Exclusive: The White House Honey Harvest

Photo: Michelle BolandLast Thursday, KitchenDaily got the rare honor of receiving an exclusive invitation to the White House to harvest honey. In March of 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama planted a victory garden with fruits and vegetables, some to be used in the White House kitchen and some to be donated to local food banks. Soon after, a beehive -- the first one on the White House grounds -- was placed near the garden on the south lawn so the bees could help pollinate the garden crops.

Who's heading this sweet venture? Charlie Brandts -- best known around the White House as a carpenter, a post he's held for 26 years -- has been the official beekeeper for the past four years. It was previously a personal hobby, but word spread quickly among the staff and before he knew it, White House Chef Sam Kass was asking him to bring in his hives and produce honey for recipes.

Since last March, the bees have produced more than 134 pounds of honey, which has been used as Presidential gifts as well as in the kitchen. When we asked Charlie what his favorite use for honey was, he responded: "Any dessert made by our pastry chef is delicious, but I love honey in pie."

Many believe that honey is a healthier -- and tastier -- alternative to refined sugar. Brandts hopes to spread the word about the positive uses for honey, while helping to save the at-risk population of honeybees. Since 2006, beekeepers have seen a significant loss to their hives -- anywhere from 30 to 90 percent of their bees have dropped off due to a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder.

We're very excited about Mrs. Obama's passion for growing local produce, as well as harvesting local honey. We can't thank Charlie Brandts, along with the White House staff, enough for taking the time to teach KitchenDaily about honeybees and the process of extracting of honey.

Click on the video tab to watch us harvest and extract honey at The White House. And for ideas on how to use honey in your kitchen, see KitchenDaily's honey recipes as well as Gail Simmons's Pantry Project featuring honey. Plus, watch KitchenDaily's Sarah De Heer discuss the honey harvest on ABC News Now.