Honey is a delight for the soul. The taste and color of honey depends on the weather in summer. The color of honey depends on its origin.

The taste, color, aroma and consistency of honey are one of the main criteria by which the quality of the product can be assessed. Typically, when you buy honey, you have the opportunity to examine and taste it. From this article you will learn what the color of honey indicates, what the aroma, taste and consistency of a natural product should be.

Honey color

The most difficult indicator, since there are many types of honey. If monofloral species pump out approximately the same color (sunflower - yellow or light yellow, buckwheat - brown, sainfoin - white), then forb varieties of honey can be absolutely any color: from white and yellow to amber and dark brown. Yet the color of honey can tell a lot more.

The color of honey should be even and uniform, although if the jar is transparent, you can see small color transitions that are barely noticeable to the eye - after all, it is a natural product.

In crystallized unpackaged honey of many varieties, the pattern of white honey glucose is clearly visible. When packaging it is removed from the main mass of honey, but it is impossible to remove 100% of glucose, and there is no reason to. As a rule, only large layers of glucose on the surface are removed, at the same time removing small particles of wax and stray insects (bees and wasps). So if the honey has thickened and been packaged without heating, you will definitely see slight color transitions or fuzzy white veins in it.

Honey is often adulterated by adding fillers and heating. The glucose pattern after blending and overheating is not readable.

Honey aroma

Honey should have a pleasant fragrant aroma - each type has a unique one. When inhaling the aroma, pay attention to the sour smell or the smell of fermentation - it should not be there. Even if the honey has a very beautiful color, but it smells unpleasant, it is spoiled.

Choose honey based on the flavor you like. For thousands of years, people have been choosing their food based on color and smell, and this is the right approach. Some people like the light fragrant aroma of honey in the first half of summer, while others like the bright and spicy flavors of the second half - choose the one you like and eat with pleasure.

A Taste of Honey

Be sure to taste the honey before purchasing and remember that the period of honey collection affects the brightness of the taste and the richness of the bouquet. Spring and the first half of summer are delicate types of honey with a soft sweetness. The second half is rich and spicy types that even make your throat sore.

From the first article in the series about honey, you should remember that honey is twice as sweet as sugar, but its taste is different from sugar. So how can you understand what kind of honey you have: flower honey made from nectar, sugar, just a sweet product, or overheated last year’s honey?

Honey is very sweet, but it has a taste - remember this phrase and appreciate how you feel when you eat some honey. At first you will feel exactly the taste of honey, then a soft sweetness spreads in your mouth, and your throat tingles a little, you feel the tartness. If you eat sugar, you instantly feel a sharp sweetness in your mouth, and only then sourness. So there is a difference in taste between natural flower honey, sugar and other sweet products.

Fake honey made from sugar syrup will also not give you the soft honey sweetness and characteristic taste of a natural product, but will only give you a cloying sweetness. Practice at home: first eat natural honey, and then some water with sugar - and you will understand what we are talking about.

Heated honey tastes like burnt sugar (caramel) and loses its soft sweetness and bouquet. It looks like it has been freshly pumped out, but at the same time it remains cloudy and liquid for a long time, and then completely separates.

Honey consistency

The consistency of honey varies. It may be liquid if the honey has recently been extracted or crystallizes slowly (white acacia honey can remain liquid and even clear for up to two years). Or from solid to pasty - if crystallization has occurred (“crack”). Depending on the size of the crystals, honey is divided into “greasy crystallization” honey, fine-crystalline honey and coarse-crystalline honey.

“Salt-like crystallization” - when honey, even after the end of the crystallization process, remains soft, fluid, with barely visible crystals. Its consistency is similar to butter. This is the most popular honey. To get one, you need to successfully place apiaries on honey plants. The crystallization process is also affected by honey humidity and temperature.

Fine-crystalline honey can also be soft, it is well packaged without heating the product, but you will still feel the crystals in such honey.

Honey with large crystals is, for example, pure sunflower, rapeseed, and buckwheat. This honey is also tasty, but is less in demand in retail. It is suitable as a raw material for food production, since the crystals will melt in baked goods or dissolve in drinks.

It’s good when the apiary has the opportunity to collect honey from both the sunflower field and herbs at the same time. Or straight from buckwheat (gives spice) and sainfoin or phacelia (gives sweetness and soft consistency). Then you get rich, but at the same time soft honey. Beekeepers know which honey plants produce large cages and which small ones, and can partially control the honey harvest and get the honey they need.

The consistency of honey, regardless of the size of the crystals, should be uniform. Honey from sugar syrup also crystallizes. Its crystals are medium in size, but very hard (similar to sugar crystals). It has a weak aroma and tastes simply sweet, without a characteristic honey bouquet.

Can natural honey separate?

Sometimes this happens: fructose flakes off. This is allowed for buckwheat and occurs with weakly crystallizing varieties of honey (white acacia, thistle). In this case, natural honey is separated into only two parts. The exfoliated fructose is more transparent than the color of honey; it forms on top in the form of a film of only a few millimeters. This honey can be mixed and eaten without fear. It should not have a sour smell.

The separation of honey into three parts is a clear sign of a foreign filler. Such honey may have flocculent sediment, “corals”. To understand what kind of product we are talking about, go to a chain store, where you will see honey of amber or black-brown color with two or three layers with “patterns”.

So, what should be the consistency of natural liquid honey (freshly pumped) of the most delicate variety with a high fructose content and a moisture content of less than 20%? It is thick and flows in long threads that fold into a slide. Falsified honey can be so liquid that it instantly flows when the jar is tilted, and this is a sign of poor quality.

The taste, color, aroma and consistency of natural honey are influenced by nature itself and, of course, by the experience and attitude of the beekeeper to his work. Even the most experienced beekeeper may not produce honey due to the weather or a violation of the production technology. I hope the tips that Lyudmila Kholtobina shared with us will be useful to you!

What determines the color of honey? Honey is a unique product in all its parameters; it has a fragrant aroma and a pleasant taste. And its beneficial properties cannot be overestimated, because it helps get rid of various diseases, not to mention maintaining the immune system. This amazing product has many varieties, each of which is special due to its properties. Therefore, you should understand what classification of honey exists in order to choose the most suitable product.

Types of honey

Bee product has a huge number of varieties, each created from the nectar of a specific plant species. In this case, the resulting product can have a light or dark color and a number of special properties. Typically, these properties depend on the medicinal properties of plants. Thus, you get a unique and beloved delicacy. Now this delicacy can be divided into the following types:

1. Monofloral honey is a product collected from one plant, for example, buckwheat or linden. Of course, this delicacy cannot contain 100% nectar from one plant. Therefore, honey can be considered monofloral if more than 40% of the nectar is collected from one honey plant. This happens because bees cannot fly to just one plant. Usually many plants bloom in the environment at one time, which is why this variety is obtained.
2. Polyfloral honey collected from the nectars of several plant species. Such nectar is collected by bees in forests, mountains, and steppes. This product has a very rich taste and aroma and is the most common. But if such honey is collected from wild bees, then it is very rare and has a huge number of healing properties.
3. May honey is a product collected for the first time after winter. Its name has nothing to do with its properties, because it comes from ancient times, when the chronology was different, and honey collection began in May, which is where the name comes from. May honey is one of the most delicious varieties, since the nectar for it is collected from many flowering trees and flowers, because there are a lot of them in May.
4. Honeydew honey is special in that it is collected not from plant nectar, but from the sweet secretions of insects, including aphids. The composition may also include honeydew from trees such as linden, apple, maple and others. This happens when the summer is too dry and the flowers wither. The color of the bee product obtained in this way is usually dark green, brown, and in some cases yellow. This type of honey has a not very pleasant aroma and viscous consistency. Since it is the cheapest, it is used mainly in bakeries and confectioneries.

All these varieties and their characteristics are of great importance when choosing a delicacy. After all, everyone who buys this product counts on its properties that can improve health.

What determines the color of a product?

Many people are accustomed to seeing yellow honey, since this type is the most common. Of course, the color can vary from light or even almost white to dark brown. But what determines the color of this delicacy? This issue should be examined in more detail. Now honey is divided into four color groups:

• white, colorless;
• amber, cream;
• yellow;
• brown, brown.

The most important thing that affects the color of this product is what plants the nectar was collected from and in what period of the year. In addition, the type of bees and the condition of their honeycombs also influences. Thus, different bees may have different colors of a product collected in one period in one area. The geographical location should not be overlooked, because this also plays a big role, for example, completely different plants grow in mountainous areas.

Of course, this delicacy, despite the color and variety, has one common feature - it boosts the immune system and treats colds. However, other properties may differ depending on its color and the nectar of the plants from which the product was made.

