A question about honey

[constituent]

It seems to me like all of the wild honey (hives in trees) that i get around here is dark, and all of the honey from the boxes is lighter. What's the deal?

Is it like that everywhere?

What's the difference in the chemical spectrum?

[Dr.3D]

It may be because the honey you get at the store is filtered.
Another reason one honey may be dark and another light is because of the kinds of flowers the bees gathered the nectar from.

Quite often, you will find clover honey and it will have a lighter color.

Have you compared the raw honey from the boxes with the wild honey?

[Doktor_Jeep]

Dr 3D is right, and there is more to it as well.

Chances are that if you are not going out of your way to get REAL honey, like what you get from the beekeeper directly or an organic store, you are not getting pure honey.

Next time you go to the supermarket, look at whats in the cheaper honey. They put high fructose corn syrup in everything now. Syrup has it unless you get pure maple syrup.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is causing obesity and diabetes. I have been to countries where they restrict it, and it not in everything like in the US, and you don't see even half as many fat people.

The other stuff they could put in the honey possibly is sugar, or regular corn syrup - any cheap fillers really.

The best honey is the kind from the bottom of the hive. That's the honey where the minerals settle. You have to filter the dead bees from it but it's worth the trouble.

Your best bet is to look for local beekeepers and see if they are selling. Sometimes out in the sticks where you find a farmers market you can get it by the jar. It's not cheap, but worth every penny and keeps for a very long time. Real honey has been found in the pyramids and still in good condition (it's naturally antibiotic).

[Agent CSL]

Where I live is beekeeper haven. I know much about it.

The colour of honey is due to the different flowers the bees get nectar from. The best honey I've had was semi-dark reddish honey from fireweed.

It is true. Regular supermarkets DO NOT carry raw honey. The honey in stores is plain clover honey, and it's boiled and strained. It's crap. It's absolute crap. You need to go directly to a beekeeper or organic shop and ask for raw honey. Like said above, it's not cheap. But there are tons of medical and cosmetic benefits to raw honey. It's worth it.

[Conza88]

Damn.. this thread makes me hungry.

[Gideon]

I have a 2 gallon container of raw, organic honey, but it has turned rock solid.

It still tastes fine, but even on the hottest days, it does not turn to liquid.

Barring pasteurization, what can I do?

[amy31416]

I have a 2 gallon container of raw, organic honey, but it has turned rock solid.

It still tastes fine, but even on the hottest days, it does not turn to liquid.

Barring pasteurization, what can I do?

Your microwave, in this case, is your friend. Zap it.

[sidster]

Your microwave, in this case, is your friend. Zap it.

What I've done is get a pot of water warmed up and put
the container of hardened honey in the warm/hot water
and let it "thaw".

[rancher89]

Your microwave, in this case, is your friend. Zap it.


I'm reading a book now that claims that microwaving "kills" the good stuff in your food, by the process of the microwaves "speeding up" the molecules and thus heating the food.

not sure I believe this to be true, haven't gotten a carrot after heating up a broccoli.............

but I use my micro a bit less than I used too now, and I never use plastic wrap when heating something up, I just use another plate and have two to wash instead of one....

[tmosley]

I have a 2 gallon container of raw, organic honey, but it has turned rock solid.

It still tastes fine, but even on the hottest days, it does not turn to liquid.

Barring pasteurization, what can I do?

To reliquify it, it needs to get up to about 130-140 degrees F. You can try putting it in your car on a hot, sunny day in the full sun.

My local honey distributor built a room with a heating element from a clothes dryer, they just stick their crystalized 52 gallon drums in thee for about three days and it's as good as new.

I use honey to make mead (I'm trying to save the money to go professional), so I work with it all the time.

The microwave also works, but it can scorch the honey if you do it too long, or at too high a power.

You could also do it in a double boiler if you're CAREFUL. It won't scorch, but if you get it too hot, it will lose some of it's taste, and it's health benefits.

[constituent]

Have you compared the raw honey from the boxes with the wild honey?

