Some of the best honey and maple syrup on our shelves is made a short drive from the store, by beekeepers and a maple family here in Nova Scotia. Here's who makes it, what the words on the label mean, and a few easy ways to use both.
Nova Scotia honey on our shelves
Cosman & Whidden is our everyday local honey. Their bees forage across Nova Scotia, from orchards and meadows to wildflowers, and the honey is a blend of fruit blossom, clover and wildflower nectar. It's unpasteurized and comes in sizes from 330 g up to 1 kg and 2 kg for serious bakers. The 500 g jar is the one most people take home.
Their creamed honey is the same honey, crystallized in a controlled way into fine crystals so it's smooth and spreadable. "Creamed" describes the texture; there's no cream in it. It stays put on toast and doesn't drip off a warm biscuit.
The Halifax Honey Co. infuses Nova Scotia wildflower honey with pickled chillies. Stingin' Hot Honey Original is the place to start, and Stingin' Hotter is for people who find the original polite. Drizzle it on pizza, roasted vegetables, fried chicken or a cheese board right at the end, so you taste the sweet-hot contrast.
Cosman & WhiddenPure Nova Scotia HoneyUnpasteurized, from fruit blossom, clover and wildflowers.Shop →
Cosman & WhiddenCreamed HoneyThe same honey, smooth and spreadable. Nothing added.Shop →
Halifax Honey Co.Stingin' Hot HoneyWildflower honey infused with pickled chillies.Shop →
Halifax Honey Co.Stingin' Hotter HoneyThe Red Lava Edition, for more heat.Shop →
Raw, unpasteurized, pasteurized or creamed?
The words on a honey label describe how it was handled after it left the hive.
| Label says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Unpasteurized | Not heat-treated to the point of pasteurization. It keeps more of its natural character and tends to crystallize sooner. |
| Raw | Usually unheated (or barely warmed) and minimally strained. It isn't an official grade name, so read the maker's description. |
| Pasteurized | Heated to slow crystallization and keep the honey liquid longer on the shelf. |
| Creamed | Crystallized on purpose into a smooth, spreadable texture. |
If you're after raw honey, Drizzle's raw honeys are kept unheated and come from Canadian beekeepers.
DrizzleCinnamon Spiced Raw HoneyUnheated raw honey from Canadian beekeepers, with cinnamon.Shop →
Cloudy honey is fine
If your liquid honey goes cloudy and firm, that's natural crystallization, not spoilage. Set the jar in warm (not boiling) water and stir until it loosens.
No honey before age one
Don't give any kind of honey to babies under one year old, including in baked goods or on a soother. Honey can carry spores that cause infant botulism, so wait until after the first birthday.
Nova Scotia maple syrup: Hutchinson Acres
Hutchinson Acres is a family-run maple farm in Aylesford, in the Annapolis Valley, where Orval, Doug, Michele and their family turn sap from their own hardwood maple bush into certified organic syrup. It comes in glass bottles in several sizes. It's popular, so check availability online or call ahead if you want a particular size.
Hutchinson AcresPure Nova Scotia Organic Maple SyrupCertified organic syrup from a family maple bush in Aylesford, in glass.Shop →
The family also makes the PURE maple infusions: pure maple syrup infused with other ingredients. Two to try first:
Smoky and brightChipotle & Lemongrass
Brush it on salmon or roasted squash.
Sweet and sharpGinger & Apple Cider Vinegar Gastrique
Made for glazing pork, carrots or Brussels sprouts.
From next door in New Brunswick, Wabanaki is an Indigenous, female-owned business. Their Toasted Oak Maple Syrup is aged with lightly charred oak and tastes of oak, molasses and brown sugar.
WabanakiBarrel Aged Toasted Oak Maple SyrupAged with lightly charred oak, from New Brunswick.Shop →
Maple syrup grades in Canada
Retail maple syrup in Canada has one grade, Canada Grade A, in four colour classes. Syrup made early in the season tends to be lighter, and later syrup darker and stronger.
| Colour class | Flavour | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Golden | Delicate taste: light and mild | Yogurt, fruit, ice cream |
| Amber | Rich taste: classic, full maple | Pancakes, waffles, everyday use |
| Dark | Robust taste: stronger, caramel notes | Baking, glazes, dressings |
| Very Dark | Strong taste: the most intense | Cooking, baking, barbecue sauce |
If you remember "No. 1 Medium" or "Grade B" from older bottles, those names were replaced by this system. No class is healthier than another: they're all maple syrup, with similar sugar content.
Darker maple isn't lower quality. Choose it by how much maple you want to taste.
Easy ways to use them
A honey-cider vinaigrette is the simplest way to show off local honey:
- Whisk the base. 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Filsinger's organic apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
- Sweeten. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of Cosman & Whidden honey and whisk again.
- Season and serve. Add salt and pepper, and toss with a kale or apple salad.
Filsinger'sOrganic Apple Cider VinegarThe organic cider vinegar we reach for in this dressing.Shop →
Maple-Dijon glaze. Stir together equal parts maple syrup and Dijon mustard, and brush it on salmon, chicken or carrots for the last few minutes of roasting. Darker syrup stands up better to the mustard.
Hot honey yogurt dip. Mix half a cup of plain Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of hot honey and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with roasted carrots or sweet potato wedges, and keep it refrigerated.
Breakfast. Spread creamed honey on toast, or stir a spoonful of maple into oatmeal with a pinch of cinnamon.
A cold-season mug. Stir a spoon of honey and a squeeze of lemon into warm water; our guide to natural cough syrup and throat teas has more for scratchy-throat season.
Baking tip
Honey and maple aren't straight swaps for sugar. They add liquid as well as sweetness, so start with a recipe written for them.
How to store them
Honey: keep it sealed at room temperature. It doesn't need refrigerating, and the fridge speeds up crystallization. Use a clean, dry spoon.
Maple syrup: refrigerate it after opening. Pure maple syrup has no preservatives, so an open bottle left in the cupboard can grow mould. If you see mould, throw it out.
Questions we get a lot
Is raw honey safe to eat?
Yes, unpasteurized and raw honey are sold across Canada and are fine for most people, but not for babies under one year old.
Should honey be refrigerated once opened?
No. Keep it sealed in the cupboard. Maple syrup is the one that goes in the fridge after opening.
Which grade of maple syrup is healthiest?
None of them. The colour classes describe flavour, not nutrition. Pick the one you like the taste of.
Where can I buy Halifax hot honey?
We carry Halifax Honey Co. Stingin' Hot Honey Original and Hotter in store and online, along with their hot seasoning and chili garlic sauce.
What is Cosman & Whidden creamed honey?
It's their Nova Scotia honey crystallized into a smooth, spreadable texture. Nothing is added to it.
Not sure which honey or maple to pick?
Ask us in the spreads, syrup and honey aisle at either store. We'll help you find the flavour you're after.
Find local honey and maple syrup in our spreads, syrup and honey aisle at both stores: 486 Starboard Drive in Bedford and 590 Portland Street in Dartmouth. You'll find more local makers in our Atlantic Canadian made collection. Luminate Express delivers the same day across most of HRM, and orders anywhere else in Canada over $80 ship free.
For more local makers, see our Nova Scotia local food guide, and for baking swaps, our natural sweeteners guide.
Sources: Infant botulism; Canadian Food Inspection Agency, maple products labelling. This article is general information, not medical advice.
Find your next shelf favourite
Explore the collection online, or come shop with us in Bedford and Dartmouth.