Nowadays, light-colored honey and rare white honey are becoming increasingly popular. This is due to the quality of the product, because it is made from medicinal plants, sometimes very rare. Acacia honey is especially popular; due to its taste, it has long been first-class. The same cannot be said about linden honey, because it is not always of the required quality. Sometimes bees, when collecting nectar, also collect honeydew from the linden tree, so this product becomes dark in color.

Based on this, you should be more careful when choosing this sweet and ask the seller what specific nectar it is made from. After all, inexperienced buyers are often sold a low-quality product, dark in color, and at the same time claim that it is made from special types of plants, but this is not always the case and instead of a useful product, the buyer receives the cheapest type of honey at a high price. Therefore, you should pay special attention to the color, smell and especially taste; it should have a pleasant aftertaste, not bitterness. And it is best to buy this delicacy from trusted and conscientious beekeepers who are confident in the quality of their products, or at fairs where the products have a quality certificate.

Yellow honey

Everyone has long been accustomed to enjoying yellow honey, because this color is the most common. This color can be given to this delicacy by both flowers and meadow grasses. At the same time, the natural product must have a transparent structure and a special aroma.

Most often, the yellow color of this sweetness comes from the nectar of a plant such as sweet clover. This plant has excellent medicinal properties. At the same time, such honey is very useful for nursing mothers, because it increases lactation. Therefore, such a product is in great demand. In the liquid state, the delicacy made from sweet clover nectar has a yellow color, but after a long crystallization process it lightens and becomes creamy.

A plant such as cornflower can also give a yellow color to honey, because it is a good honey plant. The product obtained from it has a special taste with a slight bitterness, and its pleasant almond aroma makes it popular among lovers of this type of delicacy.

The color palette of buckwheat honey is more diverse depending on the time of year and the breed of bees, it can vary from light yellow to brown. It is a very common and beloved type, as it has a very pleasant floral aroma and good taste, characterized by its long aftertaste.

Among all the types of this yellow delicacy, sunflower honey stands out noticeably. Everyone knows about such a plant as sunflower, in addition to its fruits, it is an excellent honey plant, therefore it attracts bees with its flowering. Among its taste qualities, one can especially highlight a pleasant bitterness and a characteristic aftertaste. Unlike previous types, this delicacy does not have a particularly pronounced smell, but this does not prevent it from being one of the most delicious varieties. At the same time, such a product quickly crystallizes and becomes granular and, very importantly, acquires a beautiful bright yellow color.

This product cannot have a completely white color, because it always acquires some shade, depending on the nectar of the plant. But it is light honey that is by far the most expensive and in demand, yellow shades of the product cannot always compete with it. This is due to the fact that a light product has more beneficial characteristics.

Popular varieties of honey

Every connoisseur of this delicacy believes that the most delicious are monofloral varieties of honey, that is, those that mostly consist of the nectar of one plant. So what kind of honey is there? Depending on the origin, that is, on the nectar of which plant it was made from, a huge number of species are distinguished. Among which are:

1. Clover honey – this honey is transparent or has a slightly pronounced color. It is remembered for its floral aroma and good taste. After crystallization it becomes a white thick mass.
2. Raspberry - has a pleasant light golden color and is popular due to the healing properties of the plant.
3. Heather - distinguished by its reddish-brown color and has a tart taste and not a very pleasant smell. This product is classified as low grade.
4. Acacia honey has a pleasant, unique aroma and good taste. At the same time, such a product crystallizes very slowly and turns from light cream to milky or white. It is often used for insomnia and gastrointestinal diseases.
5. Mustard has a bright golden color, but becomes creamy when it hardens. In addition to its medicinal properties, it also has nutritional properties.
6. Alfalfa can have different shades, but upon crystallization it acquires a lighter color.
7. Chestnut has a dark color and the smell of chestnut flowers, special for its bitter taste.

Since this product is also polyfloral, it is characterized by the collection of nectar by bees in certain places, such as a field, meadow, forest. Therefore, the following varieties are distinguished:

1. Field is a product that has a special aroma of field plants and a very pleasant taste. It is thanks to him that honey is in great demand among sweet lovers. It can have both light yellow and dark shades.
2. Forest honey is the most valuable and rare variety, because it has good healing qualities. At the same time, it has special taste qualities, which are even better than those of the field and meadow species. Its colors range from light yellow to brown.
3. Lugovoy is special with its wonderful flavor bouquet and aromas. Therefore, it is very popular among connoisseurs of this delicacy.

Regardless of where this product was collected, it should first of all be liked by its taste and aroma. At the same time, we should not forget about the unique properties of this product.

Special types of honey

In addition to all the known types of this sweet, there are also very rare ones that are very difficult to find and buy. However, they are no less unique than the familiar species. A dark brown product with a special tobacco aroma is called tobacco honey. This species is very rare and not well studied, so it is not recommended for use for the prevention and treatment of diseases.

Even more unusual is rock honey. It gets its name from the fact that it is deposited by wild bees in the crevices of rock cliffs. This product is not like regular honey, as it is not sticky at all, and its honeycombs do not contain wax. Its peculiarity is its high glucose content, thanks to which it is preserved without changing its qualities at all for several years. Because of its origin, it can also be called Abkhaz honey.

One of the types of this delicacy that is special in its origin is poisonous honey. This species is quite dangerous for people, as it can cause symptoms such as headache, diarrhea, and vomiting. This is due to the fact that bees extract nectar from plants such as azalea, mountain laurel, rhododendron ponticus, and hellebore. These plants are special due to their poisonous properties. Therefore, in its pure form, such a product can cause the above reactions. This type of treat should be tested in laboratories to protect against symptoms.

Typically, this product is collected from plants in Japan, the Caucasus, the Far East and some other areas. At the same time, it is not always possible to determine exactly from which nectars such honey is obtained. Symptoms of poisoning appear after about 20 minutes and are accompanied by about 5 hours of severe itching, pain, and even an increase in body temperature.

Express honey can hardly be called a truly healthy and natural product. After all, it was made by foreign or domestic researchers who position it as a medicinal product. It is created with the help of bees, which feed on sugar syrup and medicines. This idea came from researchers who decided that many diseases could be treated in this way without the use of medications. But, unfortunately, many people did not support such a product, because they do not believe in the possibilities of such treatment.

Features of choice

Each person, when choosing such a delicacy for himself, should proceed from what effect he expects to receive and for what needs this product is needed. In most cases, honey is bought in case of:

• colds or their prevention;
• maintaining immunity;
• for confectionery use.

If this delicacy is purchased for illnesses, then you should pay special attention to what plant nectar the product is made from. After all, each has its own healing properties. When choosing, it is very important to look at the color and consistency; it can tell you what quality this product is.

To maintain the immune system, especially if it concerns a child, it is best to choose light colors that indicate its healing properties and improved health. A linden or raspberry type of delicacy is good.

When such a delicacy is needed exclusively for the preparation of confectionery, then it does not matter which product to choose. This can be either the cheapest variety or the most expensive. After all, when choosing, it is especially important to pay attention to the taste of the sweet, so that the intended confectionery products turn out incredibly tasty and aromatic. In this case, it all depends on everyone’s taste needs.

Natural bee honey differs in several ways: botanical (origin), floristic (from which flowers), regional (where collected) and technological (pumping method). Depending on these characteristics, honey has different flavoring and healing properties and differs significantly in color, aroma and taste.

Honey varieties - origin

According to botanical origin natural honey can be flower, honeydew or mixed. Flower honey is a product of bees processing plant nectar. It happens monofloral(from one type of plant) and polyfloral(from several types of plants). Honeydew honey is formed when bees process honeydew and honeydew, which they collect from the stems and leaves of plants. Mixed honey varieties consist of a natural mixture of flower and honeydew honeys.

Monofloral honey is called by the type of nectar-bearing plant: linden, heather, etc., polyfloral honey is designated as a flower collection or by the land on which the bees collected nectar: ​​meadow, mountain taiga, field, etc. Monofloral honeys are less common than polyfloral honeys.

Regional feature defines the republic, region or region where honey plants grow. Distinguish honey varieties, obtained, for example, from the Bashkir or Far Eastern linden.

Technological feature means a method of extracting and processing honey: centrifugal, honeycomb, sectional, pressed. So, centrifugal honey obtained by pumping it out of the honeycombs in a honey extractor, cell phone– in natural packaging, perfectly clean and ripe. Sectional cell- honey enclosed in special sections made of thin plywood or food-grade plastic; the section holds about 500 g of honey. Pressed– obtained by squeezing: the honeycombs deteriorate.

The type of honey can be judged by its appearance, aroma and taste, however, for a more accurate and reliable determination of the variety, it is necessary to use laboratory methods for determining the organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics of honey.