Yea, i get my honey from a few local beekeepers w/ comb right out of the box (which i chew as a pre-emptive measure against allergies).

The tree honey tastes maple(y), and the box honey is very light and sweet.

I know the box bees were pollinating the wildflowers here in texas this spring. the tree honey is also fresh from this spring.

Maybe bees have a tendency to pollinate w/ever happens to be the closest (in this case maybe oak pollen, or something)?



.....


Also, has anyone ever done a real thorough breakdown of the mechanism by which the pollen is broken down into its sugars?

I've heard tale of the ancient greeks using honey made from certain things to create all sorts of intoxicating beverages...

[MsDoodahs]

Yea, i get my honey from a few local beekeepers w/ comb right out of the box (which i chew as a pre-emptive measure against allergies).



Love to chew the comb....lol....I didn't realize it was a pre-emptive allergy measure...just know I have loved to do that since I was a little kid...

[Original_Intent]

I had to look at my little 8 oz bottle I keep here at work - pure honey. In honor of this thread a squoze out a tsp full and am enjoying it right now! :D

[torchbearer]

Honeybees have disappeared in my area, I was afraid they were killed off.
That would be an environmental disaster and a food shortage waiting to happen.

[Dr.3D]

Yea, i get my honey from a few local beekeepers w/ comb right out of the box (which i chew as a pre-emptive measure against allergies).

The tree honey tastes maple(y), and the box honey is very light and sweet.

I know the box bees were pollinating the wildflowers here in texas this spring. the tree honey is also fresh from this spring.

Maybe bees have a tendency to pollinate w/ever happens to be the closest (in this case maybe oak pollen, or something)?



.....


Also, has anyone ever done a real thorough breakdown of the mechanism by which the pollen is broken down into its sugars?

I've heard tale of the ancient greeks using honey made from certain things to create all sorts of intoxicating beverages...

Believe it or not, some honey can even be poisonous. The bees collect nectar from poisonous plants and that kind of honey can be deadly.

Edit: Here is a link to an article about poisonous honey.
http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/war_bees.htm

[Truth Warrior]

Bee spit?

[Dr.3D]

Bee spit?

LOL, more like bee barf.

They eat it, barf it up and eat it again. Over and over again till it is the way it should be.

[constituent]

Believe it or not, some honey can even be poisonous. The bees collect nectar from poisonous plants and that kind of honey can be deadly.

Edit: Here is a link to an article about poisonous honey.
http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/war_bees.htm

which now has me on the hunt for the honey that cures.

[Truth Warrior]

LOL, more like bee barf.

They eat it, barf it up and eat it again. Over and over again till it is the way it should be.
Yum! :rolleyes:

:D

[Dustancostine]

Honeybees have disappeared in my area, I was afraid they were killed off.
That would be an environmental disaster and a food shortage waiting to happen.

That is sad. The honeybees where I am at are thriving like crazy.

--Dustan

[Uriel999]

Get tupalo Honey, its amazing.

[Dr.3D]

Get tupalo Honey, its amazing.

Yes it is, I doesn't crystallize like regular honey.

[Bill M DC]

Clover, Orange Blossom and Palmetto are great as well. Over heating crystalized honey will turn it dark. Honey in a hive is mostly uniform due to stock rotation and does not settle its nutrients to the bottom of the hive ;-)

[Uriel999]

Yes it is, I doesn't crystallize like regular honey.

It's also delicious and it supports the economy of north Florida where I live. :D

[SeanEdwards]

I'm racist against all arthropods, so the thought of eating insect puke makes my skin crawl. However, honey is pretty interesting stuff. I read somewhere that honey found entombed with Egyptian royalty was perfectly edible and unaffected by being buried for thousands of years. Honey is also a very potent antibiotic, a property that was recognized by the Egyptians and used in their medicine.

[XNavyNuke]

It seems to me like all of the wild honey (hives in trees) that i get around here is dark, and all of the honey from the boxes is lighter. What's the deal?

Is it like that everywhere?

What's the difference in the chemical spectrum?

