Tupelo Honey Facts

Where Tupelo Honey Comes From

Although several different Tupelo Trees yield large quantities of honey in the southeastern United States, the Apalachicola River basin is well-known for its distinctive flavored Tupelo Honey.  It is also produced along the Chipola River, a tributary to the Apalachicola.  The Ochlocknee and Choctahatchee Rivers also produce some tupelo.  These areas are the only places in the world where certified Tupelo Honey is produced.  This is because of the abundant growth of the white tupelo, Nyssa Ogeche, that produces good-quality Tupelo Honey.

The white Tupelo Tree, as it is most commonly known, usually stands 50 to 75 feet tall and is 2 to 3 feet in diameter.  White Tupelo blooms from early April to early May, depending on the  weather conditions.  Black Tupelo, Nyssa Biflora, blooms in advance of white tupelo and is used to build up bee colony strength and stores. Black tupelo produces a less desirable honey which will granulate; it is sold as bakery-grade honey.

Characteristics of Tupelo Honey

Flavor - mild, pleasant, very popular.
Density - good body, 16.0% - 18.0% moisture.
Freedom from crystals - White Tupelo Honey does not granulate.
Color - light with a greenish cast.
Average Carbohydrate composition - Dextrose 25.95%, Fructose (Levulose) 43.27%, Sucrose 1.21%, Maltose 7.97%, Higher sugars 1.1%.   High in Levulose, low in Dextrose.
Freedom from impurities.
Vitamins - thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, and nicotinic acid, all of which play vital roles in human nutrition.
Minerals - iron, copper, sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and phosphorous.  These elements are all essential to good nutrition.

Labeling and Florida Department of Agriculture Certification of Tupelo Honey

Tupelo Honey can be identified by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services based on microscopic pollen counts.  The distinctive shape of Tupelo Pollen makes this test possible.  Tupelo Honey producers may acquire chemist analysis papers certifying their honey as Tupelo.  We at Smiley Apiaries have these test results on hand for anyone to see upon request.  These test results are often of interest to potential buyers of bulk quantities.  Honey may be labeled "Tupelo" or tupelo and wildflower.  In the second case the buyer has no guarantee of just how much real Tupelo Honey he or she may be getting.  The word "pure" on a honey label designates that the product is pure honey, not necessarily all pure Tupelo.  Good white Tupelo unmixed with other honey will not granulate.

You Should Expect to Pay More For Fine Tupelo Honey

Tupelo Honey like any other excellent specialty honey sells at a premium price.  It is important you understand the reasons.  Like any other product in a free enterprise system, Tupelo Honey follows the laws of supply and demand.  Because of its superb table quality, distinctive flavor, and non granulation it is very popular with bottlers.  Many households have long considered Tupelo Honey as their finest choice.  The demand for Tupelo Honey has expanded to a growing world market.  On the other hand supply is limited by the natural environment in which the white Tupelo Tree will grow profuse enough to produce fine white Tupelo Honey.  Draining and encroaching development are steadily reducing this swampy terrain.

Most of the prime Tupelo swamp is in government wilderness areas.  Federal and state regulations are increasingly impeding access of these areas by beekeepers.  In addition to competing for limited Tupelo locations, Tupelo Honey producers also face the normal rigors of increasing transportation, equipment and supply cost.  At Smiley Apiaries we move our bees in from the summer locations to the Tupelo locations along the Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers.  After the short Tupelo season there are no more honey or pollen plants along the rivers.  The bees must be moved again back to there summer location or they will soon starve.

The nature of the swamp in which the Tupelo Trees grow can add additional expense to production cost.  Fluctuating water levels can quickly cut off access to the bees and they will drown.  The bees sometime have to be moved quickly in the event of rising water.  Since the Tupelo bloom is so short, sometimes lasting as little as 5 days or less, the effect of weather on production is profound.  Thunderstorms, high winds, and other weather factors common to the area can quickly destroy the bloom and end the entire production.

In order to get fine unmixed Tupelo Honey, bee colonies must be striped of all their stores just as the white Tupelo bloom begins.  The bees are then given clean boxes with combs in which to place the fresh Tupelo Nectar.  When Tupelo production is over this new crop must be removed before it can be mixed with additional Honey sources.  The timing of this operation is most critical, years of experience are needed to produce a fine product that will certify as Tupelo Honey.

Attributes Of Tupelo Honey

All natural, wholesome, healthy, nutritious, fat free product.

What You Are Getting

What you will be getting when you buy Tupelo Honey from Smiley Apiaries; when you purchase Tupelo Honey from Smiley Apiaries you are getting the absolute best and purest Tupelo we can possibly make.  Our Tupelo has not been heated or filtered, it is Raw extracted Tupelo Honey, packaged in a bottle straight from the beehive to you.  The samples collected from our 2009 Tupelo Honey crop by the Division of Plant Industries, Apiary Inspector were hand delivered to the Florida Department of Agriculture's Division of Food Safety's Bureau of Food Laboratories in Tallahassee, Florida.  The lab results from these samples came back at 95% Tupelo.  95% is rare and is a very good result, especially since the percentage only has to be over 50% to certify as Tupelo Honey.

Florida Department of Agriculture Analysis Report for 2009

100% Natural Honey
Fructose/Glucose Ratio -- 1.76
Fructose: HPLC ------------ 44.41%
Glucose: HPLC ------------- 25.30%
Maltose: HPLC ------------- 3.01%
Pollen Grains --------------  95 %
Sucrose: HPLC -------------- 0.92%

In some of the honey you receive from us you may notice there is white foam or minute beeswax particles at the top of the honey.  This is normal for fresh honey. This happens when the honey was packaged soon after it was extracted.  The foam is caused by tiny air bubbles that get into the honey during the extracting process. These air bubbles slowly float upwards and accumulate at the top, which creates this white foam.  This is going to happen every time with fresh extracted honey. After the honey settles for a few months and then bottled there will be little or no foam.  Remember you are buying RAW-UNFILTERED-UNHEATED TUPELO HONEY.

At Smiley Apiaries we strive to bring you the best Tupelo Honey produced anywhere.

I have many years experience in Beekeeping and in Tupelo Honey Production.  The most critical element is timing and hive management.  As the Tupelo Tree's begin to bloom I begin monitoring them daily.  When I see the bee's actually working the Tupelo  Flower I know it's time to strip them of all their stored honey.  If I wait to long I loose valuable Tupelo, if I start to early I get less desirable honey mixed in with my Tupelo.  The timing has to be just right in order to make the best Tupelo possible.  The black gum will granulate and is called the male Tupelo Tree which blooms ahead of the White Tupelo.  When you buy from Smiley Apiaries you can rest assured you are getting the real thing.