Acacia honey

One of the valuable varieties of honey. It is collected by bees from two types of acacia - white and yellow. Honey collected from yellow acacia has a light yellow color, while honey from white acacia is almost colorless.

Acacia honey has a subtle floral aroma and a mild taste; it does not have that honey bitterness inherent in other types of honey (for example, buckwheat or chestnut). One of the distinctive properties of acacia honey is its ability to remain in a liquid state for a long time; it begins to sugar about a year after it is collected. The main area for collecting acacia honey is the south of Russia, the Caucasian foothills.

Medicinal properties. Due to its high fructose content, acacia honey is easily absorbed by the body and is suitable for diabetic and baby food. Due to a number of properties, it is also called “baby” honey - it does not cause allergies. Contains a large amount of carotene and enzymes that help improve digestion.

Its antiseptic properties are used in the treatment of conjunctivitis and other eye diseases, as well as in the treatment of neurodermatitis and eczema in the form of aqueous solutions and ointments. When consumed regularly, acacia honey helps lower blood pressure, has a mild calming effect and has a beneficial effect on mental disorders and nervous breakdowns. Acacia honey is recommended to be consumed at night for insomnia. Its healing properties are also noted for various gastrointestinal diseases, kidney and liver diseases.

Recipes:

To reduce the secretory function of the stomach. Stir a tablespoon of acacia honey in a glass of milk or kefir, consume it in the morning an hour and a half before meals; if honey is taken immediately before meals, then, on the contrary, it promotes the secretion of gastric juice.

For peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum. It is useful to take acacia honey by dissolving it in warm water, one and a half to two hours before breakfast, lunch and 3 hours after dinner, plus 40-60 drops of 5% propolis tincture in 1/4 cup of warm water or milk.

For diarrhea. 1 tbsp. l. Pour a glass of boiling water over the bird cherry fruit and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Infuse, strain, add 30 drops of 20% alcohol tincture of propolis and a tablespoon of acacia honey and drink 1/3 cup 20-30 minutes before meals.

For various eye diseases. Dilute acacia honey in warm water (up to 45 g) in a ratio of 1:2, use as drops and lotions.

Altai honey

This is honey with a wide range of flavors. It embodies the tastes of various herbs of Altai forest glades, foothill meadows, taiga-coniferous massifs of Eastern Siberia and Transbaikalia. This is the most fragrant type of honey because summer flowers give it the aroma of the taiga. Honey plants include herbs such as meadowsweet, sweet clover, angelica, fireweed, raspberry, forest geranium and many other plants of the forest zone. There are Altai angelica and Altai taiga. Altai honey has high taste and preventive qualities, has a light or dark brown color, contains a lot of pollen and settles quickly.

Medicinal properties. It has a general strengthening effect, calms, and is recommended for headaches, insomnia, and vegetative-vascular dystonia. It has a high therapeutic effect for colds and pulmonary diseases, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and liver diseases. Useful for heart diseases: promotes dilation of coronary vessels, reduces edema of cardiac origin, stabilizes blood pressure. Very effective in gynecological practice. Removes toxins from the body and is used as a diuretic.

Recipes:

Peptic ulcer of the stomach, duodenum. Pour 50 g of marsh cudweed herb into 500 ml of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes in a water bath, strain. Take 1/3 cup 2-3 times a day with 1 teaspoon of Altai honey after meals.

Hypertensive heart disease. Wash 1 glass of cranberries, dry, crush in an enamel bowl with a wooden pestle, mix with honey in a 1:1 ratio. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals, drink 0.5 cups of boiled water. Course – 1-1.5 months.

Prevention of gynecological inflammatory diseases. Mix 200 g of Altai honey, 10 ml of 20% propolis tincture, 50 g of pollen, 500 ml of boiled water. Heat the mixture to 40-45° C. Use 3 tbsp for a sitz bath. spoons of mixture per 5 liters of boiled water. The temperature of the water in the bath is 40°C; add hot water as it cools. You can add an infusion of St. John's wort and chamomile to the bath at the rate of 30 ml per 1 liter of water.

Hawthorn honey

High-quality honey, dark in color, with a slightly reddish tint. Honey tastes slightly bitter. Bees collect nectar from hawthorn, which gives honey its characteristic taste and aroma.

Medicinal properties. Hawthorn honey is an excellent heart remedy. It can be used for a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases. And first of all, it is necessary to say about the effect of hawthorn on the senile heart - it revives, strengthens, and supports it. It is also recommended for those who experience constant overload and who, as a result, develop early signs of wear and tear on the body. Hawthorn honey can alleviate such conditions, and, perhaps more importantly, act as a preventative. It also helps with cardiac arrhythmia, as well as in cases where normalization of high blood pressure is required, and is a good means of follow-up treatment after myocardial infarction.

Recipes:

For myocardium, cardiac asthma, arrhythmia. Mix hawthorn honey with pomegranate juice: one tablespoon per glass. Consume this honey for 1-2 months, 100-150 g per day.

For hypertension. Mix 200 ml of carrot juice, 200 ml of beet juice, 100 g of crushed cranberries, 200 g of hawthorn honey, 100 ml of alcohol. Leave for 3 days in the dark. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals for 1-1.5 months.

Heather honey

Heather honey is dark or red-brown in color, with a weak aroma and slightly bitter taste. It has the amazing property of turning into jelly after pumping. If you stir it, it becomes liquid; in a calm state it thickens again.


Heather honey is difficult to extract from the combs in a honey extractor, and therefore it is pumped out immature or subjected to loosening before pumping using brushes with steel needles. It has a high diastase number - about 50 units. which indicates a high content of enzymes in it. It crystallizes poorly, often remaining in a gel or jelly state. Upon microscopic examination of crystallized honey, it differs from other honeys by the presence of needle-shaped crystals.

Medicinal properties. It is used in the absence of appetite, has anti-inflammatory, diuretic and diaphoretic properties, recommended for colds, urolithiasis, cystitis, as well as functional disorders of the nervous system.

Recipes:

For the prevention of urolithiasis. 3 tbsp. Pour boiling water over spoons of lingonberry leaves in a thermos and leave for 3 hours. Drink 1/3-1/2 cup with the addition of 1 teaspoon of honey 3 times a day for 20 minutes. before meals.

To remove sand and small stones from the kidneys. Prepare a collection: stolnik roots, juniper fruits, young birch leaves, greater celandine, cinquefoil - 20 g each; 4 tbsp. l. pour 1 liter of boiling water over the mixture, leave for an hour, strain and add 2 tbsp. spoons of heather honey and drink within an hour, trying to hold urination for as long as possible. When urinating, take a warm, hot bath.

Mountain honey

The Altai Mountains contain the secret of longevity and prolongation of vitality. Mountain honey is collected from wild honey plants - the rarest herbs and flowers of Altai such as acacia, blackthorn, bird cherry, rose hips, honeysuckle, clover, goldenrod, Bogorodskaya grass, sage, mint, oregano, snakehead, sow thistle and many other mountain plants. The bribe is not as large as for forbs, which is why mountain honey is highly valued. It has a dark, dark yellow and red-brown color, is very viscous, crystallizes slowly, and has a tart and bitter taste.

Mountain honey is considered the most environmentally friendly.

Medicinal properties. Mountain honey is useful for stress, endocrine system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and is effective in treating diseases of the kidneys, liver, and stomach. Removes salts and toxins. Useful for atherosclerosis and also as a sedative for nervous diseases, used for increased thyroid function. The high content of carotene and vitamin A gives mountain honey very strong healing properties.

Recipes:

As a general strengthening vitamin remedy. Mix mountain honey with pollen 1:1 and take 1-2 tsp. a day, but not before bedtime.

Hypertonic disease. Pour 1 cup of viburnum fruit into 1 liter of hot water, boil in an enamel bowl for 10 minutes, strain, cool, add 3 tbsp. spoons of mountain honey. Drink 0.5 cups 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals. Course – 2 months. After 15 days, repeat the treatment.

With diffuse goiter. Mix 1 kg of honey, juice of 10 lemons, 10 crushed heads of garlic. Leave for 7 days. Take 4 teaspoons 1 time per day. Course – 1-1.5 months.

Buckwheat honey

Buckwheat honey is confidently classified as high-grade honey with pronounced medicinal properties. The honey itself is made from buckwheat nectar, which is rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, boron and other useful microelements.


The color can range from dark yellow to dark brown, with a slight reddish tint. It has a unique tart taste and pleasant aroma, by which buckwheat honey can be immediately recognized among other varieties. When using it, a “sore throat” is very typical. Buckwheat honey crystallizes faster than all other types of honey, literally in one month. When crystallized, it turns into a paste-like mass, ranging from fine-grained to coarse-grained crystal forms.

