At the Farmers Market: Hooked on Honey

Like bees’ natural attraction to flowers, Calabasas Patch and several other market-goers found themselves attracted to a particular stall at the farmers market.

Several of us zeroed in on Isabell’s Honey Farm for the honey tastings and the attractive display of natural honey products.

Healthy honey

Owner John Mkrtchyan was on hand to tell us about the many health benefits of this delicious alternative to sugar. “Raw honey is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral substance,” he said. "It’s one of the original natural food and it’s a remedy for so many ailments, aches and pains that are too many to mention."

Based in Burbank, Mkrtchyan and his wife Tatevik purchase their honey from a honey farm in Ventura County.

The husband and wife team call their honey process “gravity straining,” which allows the honey to be preserved in its most natural state. This unique process also gives them one of the best honey around town.

Honey haven

Last Saturday, some of the other honey varieties had already run out by mid-morning except for sage, sage with comb and bee pollen.

Heavy-bodied but mild-flavored, sage honey is one of the few varieties that does not crystallize. Translucent yellow, sage honey is perfect with any tea or ale. A slight hint of pepper and a smooth finish also work well in cutting the fattiness usually found in most meat.

Sage honeycomb, on the other hand, involves no processing. “This is honey in its purest form created by the bees themselves,” said Mkrtchyan.

Most people eat this honey by the spoonful or spread it on toast. As for the wax, “it can be eaten or thrown away,” explained Mkrtchyan.

A 518-gram jar of sage honey was priced for $10 while the sage honeycomb was priced at $12.

Meanwhile, Mkrtchyan was on his last jar of bee pollen, a natural energy booster, among other things. Believed by many to help with eyesight, hair growth, fatigue, stress, appetite and skincare, it is beginning to gain popularity in this market, according to Mkrtchyan.

The four-ounce jar was selling for $9 while the eight-ounce jar was $15.

Other pure, raw and natural honey varieties that Isabell’s carries but were out of stock at that time: organic tropical wildflower, avocado, buckwheat, clover and cactus.

Finding honey

Mkrtchyan offered a quick tip for the inevitable honey crystals. “Just re-warm the jar in a pan of hot water,” he suggested. “Then just store it again at room temperature.”

Aside from Calabasas, Isabell’s Honey Farm is in three other farmers markets: Toluca Lake, Gigi’s at Americana on Brand and Downtown Pershing Square. You can also place your orders through their Facebook page or their website.

The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Road, across the street from the Sagebrush Cantina.