Purdue develops 'Boiler Bee Honey,' made by local bees
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Hungry Purdue fans may know the university currently offers a slew of university-made and branded food and drink items, from the Boiler Black and Gold beers in collaboration with People's Brewing Co. to the Boilermaker Butcher Block selling varieties of meat and dairy.
Now, fans buzzing for something sweeter can purchase Boiler Bee Honey, thanks to a collaboration between the university's departments of food science and entomology.
This honey is collected from local honey bees in the Purdue apiary, then processed and bottled in the food science pilot plant. The inaugural batch produced around 3,000 bottles taken from nearly 24,000 ounces of honey, according to information from Purdue.
The honey bees that created the nectar used in the product fed on wildflowers, which creates a distinct flavor. During its manufacturing, the honey was minimally processed, only adding small amounts of heat to promote its "flowability," which allows the honey to be in its purest form, Erik Kurdelak, pilot plant manager, said.
The honey, which was cleaned and is not categorized as a "raw" product, will appear cloudier than honey available for purchase in supermarkets but has a higher nutritive value, Kurdelak said.
The honey is available for purchase through the Boilermaker Butcher Block, in the Land O' Lakes Center at 720 Clinic Drive on Purdue's south campus. Proceeds from the sale of the honey, which is priced at $5 a bottle, will help offset production costs and benefit continuing research in the food science and entomology departments.
Bulk orders of Boiler Bee Honey were also sold to Crasian Brewing Company in Brookston, Kurdelak said, which is developing a honey Tripel style of beer.
From the idea's conception to completion, Kurdelak said developing the honey has been a rewarding process, especially since it allowed the pilot plant to become officially licensed last summer through the Indiana State Department of Health to produce and sell honey.
The goal with Boiler Bee Honey, Kurdelak said, is to continue the project of developing and selling honey every year with a dedicated team, pouring any extra funds earned into bee research.
"It has been a tremendous group effort to get this going," Kurdelak said. 'œFolks seem very excited to have this made available to them.'ť
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Source: Journal & Courier