Medicinal properties. The rich mineral and vitamin composition allows the use of buckwheat honey for the treatment of hypo- and avitaminosis, in the treatment and prevention of hemorrhages in the brain, heart, retina, to improve capillary permeability, for hypertension in combination with drugs that lower blood pressure, in the treatment of rheumatism, scarlet fever, measles, as well as for the prevention and treatment of blood vessels. In addition to its hematopoietic properties, buckwheat honey is a pronounced antiseptic; it is used to treat purulent wounds, furunculosis and other skin diseases.

Recipes:

For anemia. Linden flower tea with buckwheat honey with the addition of 2 tbsp. l. red wine for 1 glass of tea. Adding buckwheat honey to milk is always good for anemia. 1 tbsp. l. honey contains 100 calories, 1 glass of milk – 124 calories. This results in a high-calorie drink.

For anemia. Crush 20 g of dry ginseng root into powder, mix with 2.5 tsp. honey, leave for a week, stirring 3-4 times a day, then take on the tip of a teaspoon 2 times a day.

For hypertension. Try to eliminate high-protein, low-carbohydrate and salty foods from your diet. As for fruits, you should consume apples, grapes, and cranberries in an amount equivalent to 4 glasses of juice. Take buckwheat honey with every meal; it removes excess moisture from the blood, reducing blood pressure.

Melilot honey

It is one of the excellent first-class honeys and has high taste qualities. Fresh honey has a watery-transparent color and crystallizes quickly. Crystallized honey has a light amber or white color with a very subtle pleasant aroma, reminiscent of vanilla. Bees collect it from yellow and white sweet clover, which is distributed throughout the European part, except for the northern and northeastern regions, in the Caucasus, Western Siberia and Central Asia. It is very rich in glucose. It has very high taste qualities.

Medicinal properties. Due to the fact that sweet clover is a medicinal plant in itself, it is believed that sweet clover honey has special medicinal properties. It contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system. It is especially recommended for insomnia, hypertension, migraines, neuroses, respiratory diseases, all manifestations of atherosclerosis, kidney and bladder diseases, it has analgesic and antibacterial properties.

Externally, this honey is used to wash purulent and non-purulent wounds, cuts, and also as a plaster for furunculosis. It is used to prepare warm baths for rheumatic diseases and myositis in children and adults. Sweet clover honey stimulates lactation in nursing women.

Recipes:

For insomnia. 1 tbsp. Dilute a spoonful of honey in 1 glass of warm boiled water, drink 30 minutes before. before going to bed.

For hemorrhoids: Taking sitz baths, introducing sweet clover honey through the rectum using an enema.
For baths - pour 4-5 liters of warm water into a basin, add 50 ml of infusion of chamomile, mint, coltsfoot or St. John's wort, 50 g of sweet clover honey.
For an enema - a warm 20-30% solution of sweet clover honey.

For varicose veins: Mash 250 g of peeled garlic in a mortar and mix with 350 g of sweet clover honey, leave for 7 days, take a tablespoon 3 times a day for 40 minutes. before meals.

Goldenrod honey

Honey is collected from goldenrod, a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant. Individual goldenrod flower heads are very small, but they most often form large paniculate inflorescences that are bright yellow.


The honeybee visits flowers so quickly that it is impossible to count the number of flowers from which it takes nectar within a minute. Goldenrod honey is dark yellow or light brown in color and may have an unpleasant bitter taste and aroma.

Medicinal properties: Goldenrod honey has firmly taken its place in the treatment of inflammation of the bladder and kidneys, and in the treatment of painful urination. In addition, it can have a stimulating effect on metabolism and be effective for skin diseases, as well as liver diseases.

Recipes:

For kidney disease. It is recommended to consume 80-120 g of honey with lemon and rosehip juice (infusion), which improves diuresis and reduces intoxication. When treating kidney diseases, honey is prescribed orally with mineral water recommended by a doctor, preferably warm.

For liver disease. Mix goldenrod honey with black currants 1:1, use 1 tsp. 30 minutes before meals.

For bladder disease. Dissolve a teaspoon of goldenrod honey in boiled water (half a glass). Drink half a glass 2 times a day before meals. The drug is effective in the treatment of urinary incontinence.

Chestnut honey

It is a monofloral honey variety, i.e. collected from flowers of a certain type of plant. To prepare this honey, bees collect nectar from the flowers of the chestnut tree, which grows mainly in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Honey from edible chestnut is dark in color, with a faint aroma of chestnut flowers and a pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste.

It crystallizes very slowly, remains liquid all winter and only turns into a dark brown mass in spring. Horse chestnut honey is liquid, transparent and usually colorless. It should not be left over the winter, as it easily crystallizes.

Medicinal properties. It has the most pronounced bactericidal properties and is therefore used in the treatment of wounds and sore throats. It has a beneficial effect on the entire vascular system, has an anti-edematous and anti-inflammatory effect, promotes the secretion of bile (improves appetite). In folk medicine, chestnut honey is used as a remedy for bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Recipes:

For bronchitis, hoarseness, cough. Mix radish juice with chestnut honey in a ratio of 2:1. Take 1-2 tbsp. l. each hour.

For sore throat. Gargle with chestnut honey or propolis (alcohol tincture) dissolved in water, 3-4 times a day. 5-6 times a day for 10-15 days (one teaspoon per procedure), keep honey in your mouth until completely dissolved; honey in a comb is better suited.

When treating wounds, ulcers. Chestnut honey – 80 g, fish oil – 20 g, the ointment is applied to the wound as a bandage.

For purulent otitis media and sinusitis. For inflammation of the middle ear and paranasal sinuses, it is good to use bee honey. To do this, take a sterile glass rod, use it to remove honey from the cell and instill 1-2 drops every 3-4 hours into one, then into the other nostril or inside the ear.

Fireweed honey

This is transparent honey with a greenish tint, crystallizing, becoming white in the form of delicate grains or resembling a creamy (lard-like) mass, and turning yellow when heated. It has a delicate aroma and pleasant taste, easily melts in the mouth.

Honey is produced by bees from a perennial plant - fireweed, also known under another name - angustifolia fireweed. This is a strong summer honey plant, especially in burnt areas and clearings in Siberia and Altai. Blooms from late June - early July for 30-40 days. Its productivity in a favorable year reaches 10-15 kg per day. The honey productivity of a hectare of continuous thickets of willowherb (fireweed) is about 300-600 kg.
Medicinal properties. Has a calming and anti-inflammatory effect. It is prescribed for gastritis with high acidity, for peptic ulcers, it successfully treats constipation, diseases of the throat and internal organs. Honey stimulates hematopoiesis, increases the body's defenses, helps with insomnia and headaches, and is useful for nursing mothers. Recommended for various diseases of the prostate gland.

Recipes:

For prostate adenoma. Take 1 teaspoon of 5% alcohol infusion with fireweed honey (keep in your mouth until completely dissolved), at the same time take a teaspoon of beebread 1.5 hours before meals 3 times a day. In addition, use suppositories containing 0.1 g of propolis and 2 g of cocoa butter - they are injected deep into the rectum once a day in the evening. At the same time, drink an infusion of herbs: horsetail - 35 g, stinging nettle - 35 g, lingonberry leaves - 40 g. 2 tbsp. l. collection, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water into a thermos, leave for half an hour or an hour, strain and drink? glasses 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. 1 tbsp. Dilute a spoonful of fireweed honey in 0.5 cups of boiled water. Take 1.5-2 hours before meals with increased acidity of gastric juice. For low acidity, take 5-10 minutes before. before meals. For heartburn, consume honey with milk, cottage cheese, and porridge. Course – 1.5–2 months.

Clover honey

Clover honey is light, almost colorless, has a delicate aroma and a pleasant, unique taste. It quickly crystallizes into a solid white finely crystalline mass. Recognized as one of the best varieties. If the nectar is collected from red clover, the color of the honey is pink or red-yellow. Contains 40.24% fructose and 34.90% glucose.

Medicinal properties. Like linden, it is recommended for colds as a diaphoretic, for pulmonary diseases - as an expectorant, very useful for poor appetite, loss of strength, anemia, joint tumors, and in combination with propolis - for the treatment of burns, furunculosis and abscesses.

Used for diarrhea, blood loss, atherosclerosis. It has analgesic properties, so it is used internally for rheumatic pain and for preparing baths.

Recipes:

For the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis. Add 2-3 tbsp to 100 g of water. l. clover honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Place in a glass container with a tight lid and place in the refrigerator. Take a teaspoon with? glasses of warm water or tea 2-3 times a day before meals for 3-4 weeks.

