For many of us, apples and honey are an integral part of a Rosh HaShana celebration. But finding the right ‘apples and honey’ for your table is not always as simple as it sounds. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to dress up the tradition: from beautiful and funky honey pots, to a variety of honey options that go beyond the bear.

When it comes to honey pots, you can go with something traditional and very jew-y:

OR…….

…try something kind of homey and rustic:

I personally like these modern and more abstract pots:

And then there are the more whimsical options like a pomegranate…

or a flower.

For a fancier table, here are some more formal possibilities:

For tons more options, try the Jewish Museum’s online shop or check out the handmade options on etsy and get one from a local artist.

Now, what kind of honey goes into your specially chosen pot? You might be tempted by the plastic golden bear on the shelves in your supermarket, but there are way better options out there.

I love wildflower honey, and orange blossom is famously fantastic, but there are tons of different varieties available, from bamboo honey, to soybean honey. In general, the darker the honey, the stronger the flavor.

You can also get honeycomb which is really fun, but a little difficult to deal with, or whipped honey, which is thicker and spreadable. The National Honey Board has a honey locator feature on their website that lets you search for honey from a particular location, or a certain kind of honey. And don’t forget to look for honey at your local farmer’s market! This year my family will be having wildflower honey from Laney Honey farms—it’s certified kosher, and I picked it up at the Nashville farmer’s market.

Wishing you a sweet and creative New Year!

Thanks to the Jewish Museum for the inspiration behind this post.