mason jar is a standard Ball size. Please reuse it!