I keep about a dozen hives out behind my barn. I've gotten two hives from trees so far this year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22465254@N04/sets/72157603621225698/show/

While color, flavor, and aroma of honey is largely determined by the species of plant the nectar is being collected from, you will also see some darkening of honey that is taken from comb that a queen bee has previously laid brood in. (such would be the case in an unmaintained or wild hive.) That is because tiny flakes of dark cocoon can break off and become entrained in the honey. Beekeepers normally try to keep the queen out of their honey super boxes for this reason.

Bees have a special organ called the honey stomach, which is located promixal of their digestive system. Despite cartoon science to the contrary, bees have yet to master carrying little wooden bucket for collecting nectar. I don't think it would technically be considered bee "vomit" since this organ is upstream of the main digestive tract and wouldn't be contaminated with gastric juices, bacteria, and the like. I think bee "spit" or bee "loogey" may be more appropriate.:rolleyes:

XNN

[constituent]

I keep about a dozen hives out behind my barn. I've gotten two hives from trees so far this year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22465254@N04/sets/72157603621225698/show/

While color, flavor, and aroma of honey is largely determined by the species of plant the nectar is being collected from, you will also see some darkening of honey that is taken from comb that a queen bee has previously laid brood in. (such would be the case in an unmaintained or wild hive.) That is because tiny flakes of dark cocoon can break off and become entrained in the honey. Beekeepers normally try to keep the queen out of their honey super boxes for this reason.

Bees have a special organ called the honey stomach, which is located promixal of their digestive system. Despite cartoon science to the contrary, bees have yet to master carrying little wooden bucket for collecting nectar. I don't think it would technically be considered bee "vomit" since this organ is upstream of the main digestive tract and wouldn't be contaminated with gastric juices, bacteria, and the like. I think bee "spit" or bee "loogey" may be more appropriate.:rolleyes:

XNN

That is awesome. Thanks XNavy!

Any studies on the "digestive" enzymes and/or overall biosynthetic pathways between pollen and honey?

Any studies on the chemical makeup of the cocoon flakes?

[youngbuck]

Honey is also a very potent antibiotic, a property that was recognized by the Egyptians and used in their medicine.

Anytime I have a cut that's big enough to need special attention, I put honey on it. It noticably increases healing, reduces scarring, and acts as another band-aid when it dries.

[bucfish]

Yum I just at some raw Florida Gulf Coast honey

[JeNNiF00F00]

mmmmm where you get it at Buc?

[bucfish]

mmmmm where you get it at Buc?


Richard's Health Food's, good stuff. Of course they usually have my honeycomb variety. But this stuff taste almost citruslike good indeed.

[JeNNiF00F00]

Sounds really good, I may have to check that out.

[Meatwasp]

Believe it or not, some honey can even be poisonous. The bees collect nectar from poisonous plants and that kind of honey can be deadly.

Edit: Here is a link to an article about poisonous honey.
http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/war_bees.htm

Dr3D
That article was facinating. I am thinking nasty thoughts on using bees if there is a need to Heh

[Dr.3D]

Dr3D
That article was facinating. I am thinking nasty thoughts on using bees if there is a need to Heh

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Please don't tell anybody I was involved with any of the nasty thoughts you may be coming up with though. :)

[Deborah K]

Honeybees have disappeared in my area, I was afraid they were killed off.
That would be an environmental disaster and a food shortage waiting to happen.


They(the scientists) think they have narrowed it down to a particular pesticide that was relatively new to the market. Bayer Industries was producing it. http://www.bayer-kills-bees.com/

[Deborah K]

I'm racist against all arthropods, so the thought of eating insect puke makes my skin crawl. However, honey is pretty interesting stuff. I read somewhere that honey found entombed with Egyptian royalty was perfectly edible and unaffected by being buried for thousands of years. Honey is also a very potent antibiotic, a property that was recognized by the Egyptians and used in their medicine.


And don't forget about royal jelly and the fact that the honeycomb can be used to make candles. ;)