· What is honey made up of? On average, honey is mixture of:
1. 80% natural sugars (70% is made
up of fructose and glucose)
2. 18% water
3. 2% minerals, vitamins, pollen and protein
· What is the main nutrient in honey?
The main nutrient in honey is carbohydrate, which
provides the best form of energy or fuel for the
body. Carbohydrates are also found in bread, cereals,
rice, pasta, fruit, vegetables and legumes.
· What are the types of honey?
Bees can fly up to six miles, though one or two
is more common. Depending on blossom variety in
their area, bees can gather nectar from many different
types of flower (polyflora honeys) or from one kind
of flower (monofloral honeys). Besides classification
by floral source, honeys can also be described according
to geographical origin, from a particular country
or region. This is because honey of the same flower
type may vary from country to country because of
differences in climate and soil; a polyfloral honey
from one country may have a distinct combination
of plant source to give a unique flavour.
· Monofloral: Honey made primarily from
a single source including: Acacia, Pine, Orange
Blossom, Lime, Rosemary, Thyme, Sunflower, Clover,
Leatherwood, Eucalyptus.
· Polyflora: Honey made from the nectar of many
different flowers.
· Blends: Combinations of different types of honey
blended to achive a particular taste rather like
a blended tea or whisky.
· Reasons to eat honey?
There are many reasons to eat honey, including:
1. Honey tastes great and is a natural
sweetener.
2. Honey provides a taste sensation without any
fat.
3. Honey instantly boosts energy due to its high
carbohydrate content.
4. Honey has a moderate glycaemic index value
meaning that its carbohydrate is digested and
absorbed at a moderate rate of the body.
· How much energy does honey contain?
Honey contains 64 calories per tablespoon.
· What influence does the colour of honey have
on taste?
The colours of honey form a continuous range from
water white to dark amber. The colour of honey is
related to its mineral content and is characteristic
of its floral source. Light coloured honey typically
has a mild flavour, while dark coloured honey is
usually stronger in flavour.
· Can honey be used as a colouring agent?
Honey can certainly be used as a colouring agent.
It can contribute to crumb and crust darkening,
a desirable attribute for multigrain and other variety
breads. Honey can contribute to surface browning
of baked, roasted and cooked products. Honey can
be used to create a golden hue to many sauces and
dressings, fruit beverages, glazes, spreads and
jellies, frozen desserts, baked goods and low-fat
snacks. Selecting water white, extra white and white
honeys can reduce the colour effect of honey.
· What is the shelf life of honey?
Honey stored in sealed containers can remain stable
for decades and even centuries! However, honey is
susceptible to physical and chemical changes during
storage; it tends to darken and lose its aroma and
flavor. This is a temperature dependent process,
making the shelf life of honey difficult to define.
For practical purposes, a shelf life of two years
is often stated. Properly processed, packaged and
stored honey retains its quality for a long time.
· What is the best storage temperature for honey?
Processed honey should be stored between 18 - 24
degrees Celcius. It is best to minimise temperature
fluctuations and avoid storing honey near heat sources.
The recommended storage temperature for unprocessed
honey is below 10 degrees Celcius. These temperatures
preserve the aroma, flavour and colour of the honey.
· What is crystallized honey?
Honeys that have very high glucose content, tend
to crystallise at room temperature. The process
may be reversed by heating which "melts" the crystals.
Many people, however, like very much creamed honeys,
having a texture like butter, which result from
the process of crystallisation. Cool temperatures
below 10 degrees Celcius are ideal for preventing
crystallisation. Moderate temperatures of 10 -21
degrees Celcius tend to encourage crystallisation.
Warm temperatures of 21 - 27 Celcius discourage
crystallisation but degrade the honey. Very high
temperatures above 27 degrees Celcius prevent crystallisation
but encourage spoilage by fermentation as well as
degrading the honey.