Against cough. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass, 2 tbsp. l. glycerin and fill it all with clover honey. If the cough is weak, take a teaspoon during the day; if it is strong, then take a teaspoon in the morning, before lunch, at night, at night.

General strengthening effect. Mix 100 g of honey and 1 g of adsorbed royal jelly. Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals, keep the mixture in your mouth for as long as possible. After half an hour, drink with 1 glass of rosehip infusion.

Coriander honey

This honey is also called kolyander honey. The honey is transparent, ranging in color from light brown to amber; bees collect it from the white or pinkish flowers of an annual plant - coriander, which grows in many regions of the South of Russia (where it is specially cultivated for these purposes), in Central Asia and Transcaucasia. The honey productivity of coriander is 60-120 kg per 1 ha. In favorable weather, nectar production reaches 200-500 kg per 1 ha. Coriander honey crystallizes within one to two months into a coarse mass.
Different types of honey differ in aroma, based on which we can judge the quality of the honey and, to some extent, its origin. Coriander honey contains a large amount of essential oils, so it has a specific, rather sharp spicy aroma, a specific medicinal caramel flavor and remarkable medicinal properties.

Medicinal properties. Coriander honey is used for various diseases and disorders, such as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (coriander honey has a choleretic effect, increases secretion, improves digestion and is also useful for loss of appetite, therefore coriander honey is successfully used for various diseases of the stomach, duodenum, liver , pancreas), activates mental and physical activity due to mild stimulation of the central nervous system (helps with stress and chronic fatigue), has an antiseptic, analgesic, bronchodilator effect (useful for bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis), slows down the heart rate (can be used for tachycardia and extrasystoles), and also increases potency - it’s not for nothing that it is considered “male” honey.

Recipes:

To stimulate mental and physical activity. Mix coriander honey with royal jelly in a ratio of 1:1000, apply 1-2 tsp in the morning.

Treatment of impotence. Mix honey with pollen in a 1:1 ratio. Take 1 teaspoon. spoon – 1 dess. spoon 2-3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals. The course is a month. After a 2-week break, repeat the treatment. At the same time, take a pharmacy tincture of Rhodiola (golden root) 10 drops 3 times a day. The course of taking Rhodiola is up to 1 month. Do not exceed the dose.

Linden honey

This is one of the most valuable varieties of honey. Based on the place of honey collection, Bashkir and Far Eastern honey are distinguished. Bashkir linden honey, the so-called lipets, is colorless, upon crystallization it becomes white, with a golden tint, and a coarse-grained mass. Far Eastern linden honey is light yellow or light amber in color. Linden honey has an excellent, incomparable aroma and a wonderful, strong, intense taste. This honey is very fragrant.

Medicinal properties. Honey has a pronounced anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antipyretic, diuretic, sedative and restorative effect. It is used in the treatment of colds (runny nose, sore throat, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis), bronchial asthma, heart diseases, inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney and gall bladder diseases, gynecological diseases. In folk medicine, linden honey is recognized as an anti-measles remedy; it is given for mumps and convulsions in children. Honey is indicated for the treatment of purulent wounds and burns, for eczema, mastitis, cystitis, urethritis, and with goat milk for tuberculosis.

Recipes:

For stomatitis. Prepare an infusion: 25 g of dried chamomile flowers (6 tbsp) pour 500 ml of boiled water into an enamel bowl, close the lid and place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Then let the infusion cool, strain it, and squeeze out the remaining raw materials and bring the volume with boiled water to 500 ml, dissolve 2 tbsp in it. l. linden honey. Rinse 3 times a day after meals, and it is also useful to chew linden honey in honeycombs.
The decoction can also be used as a lotion for ulcers, eczema, and burns.

For the flu. Mix dried flowers and raspberries in equal weight proportions. 2 tbsp. l. Brew the mixture in a porcelain teapot with a glass of boiling water, leave for 12-15 minutes and drink warm, dissolving linden honey to taste, 1/2 - 1 glass 3-4 times a day for flu, as well as for respiratory diseases. Honey, especially linden honey, has a strong diaphoretic effect. Its effect is enhanced when combined with teas, infusions and decoctions of linden flowers, raspberry fruits and leaves, coltsfoot herbs and other medicinal plants.

For a cold. 2 tbsp. l. linden honey per glass of hot milk. Take at night.

Meadow honey

Meadow honey contains scent carriers from dozens of different types of flowers, which combine it into a unique overall bouquet of aromas. Bees collect it from the nectar of meadow flowers - dandelion, clover, savory, sage, bedstraw, orchis, etc. The color of meadow honey varies from light yellow to brown. The most aromatic meadow honey in Russia is collected from Rosaceae in Central Russian meadows.

Medicinal properties. The beneficial properties of meadow honey are determined by the honey plants that predominate in it, for example:
Savory – has an astringent, diuretic, diaphoretic and antiputrefactive effect. It is recommended to take it for diarrhea, intestinal catarrh, digestive disorders and vomiting.
Thyme - used for colds, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract and digestive disorders.
Sage – used for inflammatory skin diseases, treatment of festering wounds and ulcers, minor burns and frostbite.
Geranium - used for diarrhea, dysentery, kidney disease, rheumatism, gout, as a good hemostatic agent and dissolves kidney stones.
It is characterized by high nutritional and medicinal properties. It has an antibacterial effect. Meadow honey has a softening, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, perfectly regulates the functioning of the liver and intestines, and has a general strengthening effect. Due to its composition, it is widely used in the treatment of diseases of the nervous system and cardiovascular system.

Recipes:

For wounds, ointment. Prepare marsh cudweed powder, then take it in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. and grind thoroughly in a mortar with? a glass of unsalted butter and the same amount of honey. Use the ointment in the treatment of burns, hard-to-heal wounds and ulcers.

For the flu. Take a tablespoon of linden flowers and raspberry fruits, place in an enamel bowl and pour in 2 cups of boiled water and boil for 5 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, strain the infusion and dissolve 2 tbsp. l. honey, take warm? glasses 3-4 times a day.

For a cold. Pour 1 glass of dried viburnum fruits into 1 liter of boiled water, cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes, leave for 1-1.5 hours, strain. Add 3 tbsp. l. bee honey, stir until dissolved and drink 0.5 cups of decoction 3-4 times a day for colds accompanied by severe headaches, cough and loss of voice.

May honey

May honey contains the aromas of blooming gardens and the very first spring flowers and trees. Therefore, the taste of honey is formed by willow, maple, sorrel, bird cherry, strawberry, sage, currant, cherry, apple tree and many other plants blooming in May. Harvested in mid-May or in the first or second decade of June. The color of honey can vary and depends on what plants or trees the bees collected nectar from, ranging from yellow to brown.
May honey restores cheerfulness, vigor and good mood.

Medicinal properties. It has the most valuable and medicinal qualities: pronounced anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic and hemostatic effects.

May honey is rich in fructose, which allows it to be absorbed by our body faster than other varieties. Fructose itself has a beneficial effect on the body's hematopoietic processes. May honey is used for atherosclerosis, insomnia and nervous diseases, colds, and vision diseases.

Recipes:

For the flu. Heat peeled garlic on a shallow plate and mix with May honey in a 1:1 ratio, take before bed with warm boiled water.

To soften hair. Take 30 g of chamomile, pour 100 ml of boiling water and leave with the lid closed for an hour. Strain the chamomile infusion, squeeze out and dissolve a tablespoon of May honey in it, moisten the hair generously with the resulting solution (after preliminary washing and drying with a towel), and after 30-40 minutes rinse with warm water. For oily hair once a week, for dry hair – once every 10-12 days.

A cure for many diseases– viburnum on May honey. Scald the berries with boiling water and wipe through a colander. Mix the resulting mass with honey in a 1:1 ratio. After a week, the medicine is ready. One tablespoon on an empty stomach is a supply of vitamins for the day; if you suffer from hypertension, you should not take more than one spoon per day.

Dandelion honey

Dandelion honey is golden yellow in color, very thick, quickly crystallizing, with a strong odor and a peculiar pungent taste. In the spring, it is eaten mainly by bees, and also serves as feed additives for feeding the adult brood of bees.

Recipes:

For hypertension. Prepare a mixture of a glass of beet juice, a glass of horseradish juice, the juice of one lemon and a glass of dandelion honey, take a tablespoon 3 times a day before bed for 2 months.

For hepatitis. Prepare a mixture consisting of one glass of red carrot juice, a glass of beetroot, a glass of dandelion honey with the addition of 30 ml of vodka and the juice of 2 lemons, take a tablespoon 3 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals for 30 days, after 2 months repeat the course.

