Lowcountry Cuisine July 2018

LC 46 www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com lowcountry cuisine A s we step foot into Jim Craig’s Mount Pleasant backyard, we are greeted by the sight of 16 boxed man-made hives – stacks of multicolored levels, each possessing colonies. The pastel shaded containers hold hundreds of winged beauties, hard at work, producing that liquid gold we smear on toast and drop in tea every morning. There are also three vocal chickens who lay green eggs and a garden offering pepper and tomato plants in this Lowcountry sanctuary abuzz with nature’s industrious synergy. “I think the most amazing thing about this whole process is that I will never know all there is to know about bees,” said Craig, lifting up a panel to reveal a thick comb. “It’s the journey.” The earthy smell of herbs set ablaze in a stainless steel, hand-held smoker fills the air. With sandals and no protective gear, Craig gently dives a gleaming hive tool past the thick comb exterior to reveal the syrupy, glowing, lava-like liquid. A neighbor started him on this path of beekeeping five years back, and, since that time, Craig’s life has been inundated by the black and yellow beauties that still hold so much mystery to him. Twenty-five dollars will get you a quart at his porch pickups. He’s also gotten into the business of transporting hives that are in less-than-ideal locations. From a family residence to a bed-and-breakfast in historic downtown Charleston, Craig has spearheaded a number of relocation operations to ensure that they stay out of harm’s way. “Bees are the only insect that provide a food to humans,” said Craig. “They reward us with so many things – honey, pollen, wax, royal jelly. Einstein said, ‘If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have By Kalene McCort Oh, How Sweet It Is... Photos by Jess Wood.