May is one of our favourite months. Not only do we have the long weekend to wind down and enjoy the warm Spring weather, but on the 20th it's World Bee Day! We've got a great picnic salad for you to enjoy, tips for softening your Creamed Honey and we'll tell you all about World Bee Day and an amazing contest we're hosting over on Instagram!
Chicken Lentil Salad with Honey Garlic Dressing
Need a salad to take on the go that packs tons of nutrients and flavour? This salad will be the main attraction at your next picnic or pot luck! If you're taking it to go, just pack the various toppings in separate containers and put it all together just before serving! Click read more to be taken to the recipe.
The United Nations designated World Bee Day to raise awareness of the importance of bees. Bees are under a continuous threat from human activity, which includes the introduction of invasive insects, pesticides, land-use change, and mono-cropping practices, which have continuously been destroying bee colonies over time. The UN Member States approved Slovenia’s proposal to proclaim May 20th as World Bee Day in December 2017.
World Bee Day Facts 🐝 Bees play an important role in nature as pollinators. Alongside other insects and animals like butterflies and bats, bees help pollinate about 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species. They also help pollinate 75% of the world’s food crops. 🐝 According to the UN, about 35% of invertebrate pollinators (bees and butterflies) face global extinction due to human impact. 🐝 May 20th coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, a Slovenian beekeeper. Born in 1734, he is considered the pioneer of modern beekeeping.
Every individual can contribute to the preservation of bees and other pollinators: 🐝 Plant nectar-bearing flowers for decorative purposes on balconies, terraces, and gardens. 🐝 Buy honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper (Bee Maid Honey is owned by 300 Western Canadian beekeepers!) 🐝 Raise awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and express your support for beekeepers. 🐝 Preserve old meadows – which feature a more diverse array of flowers – and sow nectar-bearing plants. 🐝 Cut grass on meadows only after the nectar-bearing plants have finished blooming. 🐝 Avoid using pesticides when possible. If you must use pesticides, select a bee friendly one and spray in windless weather, either early in the morning or late at night, when bees withdraw from blossoms.
We're hosting a fun World Bee Day Scavenger Hunt on our Instagram page. Check it out! If you don't have an Instagram account, this contest is a great reason to get one!
Creamed Honey Tips
If you love our BeeMaid Creamed Honey, you might have noticed that the honey is a bit harder than usual. Bees and the resulting honey production are affected by weather, just like the crops and flowers they forage. In the Canadian Prairies, the incredibly hot and dry summer of 2021 resulted in honey with a lower moisture content. Lower moisture honey doesn’t affect the taste or quality of our Canadian honey, but it does mean that our creamed honey is a bit harder than usual and may take some time to soften.
If you have a container at home that you’re anxious to use, try this easy tip! Take a dinner knife (it doesn’t have to be sharp) and insert it up and down throughout the container several times (don’t scrape). Within no time, you’ll notice the honey getting softer and creamier and easy to spread!
We also have a short video on our website demonstrating this super easy technique!