For insomnia. Prepare the collection: rose hips, fruits – 35%; blackberry, leaves – 30%; St. John's wort, herb – 10%; motherwort, grass – 10%; valerian root – 5%; plantain, leaves – 5%; thyme, herb – 5%, prepare an infusion (1:20), dilute it in 1 glass with 1 tbsp. l. dandelion honey and take according to? glasses 2-3 times a day, the product also helps with severe irritability and fatigue.

Thistle honey

It is white or light yellow in color, aromatic, pleasant to the taste, and belongs to first-class honey. Bees produce honey from the perennial plant thistle, which grows along the banks of rivers and lakes, in vegetable gardens and crops in many regions of Russia. Thistle is the worst weed and where there are thickets of it, the bees provide themselves with a productive bribe. Field sow thistle blooms from mid-summer to September.

Recipes:

When exhausted. Crush 20 g of dry ginseng root into powder, mix with 2.5 liters of honey, leave for a week, stirring 3-4 times a day, then take 1 tsp. 2 times a day.

During surgery. Mix honey with pollen in a 1:1 ratio. Take 1 teaspoon. spoon 2-3 times a day for 2-3 weeks before surgery and 2-3 weeks after surgery. After 7 days from the start of taking the mixture, the dose can be increased to 1 des. spoons 3 times a day.

Sunflower honey

This type of honey tastes very pleasant in its liquid state, but it quickly crystallizes, during crystallization it becomes light amber, sometimes even with a greenish tint, has a weak aroma and a pleasant, somewhat tart taste. The crystals are large, yellow or light amber in color, reminiscent of melted butter.

Medicinal properties. Sunflower honey has the highest enzymatic activity. It has valuable dietary qualities, pH-3.5. It is used for colds, flu, any febrile conditions, as well as atherosclerosis, heart disease, bronchial asthma, neuralgia, and gastrointestinal diseases. Used as a tonic and diuretic. Promotes the release of toxins from the body.

Recipes:

For colds and flu. Take sunflower honey with lemon juice (100 g of honey and the juice of one or half a lemon).

As an expectorant. An infusion of plantain leaves is useful. Pour 6 g of plantain leaves into a glass of water and boil for 10 minutes, add 30 g of sunflower honey. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.

For lung diseases. Take a glass of juice each from red carrots, beets, horseradish, 30 g of vodka, a glass of sunflower honey, juice of 2 lemons. Stir the mixture with a wooden spatula in an enamel bowl for 30 minutes, then take a tablespoon 20-30 minutes before meals.

Propolis honey

To impart special healing properties, propolis is added to honey. Propolis honey looks little different from ordinary honey - it has a yellowish-lemon tint, a sweet and bitter taste and a pleasant balsamic smell.

Medicinal properties. The practice of using honey with propolis shows that this drug can treat almost any disease, since it has pronounced biological activity and a powerful bactericidal effect. Adding propolis to honey significantly increases the antioxidant, antimicrobial, wound-healing and immunological effects of honey. It is used as a remedy against malignant skin tumors, treatment of tuberculosis, pneumonia, gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Recipes:

For pulmonary tuberculosis. Mix 100 ml of aloe juice, 500 g of crushed walnut kernels, juice of 4 lemons, 300 g of honey. Take 1 dess. spoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Poorly healing wounds. Trophic ulcers. 1 tbsp. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over a spoonful of cucumber grass, hold in a water bath for 10 minutes, cool, strain and add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of propolis honey. Apply to wounds 2 times a day.

Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum. Add 1 tbsp to 1 glass of milk at a temperature of 40-45°C. a spoonful of propolis honey. Drink 1 glass 1-3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. The course is a month. After a 2-week break, repeat the treatment.

Rapeseed honey

This honey has a whitish, yellowish color and tint. The special aroma hides the truly sweet, almost cloying taste. Honey is very thick and quickly turns into specific whitish crystals with a special, tart taste and persistent aroma of a flower field. Sometimes it begins to crystallize even in the cells of the honeycomb. The taste of rapeseed honey leaves a slight pleasant bitterness on the tongue, slightly reminiscent of mustard.

Rapeseed honey comes from the nectar of yellow rapeseed flowers, a food plant famous for its essential oils. Bees are able to collect about eight kilograms of this aromatic substance in a whole day.
You need to store rapeseed honey carefully - it tends to sour quickly. It also dissolves poorly in water, which is worth taking into account when creating all kinds of medicinal mixtures using water mixed with rapeseed honey.

Medicinal properties. Rapeseed honey has a high glucose content, more than 51%, which has a great effect on mental activity, penetrating into the blood vessels of the brain. Also, rapeseed honey is quickly absorbed in the intestines, and, due to its ability to remove heavy metals from the body, is highly valued by specialists. Rapeseed honey also has a positive effect on the liver and bile ducts when taken in warm liquid form. Like any honey, rapeseed honey promotes skin regeneration and can be used for burns. The high boron content in this type of honey restores bone tissue and helps the thyroid gland in women after menopause.

Recipes:

General strengthening effect. Mix rapeseed honey with crushed walnut kernels in a 1:1 ratio. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals, washed down with half a glass of boiled water. It is especially useful for pregnant women, nursing mothers, patients with anemia, atherosclerosis, and hypertension.

For ulcers. Lubricate the surface of poorly healing ulcers and wounds with rapeseed honey and apply it in bandages. In addition, you can also take local baths with a 30% honey solution at a temperature of 32-34°C and a duration of 20-30 minutes. Take 1-2 baths daily until complete recovery.

Honey bruise

Refers to first-class honey. It has a light or light amber color. It has a faint aroma and pleasant taste. Usually thick in consistency. Crystallizes slowly, forming a fine-grained sediment. Bees extract this type of honey from the nectar of blue-violet or bright blue flowers of the common bruise, or rouge.

Medicinal properties. It is used as an excellent remedy for cardiovascular diseases and as a sedative for neuroses.

Recipes:

For neuroses. Take according to? tsp a mixture of royal jelly with bruise honey (in a ratio of 1:100) 2-3 times a day for neurasthenia, autonomic neuroses, cardiac neurosis, menopausal neurosis, hysteria, etc. Keep the drug in the mouth until completely dissolved. The course of treatment is 3-4 weeks. After a 2-3 week break it can be repeated.

For atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Pour 250 g of peeled and grated garlic into 350 g of liquid honey, mix well and leave in a dark place for a week. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 30-40 minutes before meals.

Fruit honey

Fruit honey is obtained from the nectar of flowering fruit trees such as apple, pear, and cherry. Fresh honey is transparent in color with a yellow-red tint; after crystallization it becomes light yellow. It has an extremely pleasant fruity aroma and delicate sweet taste.

This honey has a pleasant aroma and sweet taste, contains 45% fructose and 31% glucose, and crystallizes finely. Medicinal properties. Has antimicrobial properties. It is recommended as a general tonic, as well as for the treatment of diseases of the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Contains a large amount of vitamin C, rutin, carotene, relatively many salts of manganese, sodium, potassium and calcium.

Recipes:

For flu and colds. Mix freshly grated garlic pulp with honey in a 1:1 ratio and take 1 tbsp with warm water. l. mixture before bed or 1 tsp. 2 times a day.

For gastritis, increased stomach acidity. Mix honey with butter in a 1:1 ratio. Take 1 tbsp. spoon one hour before meals in the morning and evening. The course is 1.5-2 months.

Flower honey

Flower honey has a unique aroma and taste of honey, which is born from the nectar of wild flowers of a wide variety. The color of honey ranges from colorless to orange-yellow and dark depending on the place of collection, as well as the species composition of the plants. Flower honey is collected in all honey-bearing regions of our country.

Medicinal properties. Flower honey contains the healing properties of many honey plants, therefore it is useful as a general tonic. Recommended for respiratory diseases, colds, headaches and insomnia, myositis (in the form of warm baths), and is a strong diaphoretic.

Recipes:

Prevention of respiratory diseases and flu. Take rosehip decoction (10g per 200 ml of water) 0.5 - 1 cup with 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flower honey 3 times a day half an hour before meals for a month.

Treatment of cough, flu, colds. Cut off the “cap” of a large black radish, use a knife to make a depression so that 2-3 tablespoons of honey can fit in it. Close with a “hat” and leave for 3-4 hours. Pour the resulting mixture of juice and honey into a glass. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day half an hour before meals. Last dose before bed.
For insomnia and sleep disorders. Mix 2 tbsp. spoons of beet juice, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flower honey, a glass of warm boiled water or milk. Drink before bed.

Sainfoin honey

Sainfoin honey is considered first-class. It is produced from the nectar of the pink or red flowers of the sainfoin. It has a pale pink or golden-amber color, a strong rich aroma and excellent taste. Slowly crystallizes into a white lard-like mass with a creamy tint. Rich in vitamins and carotene.

