From the Maker's Mouth: Waxing Kara

As the week comes to a close and we venture out to forage for raw honey and figs, we wanted to share an interview with Kara Brook, the creator of Waxing Kara Honey and honey based body products.  Waxing Kara is one of our newest lines in The Savory Pantry and we are so honored to get a peek behind the scenes of a brand that we so admire.  Turns out, Kara is as lovely as her products and packaging!

Who is Kara?  I am an artist and I paint with beeswax. More specifically, I paint with encaustic an ancient painting technique that combines beeswax, tree resin and pigment. The idea of a sustainable art play appealed to me, so I started beekeeping for the wax.

How did you get into working with honey and developing honey based products?  I got more honey than wax from my beekeeping endeavors, and began bottling and sharing with friends and family. When I started commissioning exceptional artisans across the country to make small batch body products with my honey, wax and lavender from our farm, I knew that things were about to get very interesting, and they did. I call our premium line of food and body products “Bee Inspired Goods”.

What is it about what you do that you love the most?  I enjoy designing and developing beautiful products that I love to use and share with others.  It’s exciting when I share products with friends, family and customers and they hold it in their hands, take a deep breath and acknowledge the beauty and utility all at once. 

How are your products different than other scrubs, lotions and soaps?  Everything that we sell is small batch, handmade and as organic as we can afford to make it. We don’t use any harsh chemicals, false fragrance or sodium laurel/eth sulfate, all paraben free.

What is your most memorable meal? I was very close with an executive chef from Rehobeth Beach Delaware, then later he moved Washington DC. and lived only about 30 minutes from my home. One evening he told me to invite a few friends over and offered up “lobster three ways” for dinner. He actually prepared this for us right before our eyes, so it was sort of a cooking class in my home. It was very casual and extremely elegant all at the same time. He did this a few more times, once with salmon and another time with steak. Each time I learned more about food in a direction that I had never seen it go in my kitchen! Sadly, he passed away a few years back. I miss him very much.

What is your favorite food or food trend? I am currently eating very healthfully. I just got back from a week away to Deer Lake Lodge where I did an 8 day fast. In getting back to my day-to-day life I am doing all I can to be prepared with whole fresh foods in our home, staying away from gluten, processed foods and sugar. Farm-to-Table and RAW food currently interest me the most. I go out of my way to find and support restaurants that support farmers, and make healthy food. I do it for the health benefits of eating local food and I do it to support local artisans, regardless of where I am visiting.

What's next for Waxing Kara?  I am going to keep on coming up with good ideas to support the bees and at-risk youth. 

Food in the News: The Buzz About Raw Honey

When shopping for raw honey, it's easy to get overwhelmed by some of the lingo. We've simplified things here with a handy list of common terms you may find and their straightforward definitions. 

Raw - Raw honey is not processed, heated or filtered.

Varietal - Varietal honey is honey made with nectar from one type of crop

"Perfect" food - Honey is sometimes referred to as a "perfect" food, as it has an infinite shelf life. Ideal conditions would be stored in a glass jar, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.

Crystallization -  Most honey will crystallize over time, meaning you can’t see through it anymore, and it becomes less liquid and more solid. This is a natural process for honey, and will happen sooner in some than in others. THIS IS A GOOD THING. It means the honey you bought is raw and of the finest quality. To return honey to a liquid state, take the lid off the jar, put it in a pot of hot (not boiling) water, and violà – it’s back to liquid in minutes.

Colony Collapse Disorder - CCD is a global crisis that has resulted in bee mortality rates of 33% over the last five years. The exact cause of CCD is unknown, causes are thought to include: pesticides, parasites and malnutrition.  Zeke Freeman of BeeRaw honey has a campaign to help save the bees (and their honey!)

Apiary - a place where beehives of honey bees are kept. 

Sources: Burg Bees, Bee Raw, Waxing Kara, Catskill Provisions