From Flower to Jar How Honey is Made

1. From Flower to Jar: How Honey is Made? Honey's diverse flavors, colors, and scents are a result of the optimum work by honey bees. Each of the over 300 distinct types of honey boasts unique characteristics with varying quantities of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals due to the bees' nectar sources and the surrounding environment. For instance, sourwood honey has a light amber shade whereas clover honey is dark brown. But, how exactly do bees make it and what’s the theory behind the existence of unlimited honey varieties? In recent years, individuals have begun to replace refined sugar with natural honey to reap its exceptional health benefits. This has made honey products an essential part of the pantries of the majority of kitchens worldwide. Its capability to elevate one’s overall well-being lies in its remarkable nutritional composition, which allows it to treat plenty of health problems, such as sore throats, difficulty in digestion, a range of other gastrointestinal illnesses, etc. Similarly, it aids in the prevention of chronic ailments, like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc., making it an ideal sweetener for all age groups, especially adults with weak immune systems. What is Honey Made of? The main component of honey is sugar, specifically large quantities of fructose and glucose monosaccharides, which give honey its inherent sweetness. It also contains water, albeit how much depends on the season, the surrounding environment, and the method of processing. In addition, it includes vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and other substances like polyphenols that bees gather from the nectar of plants. These polyphenols, including flavonoids found in honey from different pollen, improve the nutritional content of the honey and help identify the types of plants from which the honey was derived. Regulation of the quality standards for honey by the European Council Directive guarantees that honey adheres to certain requirements for its overall nutritional composition and water content.

2. How Honey Bees Make Honey? 1. Extracting Nectar from Flowers Worker bees, at least 21 days old, utilize their incredibly sensitive antennas to locate honey up to two kilometers away. They use their lengthy tongues to extract the nectar from the blooms of various plants, which ultimately guarantees the type of honey that is produced as the final product. After gathering nectar, bees store it in their abdomens, where it becomes the honey crop. Additionally, they can release some nectar into their stomach by opening a valve in this pouch. They usually place their hives close to the flowers that they wish to collect nectar from. Some examples include: ● Robinia pseudoacacia blossoms used to create acacia honey ● The flowers of the white Ogeechee tupelo tree are used to make tupelo honey ● The blooms of the Oxydendrum arboreum tree used to make sourwood honey 2. Adding Enzymes to Break the Nectar After entering the hive, the bees transfer the nectar from mouth to mouth to younger worker bees, who then use a variety of enzymatic digestions to continue breaking the nectar down into simpler molecules that are mostly rich in fructose and glucose. After chewing on this nectar for approximately thirty minutes, the bees change the honey's pH to roughly 2.9% and its moisture content from about 70% to about 20%. Next, the bees carry the honey to the apex of the hive and place it within the open hexagon- shaped honeycomb cells. 3. Removing Excess Moisture The task of ripening the honey or drying it out to lower its moisture level comes after the bees have placed the nectar in the hive and accomplished the required enzymatic actions. Bees manage this by using their wings to fan the honey-storing cells and prevent the honey from fermenting. This fanning movement eliminates surplus water content in honey by up to 80%, aiding in preserving its quality.

3. 4. Sealing the Cells The bees use wax to seal the honeycomb cells once the honey has properly dried out. To ensure the honey-filled cells remain intact for a long time, a barrier is created over them during the sealing procedure. Bees use small wax particles generated from their glands beneath their abdomen to form impermeable seals above each cell, serving as physical barriers against environmental pollutants. 5. Harvesting Honey bees frequently produce more honey than they require. To extract honey, beekeepers gather the frames of their honeycomb and remove the wax cap that seals each honey cell. To accomplish this, they either brush the bees off the frames or relocate the bees down to the brood chamber with a bee repellant. Then, they bring the honey to 22-26 degrees Celsius since this temperature range is mandatory for the extraction and uncapping procedure. After removing the caps and adjusting the temperature, the frames are put in an extractor, which is a centrifuge that spins the frames to force honey out of the comb. 6. Filtering and Packing Honey gets its sweet and palatable flavor from the gradual blending of nectar, wax, and enzymes within the hive. When it is finally collected, the beekeepers let it rest in decanting for a couple of days to get rid of any possible leftover wax. This also helps eliminate bubbles and particles that float on the top layer of honey. Lastly, they filter it with the help of a honey tank or a bucket, pour it into jars, and send the bottles to honey companies that outsource honey products. What Makes Honey the Best Sweetener? First and foremost, natural types of honey like sourwood honey consist of nutrients that are absent in refined or processed sugar. These nutrients are paramount for our body's functioning, as they strengthen our immunity and boast outstanding anti- microbial and antioxidant properties. Additionally, they serve a tremendous role in boosting your energy, making honey a top-notch choice for gym enthusiasts and active individuals.

4. In contrast to white sugar, honey has a lower GI (35 to 55), which leads to more consistent energy levels, ultimately preventing sudden blood sugar spikes. For many people, raw honey has also been demonstrated to be an effective cough suppressant, soothe sore throats, and lessen throat irritation brought on by pollen allergies. Thus, its regular consumption has been reported to provide relief from allergies and illnesses associated with it. Bottom Line The scrumptious flavor profile of honey that satisfies our taste buds comes from its natural production method which relies on honey bees. From the moment bees begin to gather nectar from blossoms to the time beekeepers finally harvest and filter the honey, each stage reflects the strenuous effort involved in this magical elixir’s manufacturing. So, if you also wish to benefit from its healthy composition, contact our team at Smiley Honey to choose the best honey for sale near you!