Author Archives: Rebeca Krones

About Rebeca Krones

Rebeca Krones, Owner, Tropical Traders Specialty Foods My love of food began while growing up in Costa Rica and the rainforest of Peru, where I was exposed to many varieties of exotic fruits, vegetables and cuisine. My dad, Michael Krones, was a beekeeper back then and still is. When I was 16 my family and I spent two years living and sailing on a boat, and I was the designated cook as we traveled from San Francisco, CA, down the coast of Mexico and eventually to the Hawaiian Islands. This experience taught me a lot about sourcing local foods and ingredients. After earning a degree in Art History from Oberlin College in Ohio, I worked at several fine arts museums and galleries before returning to my love of food while working at Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, CA. I founded Tropical Traders with the intention of introducing the incredible honeys my dad produces to other people. My unique life experiences have made this possible. Aloha!

What is Raw Honey?

Honey is the sweet substance we all know made by honeybees. Bees collect nectar from flowers, mix it with unique enzymes, deposit it into honeycomb and let it “ripen” until it contains only about 18% moisture. It is essentially highly … Continue reading

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Power Breakfast: Banana-Coconut-Oat Smoothie with Honey

Now that the weather is starting to warm-up, this is a delicious, filling and healthy breakfast for those early summer mornings: Adapted from Martha Stewart Ingredients: 1/2 banana 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons coconut … Continue reading

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Crystallization in Honey

We get this question a lot: Why does some of your honey crystallize more quickly than other honey, or more slowly than the last batch I bought from you? Why is this lot more liquid than the one I just … Continue reading

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Understanding the Cause of Colony Collapse Disorder

This article was published in Minneapolis’ the Star Tribune and I think it’s important to read because it describes how neonicotinoids are being spread around the Midwest. Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticide that has been banned in the EU … Continue reading

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The Beeman

It’s rare in popular culture to get bees right. So often, worker bees are portrayed as being male when in fact all bees we see foraging for nectar and pollen in our gardens are female. There are many misconceptions about … Continue reading

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Honey Arnold Palmer Cocktail

We loved this recipe from the summer beverages section of the National Honey Board‘s monthly newsletter. A new twist on the classic lemonade and tea cooler, made with citrus gin and of course, honey! 1.5 oz – citrus gin 1.5 … Continue reading

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Pollinator Week is Coming Up! June 16-22, 2014

Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by the Pollinator Partnership. Seven years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of … Continue reading

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Nation’s Biggest Honey Packer Admits ‘Laundering’ Honey

We weren’t too surprised to come across this article by NPR last week. Unfortunately, until the U.S. is willing to create a standard of identity for honey, and all honey must be sold with pollen in it in order to … Continue reading

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Getting Ready to Plant Bee-Friendly Habitats for Spring

As we move into spring, our friends, neighbors and customers are beginning to think about their gardens. Why not consider including bee-friendly plants this year? Our friends at Partners for Sustainable Pollination have some wonderful suggestions, as well as a … Continue reading

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Poland Bans GMO Corn Thought to be Linked to Colony Collapse

Last month, Poland became the first country to ban the use of Monsanto’s Genetically Modified Corn strain, called MON810, which is linked to bee die-offs Though no definitive link has been established between this strain of corn and Colony Collapse … Continue reading

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