Spring Honey in central Oklahoma is a mixture of wild flowers and produces a
fine honey.  The problem is the honey changes from year to year depending on
source plants.
 
My favorate honey is produced from Cotton Blooms.  In Southwestern Oklahoma,
cotton is abundant in the fall and most of the farmers use dry land
techniques to grow.  This means no spraying for paracites.  With no sparying
the bees don't get killed and you don't run the risk of pesticides in the
honey.
 
If it will rain,  each hive will produce 100 to 150 # of honey from August 1
to Oct. 1.  Not bad for 2 months work.  The honey is a light amber and
carries a mild taste.  The cotton will bloom until the first freeze which is
sometime in early to  middle November ( after October 1  the bloom has
decreased to about 10% of the peak in middle August).   I extract in October
while it is warm enough to sling the honey and the bees still have over 5
weeks of light bloom on the cotton to build up winter stores.  Late honey
flows also produce excellent quantity of pollen for the bees to store for
winter.
 
The problem with cotton honey is 1) finding an area that doesn't spray
pesticides and 2) the honey will crystalize in less than one month.  I
usually have to heat the honey  to redissolve prior to selling.
 
 Note:  I have tasted a difference when heating honey above 120 degrees F to
redissolve.  I try to stay below 110 deg. F.
 
Richard
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