Medicinal properties. The healing properties of sainfoin honey have not yet been sufficiently studied, but it is known that with regular use it helps improve blood circulation and strengthens capillary vessels. In folk medicine, sainfoin honey is known as a general tonic, vitamin remedy; it is used for various gynecological diseases, uterine bleeding, and also as a means of enhancing sexual activity in men.

Recipes:

For impotence. Mix freshly squeezed carrot juice with sainfoin honey 1:1. Take according to? glasses 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals. Take pollen 1-2 tsp. in a day.

For uterine bleeding. 1 tbsp. Brew a spoonful of nettle flowers and tops with a glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Drink 0.5 cups with a teaspoon of honey 4-5 times a day.

Honey comb

Comb honey is honey that has not been extracted from the wax comb. In general, natural honey, and especially honey in honeycombs, if stored properly, does not spoil for any length of time. In an edible state, it was even found in the Egyptian pyramids. And all because honey has a powerful disinfecting effect, destroying bacteria, microbes and molds.
Honeycomb honey contains more vitamin A than carrots, so chewing it is very beneficial for the eyes. Honey in combs is a recognized remedy for the treatment of diseases of the respiratory system, which are usually associated with metabolic disorders in the body caused by a lack of certain nutrients. Honeycomb allows the body to compensate for this deficiency.

Cell honey strengthens the immune system. Observations have shown that people who regularly consume comb honey are less likely to suffer from colds. Propolis contained in comb honey has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, healing, bactericidal, antifungal properties. It normalizes intestinal activity, treats stomach ulcers, has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, and helps with various women's diseases.
When honeycombs are chewed for a long time, phytoncides are released, which have a healing effect on various human organs - they enrich them with vitamins, amino acids, proteins, and enzymes. The pollen contained in honey has a rejuvenating effect, since it contains all the amino acids and vitamins necessary for the human body. Cell honey contains biologically active substances produced by both plants and bees. Bees help the nectar of flowering plants, wax and propolis to unite into one whole called CELL HONEY and acquire such amazing properties as antimicrobial, antiviral, antileukemic, radioprotective, immunogenic.

It can be interesting to look at familiar things from a different, sometimes bizarre, angle. We don't usually think about it, but many everyday products are brands promoted by humanity with valuable properties inherent in each of them. For example, bread is perceived as a certain noble product, created by hard human labor, which, even in difficult times, can satisfy a person and satisfy his hunger. Milk, and always with the “country” characteristic, gives strength and health to our main hope in life - children vacationing outside the city with their grandparents. What is honey associated with? Perhaps honey is a healing, mysterious formula of the fields and its main experts and guardians - bees.
Unfortunately, in our times, an aura of mystery and secrecy is inherent not only in honey, but also in any product. It is very difficult to guess from what and under what conditions they make what they sell. There are several relatively simple ways to test honey for some parameters, although not all of them. Only a laboratory can give the most complete assessment. But some things can be detected at home, without worrying about purchasing additional chemical reagents. But first you need to figure out what honey can look like in general.

Two honey states

The vast majority of honey varieties change their appearance: consistency and color within a few months after collection. This process is called crystallization (sugarification). Beekeepers use the term “shrunken honey.” The consistency of honey becomes more like viscous lard with large or small sugar crystals inside. Crystallization does not affect the beneficial properties of honey in any way: they are completely preserved. Basically, honey is candied 1-2 months after collection, approximately in October. But there are also deviations from this, for example, mustard honey in an open container thickens in 4-5 days, and honey from white stock can last until spring. If honey is hermetically sealed, it remains liquid longer.

Rock honey is a rather rare type of honey, which is collected by wild bees that settle in the crevices of rocks and rocks. This honey contains very little moisture and is so strong that it has to be broken off into pieces. Therefore, it is often stored without containers, simply wrapped in something.

Candied honey is more difficult to counterfeit, because it is not easy to imitate this state in appearance. When buying honey in winter, it is better not to take liquid honey - there is too high a chance that the honey is not real or has been removed from the crystallized state by heating, which has a detrimental effect on the beneficial properties of the product. In the summer, shriveled honey can be suspected of being last year’s or even older.

Learning to distinguish varieties

Often sellers pass off a less popular variety as a more popular one. Therefore, it would be nice to have an idea of ​​​​how to distinguish one honey from another. Honey varieties vary depending on the type of plant whose pollen predominates in the product. They can be distinguished by color, aroma and taste. This is a very difficult matter. There is no pure honey collected from only one type of plant, because you cannot tell the bees “don’t go there, go here” and you cannot force them to pollinate only one specific field. In addition, the color and even taste of honey depends on the area and the time of year the nectar is collected. Remembering the subtlest shades of taste and distinguishing the predominance of one variety over another is an even more difficult task. However, it is possible to describe a very wide range of colors for each variety. MirSovetov will consider only a few varieties that can be found on the shelves.
Acacia. Freshly collected honey is transparent. When candied, it is white and resembles snow.
Buckwheat. The color of honey made from the nectar of buckwheat flowers is dark yellow, often with a noticeable reddish tint, sometimes dark brown.
Clover. Color from light amber to rich amber.
Forest. The color varies from faint yellow to light brown and reddish.
Lime. The color is most often from white to amber, and can be transparent. Yellowish and greenish shades are also acceptable.
Lugovoy. The color is light tones from yellow to brown.
Crimson. Although raspberries are red, their flowers are white, which is why the honey is light in color.

Methods for determining unripe honey

The bees seal the collected honey in honeycombs with wax caps. But they do not do this right away, but allow excess moisture to evaporate; along the way, the workers supply the honey with special substances that, by killing bacteria and microorganisms, do not allow the honey to spoil. It turns out that the bees bring the already collected and almost finished product to an ideal state. This process is called honey ripening. In market conditions, when everyone strives to profit faster and more, many unscrupulous beekeepers empty the hives long before the bees consider it ready. This allows them, to the detriment of the quality of the product, to begin selling it earlier than others, and the bees, left completely without honey, instinctively begin to harvest it more actively. Why is unripened honey bad? The main thing is that it contains too much moisture. And the point here is not even that you are overpaying for ordinary water, what’s even worse is that the quality of the product suffers. Such honey is not stored for a long time, it quickly begins to ferment and changes its taste and healing qualities. The main thing that indicates the immaturity of honey is an excess of water in the product. This is what MirSovetov suggests to determine using the methods below.

Good honey can be stored for a very long time if it is kept in an inert environment that does not interact with the product. It is better not to use iron containers that are not coated with enamel; they react with their contents. Instead of plastic, it is better to use ceramic or wooden dishes for storage. In the old days, beekeepers stored honey in wooden linden barrels, properly coated with wax. The honey in them did not spoil for several hundred years. Honey was revered by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians as the food of the gods. In the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, pots of honey were found, which has retained its food qualities to this day.

By thickness and viscosity. Ripe honey is quite thick and flows down very beautifully: in whole wide ribbons or elastic threads. To check the density, the following procedure is carried out at a temperature of about 20 degrees. Scoop up honey with a tablespoon and then begin to rotate it, holding it horizontally. Ripe honey, finding itself alternately on the spoon and then under it, when the spoon is turned over, only has time to begin to stretch, hanging down from it; the viscous ribbon, once at the bottom, wraps around the spoon when turning. As a result, the spoon will be under layers of honey on all sides and will be wrapped in them. If you stop rotating the spoon, the honey will lazily drain from it, not immediately merging with the honey in the jar, and will spread, leaving a slide on the surface. If the honey is immature, then when rotated it will flow down without stopping, it will look more like glue. As a result, the streams are thin, do not stretch, often break off, and perhaps even drip. And the surface of the honey quickly levels out.
By weight and volume. Honey contains many particles that are heavier than water. 1 liter of honey should weigh at least 1.4 kg; in extreme cases, you can risk purchasing a product weighing at least 1.2 kg. per liter If the weight is less, then most likely the honey contains too much water, which makes it so light. When weighing in containers, do not forget that the container itself, especially if it is glass or iron, has significant weight. Therefore, first weigh the empty container, and the resulting weight must be subtracted from the result.
Paper Wetting Test. Place a little honey on some recycled paper, such as newspaper. If the drop begins to spread and the paper around it becomes wet, this indicates that the honey contains too much water or that the honey is unnatural. Real honey will not wet the newspaper, and the drop will be elastic.
By water absorption. If you dip a piece of soft bread into honey, it will not get wet, and may even become harder, because honey is very hygroscopic and well absorbs moisture and odors from the environment, practically dehydrating everything around it. If the bread is wet, it means the product is spoiled.
"Carbonated" honey. Look carefully at the surface of the honey. If you see a slight movement of bubbles popping up from the inside, foam on the surface, it means that the honey has fermented due to humidity, a lack of protective substances due to its immaturity. Fermentation is also indicated by the sour smell and alcoholic taste of honey. Such honey is spoiled and is not suitable for food without heat treatment, which will devalue all the beneficial properties of honey.
Two layers. If you are going to purchase already candied honey and find that it has evenly separated into two layers of different density, then know that this is most often caused by the immaturity of the honey. If you are not sure of the quality, then it is better not to take such honey.

