World Bee Day is May 20th, and it serves as the perfect time to honor our favorite little pollinator friends for all they do to keep our ecosystems and food world turning. Being responsible for about one-third of the foods in our diet, honey bees truly are vital stewards of our global food supply, and it’s no surprise that the world has established a day dedicated to them. Last week we shared a brief look at the history of the holiday and how the NHB celebrates all year long, and if you’re wondering how beekeeping impacts communities around the world, we’ve got a post about that too.
This year we will be celebrating World Bee Day all week on our social media channels by sharing fun facts, words of wisdom, ways to help the bees, and delicious recipes, like this Honey Almond Cranberry Granola! Made in partnership with nutrition and fitness expert Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, America’s Nutrition Expert®, this recipe is a perfect topping for your morning yogurt or as a grab-and-go snack now that more of us on the move. As with the rest of our Pollinating Your Entire Menu recipes, this granola highlights honey bee-pollinated ingredients, in particular the almonds and the cranberries. Earlier this year we shared about how almonds are 100% dependent on honey bees for pollination (you can learn all about their mutually beneficial relationship here), so this week we thought we would share some fun facts about the small but mighty cranberry.
Coined as America’s Original Superfruit® by our friends at US Cranberries, cranberries have a long history here in the United States. A native plant of the U.S., cranberries have been considered a staple food since 1550 when the Native Americans found a variety of uses for the fruit, and even sweetened the berries with honey or maple sugar (you can learn more about the interesting history and uses of cranberries at uscranberries.com). Today, more than 100 varieties of cranberries – pollinated by honey bees - grow in the northern U.S., with Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey, and Washington being the primary growing states. Fun Fact: Wisconsin is responsible for about 61% of cranberries grown in the U.S., with Massachusetts coming in second at about 26% (this might be why the official state berry, color and even drink of Massachusetts are cranberry and cranberry juice). Similar to honey, cranberries are a natural source of vitamins and minerals, making them a deliciously beneficial addition to our Honey Almond Cranberry Granola!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups - oats
- 1 cup - sliced almonds
- 1/4 tsp. - salt
- 1/3 cup - honey
- 1/4 cup - coconut oil
- 2 tsp. - vanilla
- 1/2 cup - dried cranberries
Directions:
Heat oven to 300ºF.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
In a bowl, combine oats, almonds, dried cranberries, and salt.
In a microwave-safe bowl, add coconut oil and microwave for 30-60 seconds until mostly melted. Add honey to coconut oil and microwave an additional 30-45 seconds until warm. Add vanilla and whisk together.
Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir until all dry ingredients are covered.
Cook for 20-30 minutes. Allow granola to cool completely.
We know that this recipe will be made on repeat in our hive, and we hope you love it too. Bee sure to join us next month for another tasty honey bee-pollinated recipe!