There's nothing quite as sweet as honey — and nothing hurts quite like a bee sting. But Friday night's episode of Shark Tank will feature an alternative to the usual bee-made sweet substance we're used to. If you love honey, but want to avoid and/or save the bees, you'll want to know where to get Bee Free Honee from Shark Tank , because this sweetener uses apples instead of honey bees.
Bee Free Honee is vegan-friendly and good for folks who are allergic to raw honey, according to the company FAQ. If you'd like to try out this new take on honey, you can buy Bee Free right from the company's official website, as well as in stores all over the country like Whole Foods, Fresh & Easy, and Sprouts.
Believe it or not, there's actually a critical shortage of honey bees, due to colony collapse disorder, which has killed more than 40 percent of honeybee colonies in the U.S., according to CBS News. Now with bees in high demand, owners have seen their colonies stolen or have had to rent colonies to pollinate and produce honey. With that in mind, it might be a good investment for the Sharks to try out a bee-free sweetener that doesn't require a whole colony of stingers and come from an already plentiful supply of apples.
Before we find out if this Shark Tank appearance will be sweet or bitter for Bee Free Honee, here's everything else you should know about the product.
The Founder
Bee Free Honee inventor Katie Sanchez has roots in both beekeeping and apples. According to the company website, Sanchez grew up as the daughter of a beekeeping dad and there was an apple orchard in her childhood front yard in Minnesota. In 1999, Sanchez attempted to make a less sweet kind of apple jelly, but the end result was nothing like it — instead, it's what would later become Honee.
What's In It?
According to the product description, Bee Free Honee is made from certified organic apples. U.S.-grown lemon juice and NON-GMO, vegan quality, carbon-neutral cane sugar are also added.
Flavors
In addition to regular ol' honee, the brand comes in several other flavors: Ancho Chile, Mint, and Slippery Elm.
Ordering
Like I said above, you can order Bee Free Honee straight from the company's official website in 2-packs ($10.80), 4-packs ($21.60), and 6-packs ($32.40) of the original flavor. You can also get a variety 4-pack to sample all the flavors ($21.60).
How To Use
Basically, Bee Free Honee can be used just like honey, according to the company website. You can use it to sweeten your tea or to glaze pancakes, for instance.
Recipes
Two featured recipes on the Bee Free Honee website to use the sweetener are Almond Milk Rice Crispy Treats and Fig Bars (like Fig Newton bars, but using Honee). Sounds delicious! If the Bee Free Honee founders bring some of those treats, the Sharks may not be able to resist giving them a deal.
Image: Michael Desmond/ABC
