I recently bought some Jamaican Logwood honey from the health food shop Holland & Barratt in the UK.It was the most expensive on the shelf but I think that's because it's a cut above the rest! It's been well worth it and I shall buy it again and again!

Small, pricey jars of logwood honey are sold in UK
and through an online source based in England. On island, a 750 ml bottle (a liquour '5th') goes for about US$6/12 quid. The yellow-flowered tree was originally grown on island as a dyestuff, esp.for brown dyes for beaverfur felt hats in Regency 19th cen. Always turn the bottle upside down and watch how quickly the trapped air bubbles rise/if you see a major uplift in contents, not a slow small bubble rising, it's been adulterated. Logwood honey makes excellent
truffles with Jamaican chocolate and cream.

I also purchased Loogwood Honey in the Health Shop.

Very different to the regular honey.
Well done St Best!!!!!!!!!!!!

could this be another industry possibility for the South Coast(TB in particular)for an expanded world matket? i've nver heard of this although i enjoy good honey.

Is this the same honey we were able to stop at there home and purchase ?
I love that honey and know it has won awards.

Careful now!

How do you know it is logwood honey? Anyone care to define logwood honey? Seen where the hives are placed - and at what time of year?

Remember, logwood is no longer an export and therefore the incentive to grow for gain no longer exists.

Anyway, all I know is the "logwood" honey one can obtain on the road to Fort Charles is delicious but I doubt if it is pure logwood.

UP

Logwood trees grow in many places on island, St. Bess amongst them. And there are quite a few Jamaican beekeepers, including W.Roger, Cross Road District, Treasure Beach who sells his honey in recycled Wray & Nephew's overproof rum bottles, as do many on island. Years ago in Westmoreland, the Peace Corps was involved with starting up island and export distribution for local hive keepers, whose industry is well protected by the government (you can't import honey or bees to island) and whose bees haven't suffered the fungal/pollution problems US beekeepers now face. Bees will go where they want and nobody can guarantee that there's not some
pink or yellow poui/also endemic to St.Bess they
sample. But pure logwood honey is thick, dark and strong -- like the best of the Greek Atiki honeys.
Good logwood honey is also not completely filtered
like US processed table honeys which are light and bland.

LOGWOOD HONEY AND PEANUT CHICKEN

Ann Vassell of UNFORGETTABLE in Fort Charles uses local peanuts and logwood honey to make "St.Bess
Chicken". Here's the recipe/serves 2/double or treble it depending on mouths to feed.

Chicken breasts, boneless
1 cup roasted peanuts
1/4- 1/3 cup logwood honey
3 tbs.cooking oil
1/4 tps.salt
1/4 tps.freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne or hot red pepper flakes

1 egg
1/4 cup white flour

Between 2 sheets wax or parchment paper or foil,
pound chicken breasts with wooden mallet (or pipe wrench or brick if you desperate) evenly until they're about 1/4 inch or so thick, making
"paillards" which cook quickly, evenly.

Add flour, salt, pepper and optional red pepper
flakes to a brown paper or plastic bag. Add
chicken paillards and shake bag to coat chicken.

Crush peanuts with pestle or roughly grind in
a blender to make a peanut 'meal'. Put in a
wide shallow bowl.

Beat egg in another bowl.

Dredge floured chicken in egg on both sides, let
excess drip back into bowl, then dredge both
sides in crushed peanuts.

Put on a baking sheet in fridge to cool
for 10 minutes and firm up coating.

Pre=heat oven to 450 degrees F.

In cast iron or other ovenproof saute pan, heat oil, add chicken paillards
and saute each side to brown, about 2-3 min.

Drizzle half of honey over one side chicken.

Put saute pan in pre-heated oven and roast
for 5-7 minutes, turning once and drizzling
honey on other side of chicken. Watch
carefully to make sure honey doesn't char.

Serve with white rice, perked up with
scallion and ginger.

What an amazing rebound! A century ago, logwood was a major Jamaican export, mostly from Black River, its dark-red heart used as a dye. Invention of aniline dyes at the time of World War I essentially wiped that industry out. I'm delighted to hear there's another, sweeter use!

I definatley think that TB could look into producing this honey to compete on a global market! Wouldn't it be great if you could produce a more competitivly priced version of the honey, that is still delicious, more affordible and will be seen at health stores in the UK and throughout the USA.
I am still astounded at the cost of Blue Mountain Coffee, throughout the world! It totally scares people off buying it.

Keep up the chat about new industries as TB and Jamaica need all the ideas that it can get!

Foodie, Thank- You for the recipe sounds good.
I think W.Roger, Cross Road District is where I purchased honey. Do you know if he is still selling honey and would it work for the recipe ?
Thank-You
Kat

Roger's honey was on shop shelves still as of
April last. His honey is particularly dark and works well in this receipe, as would any logwood honey. Byrne and Carlson chocolatiers in US
use it to make 'Jamaican Logwood Honey Truffles'
with 62% Venezuelan dark chocolate and fresh cream.

Already contracted to a major US gourmet food buyer, Esau Kerr of The Blue Hole Gardens and Horizon in Westmoreland will also be selling hand-conched and hand-rolled in dried banana leaves Jamaican chocolate as part of a Jamaican gift market basket full of hot sauce, jerk spice, nutmeg/mace and a tin nutmeg grater, bizzy, dried herbs for bush teas, plus his famed Jook Juice 'love potion'. esaumary@hotmail.com for more info

Logwood honey, dried sorrel, roasted peanuts and cashews, small lignum vitae carvings, necklaces made from 'nickels'/seeds and more from St.Bess almost call out for the same treatment -- should some enterprising Treasure Beach person catch the drift here...

Could someone please give me a good recipe for making sorrel....Christmas coming soon and all.

And which is better, dried or fresh.
thanks

Dried gives a stronger flavor.
RecipeIngredients: sorrel,ginger beaten or sliced,sugar, water, rum(optional)
1)Bring water and ginger to a rolling boil(approximately 20 minutes),add sorrel and reduce fire to a very slow simmer for about 15 minutes then turn fire off and let stand until cool.

2) sweeten with sugar and rum.

3)strain and place in jars or bottles

4)refrigerate
Enjoy the holidays!!!

I know I am off topic also, but if you give the sorrel recipe can someone also give a good rum cake recipe, I always follow the ones in the newspaper and cookbooks but never comes out good.

I like the ones from www.jamaicans.com

Are you talking about Jamaican fruit cake (dark colour) or Jamaican rum cake (light in colour)?

Hello. I am a Jamaican beekeeper. I am willing to supply logwood honey if you like. I am from the parish of St. James and i live in an area surrounded by logwood trees.