Honey

Honey is the result of the interaction between plants and honey bees. It can be divided into blossom honey and honeydew honey. The basis for blossom honey, such as rape honey, is the sweet nectar from the blossoms. For honeydew or forest honey, on the other hand, the bees collect sweet droplets similar to dew from the leaves and needles of the trees.

The miraculous transformation into honey begins on the way back to the beehive. By adding the bees' own enzymes, the sugary plant sap is broken down into glucose and fructose. In the hive, the flight bee passes on its treasure to a hive bee waiting there. More and more water is now extracted from the nectar or honeydew until the honey is ripe at about 18% moisture and can be preserved indefinitely. Only then do the bees cover the combs and the winter supply is secured. Due to the thickening process, all the other valuable ingredients and the different aromatic substances which are typical for the honey yield also accumulate in the honey.

For us, quality begins with the health of the bees. Only when the bees are well and they have vital queens, strong offspring will be produced. Strong offspring will result in strong and healthy colonies, from which we can harvest honey of high quality and goodness. Our beekeepers work with the following principles, which are also listed in the Bioland guidelines:

• The purity of the wax is the basis of beekeeping
• The careful selection of the apiary areas and the plants for the honey yield
• A respectful and species-appropriate treatment of the bees as well as own queen breeding
• The selection of natural materials for the hive construction as well as pollutant-free paints
• Food-safe materials and equipment for harvesting and processing
• Preventive disease management
• No use of chemical-synthetic bee medicines
• Consistent ecological action
• High standards of quality and taste
• Naturalness

Only ripe honeys from capped combs are harvested, carefully cold-spun and then gently processed to preserve their quality. We make sure that no small wax particles can cloud the liquid honey and that crystalline honeys are slowly stirred until creamy before bottling. Only then are they carefully bottled and securely sealed.

In addition, we monitor and check the honey in our laboratory for compliance with flawless, analytical values such as water content, enzyme content, HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural, a value for the possible heat damage of the honey) as well as for its sensory properties. The absence of residues is confirmed to us by an external accredited laboratory.

Honey brings all the substances necessary for metabolism. It does not burden our body but vitalizes it. Honey consists of about 80% of various sugars. The main ingredients in honey are fructose and glucose. Both are fast energy donors, which can be taken up easily and used immediately.

The following components like vitamins and proteins make a portion of approx. 3,2%. As first in small measure the proteins with their vital building blocks, the amino acids, are to be mentioned: e.g. Histidin, Phenylalanin and Lysin. In addition to minerals and trace elements such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and selenium, even vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2 and niacin are present in small quantities. In addition, honey contains natural aromatic substances and organic acids, which characterize the unmistakable aroma and taste and give it its unique character. Finally, enzymes, hormones and inhibins are also worth mentioning: They can all have a stimulating effect even in very small quantities.

Honey has a higher sweetening power than conventional household sugar, because honey consists of almost 40% fructose and glucose which naturally have a higher sweetening power than ordinary sugar.

Another advantage is that honey has an energy density of 300 calories per 100g. Cane sugar, on the other hand, has 387 calories per 100g. Household sugar is one of the most processed and isolated foods of our century. Unlike other sugar alternatives, honey is available everywhere. Honey is ideal for cooking, baking and refining various foods. It is an optimal sugar substitute.

Honey should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place and should also be protected from direct sunlight. If possible, do not store honey in the refrigerator.