Methods for determining other additives

To prevent the buyer from noticing obvious signs of a spoiled product, sellers sometimes resort to various tricks. They add something to honey that was never in it. This gives the honey a nice natural appearance, masking its initially poor condition. You can try to identify some of the sellers' tricks using the following methods.
Determination of foreign sediment. If you put a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water, it should completely dissolve, sometimes making the water slightly cloudy. To be sure, you can heat the water to 50 degrees to help the honey particles melt and mix in the water. If you find that after dissolving in water, a precipitate appears that falls to the bottom or floats up, then this indicates the presence of foreign impurities in the honey.
Definition of chalk additive. The presence of chalk is determined using an acid, such as acetic acid. When chalk interacts with acetic acid, a reaction occurs with intense release of carbon dioxide, and a hissing sound can be heard. In water it looks like boiling. For the test, it is better to use vinegar essence rather than acid diluted with water. The reaction may not be noticeable if there is too little chalk or the acid does not reach it. To be safe, it is better to stir a little honey in water, wait until the chalk precipitates, carefully drain the water, leaving the chalk at the bottom, obtaining a concentration of chalk sufficient for the experiment.
Definition of starch additive. You can detect the addition of starch by dropping a little iodine into the honey. When iodine reacts with starch, a chemical reaction occurs and the iodine changes color to blue. The more intense the color, the more starch the product contained. There is no starch in natural honey, and a drop of iodine will remain unchanged in color. To make the test more reliable, it is better to dilute a little honey with water in a ratio of 1/2. Bring this solution to a boil and drop a little iodine into it. If the honey contained flour instead of starch, the result would be exactly the same.
Determination of starch syrup. It is detected when it interacts with ammonia. The latter reacts with sulfuric acid, which is used in the production of molasses and remains in very small quantities in this food product. Ammonia is added dropwise to a 50% aqueous solution of honey. If the solution changes color to brown and a precipitate of the same color falls out, then the honey has been “flavored” with molasses.

Identifying artificial honey

Organoleptic test. Simply put, you need to taste the honey. Natural honey should have a pleasant, slightly tart taste, it should completely melt in the mouth, leaving no sediment, solid particles, or strong crystals on the tongue. There cannot be anything in natural honey that does not dissolve in the mouth. You can also feel slight irritation of the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, burning, tingling - this is also a good sign of natural honey. If you feel the taste of caramel, then most likely it is heated honey. Such a product loses all its beneficial properties due to heat treatment. They heat it in order to pass off the already crystallized honey as just collected.
According to heterogeneity. If you look closely, natural honey will not be too homogeneous: you can distinguish wax and pollen in it in the form of small particles evenly distributed in the thickness of the honey. Sometimes (if the honey is poorly filtered) insect wings and other natural material may be found. If there are no particles at all, then the honey is initially unnatural, but is made from molasses, vegetable juices and other substitute products. This cocktail is not harmful. But there is nothing from honey there at all. During storage, artificial honey does not crystallize.

Soft falsification

Among all natural varieties of honey, honeydew is distinguished because of its slightly different nature. Honeydew honey is of animal origin (it is collected from the sugary secretions of other insects), as well as plant (made from the sticky secretions of plants and trees, which often fall to the ground, where bees pick them up). This honey appears in the combs if there is not enough nectar in the emission zone or there is none at all. The taste of such honey is bitter, its color ranges from greenish to dark, sometimes it is brown or even black. This is one of the most viscous types of honey, although if it contains a proportion of flower varieties, it can be less thick and lighter in color. The disadvantages of honeydew honey include its weak antibacterial properties and sometimes bad taste. The origin and short shelf life of this variety also do not make it popular, although it has its own unique set of useful microelements.

Australian scientists in Queensland have discovered that bees have the ability to count, but only up to 4. They made their way out of the hive through a dark tunnel, where they placed bright markers that were easily visible to the honey plants. Nectar was constantly located on one of them. When the bees got used to it, the treat was removed. However, despite the fact that the scientists changed the shape, distance between them and the location of all the markers in the tube, the bees continued to show increased interest in the one that previously contained nectar. But if the nectar was further than the 4th marker, then the bees do not pay attention to the mark freed from nectar.

Detection of honeydew honey. 96% ethyl alcohol is added to a 50% aqueous solution of honey. It is not recommended to take a different concentration of alcohol, otherwise the reaction may not occur. To one part of honey solution you need to add 10 parts of alcohol. For the reaction to occur, the mixture must be shaken several times. If the solution became very cloudy and a white cloud appeared, the flower honey was diluted with honeydew. If flakes of sediment fall out, then there may be no flower honey at all. In pure flower honeys, the appearance of turbidity is possible, but it will be weakly expressed. Thus, it is impossible to test varieties of honey that, like honeydew, contain a large amount of nitrogenous substances. These include buckwheat and heather honey.
They also try not to buy another “type” of honey, which, unlike honeydew, is unnatural, is sugar honey. This kind of honey appears in the combs if the beekeeper feeds his honey plants with sugar syrup. This allows you to quickly fill the hives with a low-quality product, which in its performance is much closer to regular sugar than to honey, and is sold at the price of the latter. At first glance, this honey can be classified as natural, but experts clearly classify it as a counterfeit product.
Identification of sugar honey. It can be distinguished without additional experiments. Sugar honey is suspiciously white. If you try it, it looks more like sweetened water, the taste is relatively fresh and empty, it lacks the astringency characteristic of this product. The aroma is also weakened. Fresh honey is watery, but stale honey has a gelatinous consistency and weakly crystallizes. At home, you can test sugar honey using milk. If you add a little sugar honey to hot cow's milk, it will curdle.

Of course, the methods discussed do not allow us to identify all falsifications. After all, there is also the threat of honey becoming infected with bee diseases and poisoning from “drunk” honey, the nectar for which is collected from trees that are poisonous to humans. Identification of these threats is only possible in laboratory conditions. But MirSovetov hopes that this article helped to determine at least some guidance for quality honey.

Weather conditions are unique every year, plants secrete nectar differently and the taste of honey is always unique. Here we can draw a parallel with wine blending, when grapes of different varieties are mixed to obtain a special taste and aroma. Honey is also a complex blend of nectar from dozens of honey-bearing plants. Even frames of honey from the same hive can contain honey with different flavors.

A small part of the frames will contain honey collected in May and early June. This is the time of flowering of gardens, dandelion, yellow acacia. Most of the frames contain honey collected by bees during the main honey harvest from the end of June until the first ten days of August. The main honey plants here are linden, fireweed, white sweet clover, and pink clover. And a huge number of secondary honey plants - raspberries, burdocks and others.

The tastiest honey is produced when the summer is warm and moderately humid. In such a summer, regular thunderstorms only interrupt the solar extravaganza for a short time. The days are hot and a little stuffy. There is enough moisture in the soil for the flowers to produce the greatest amount of nectar. High temperatures and lots of sunlight make the nectar rich in sugars and aromatics. Even the linden tree, which does not produce nectar every year during flowering, in such conditions pleases the beekeeper with the busy hum that bees make scurrying around the tree. Honey in such years is the most fragrant and the most beautiful in color - sunny, golden.

In cold, damp summers, flowers produce little nectar and it is too liquid. Bees have to exert a lot of energy to evaporate excess moisture from it. The bees wait out the rainy days in the hive, one might say - idle! But in fact, these little hard workers do not know what laziness and idleness are. After all, you need to constantly build new honeycombs, feed the brood, caulk the cracks and holes of the hive with propolis - bee glue. But the most important concern is to collect as much honey as possible for the winter; in rainy summers this is poorly done. In such years, honey turns out to be liquid and, as a rule, crystallizes quickly. Its color is light yellow.

In hot, dry summers, plants secrete a small amount of nectar with a low water content. Accordingly, the honey turns out thick and its color varies from yellow to light brown. There are years when bees are forced to collect honeydew instead of flower nectar. Honeydew is a sweet liquid that, due to high temperatures, begins to be released by the shoots and young leaves of some plants - oak, maple, willow, pine and others. Bees overwinter very poorly on honeydew honey, but it is believed that such honey is beneficial for humans due to its high mineral content.