During the cooler autumn weekends, I love exploring Florida's many farmer's markets.  It's a great place to find local fruits and artisan foods such as cheeses, jams, fresh baked goods and organic honey.

One item I particularly love to hunt for at these markets is local honey, and Florida's got some sweet ones. There are several varieties unique to the Sunshine State, including the popular orange blossom honey, but the creme de la creme and my absolute favorite is Florida Tupelo Honey.

Made from the nectar of White Ogeechee Tupelo blossoms up in Apalachicola, this honey is sweet, rich and almost buttery. Tupelo flowers bloom for only a couple of weeks during the springtime, making availability limited, so when you find this honey it, buy it!  

Once you have this precious sweetener in your hands, note that it's not the type of honey you'd want to dilute by mixing it in tea, or any other recipe for that matter. This is honey you want to enjoy just on its own by drizzling over a piece of toast with a dab of butter or over a fresh croissant.

Because it makes a great gift idea for the holidays as a stocking stuffer, a host gift, or as a special surprise for the foodie on your list, I thought I'd share a list of Florida honey companies to look for.

Florida Honey Brands

  1. St. John's River Honey Company 
  2. Winter Park Honey
  3. Tropical Blossom Honey Company
  4. Smiley Apiaries
  5. Stingers Honey Company

For this and other tips on Florida tours, go to VISIT FLORIDA's official tours guide.

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