Useful properties of heather honey

A well-known tragic legend tells of the ancient picts-mead brewers who knew how to prepare a heather drink in such a way that the Scottish king was ready to learn the secret of preparing this potion at any cost. Without reaching his goal, he had to exterminate every mead brewer to the last.

This sad story shows how much was appreciated heather honey and what wonderful drinks could be made from it.

This sort of honey is used nowadays not only in its pure form. Some Scottish liqueurs include heather honey.

The taste and color of heather honey

Heather honey is very aromatic. It tastes slightly bitter, tart. The aftertaste is quite strong. Fresh pumped honey has a dark yellow color... After crystallization - brown-red.

The sugar process is very slow. In fact, crystallization does not occur as such. Honey turns into a jelly-like mass, which, after thorough mixing, again becomes liquid, viscous.

In the honey itself, there is a lot of air in the form of small bubbles. Thanks to them, this variety shines in the sun.

Ingredients: vitamins and minerals

Heather honey is the richest of all varieties in protein (up to 1.9%) and mineral salts. This honey contains about three hundred minerals and trace elements., including boron, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, fluorine, iodine, chromium, potassium and others.

The increased water content in it (20-23%) is also a distinctive feature of this variety. It contains vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K and E, and others.

High-calorie honey. 100 g of the product contains about 320 calories.

Beneficial features

Heather honey is known as a diuretic and astringent.

When consumed regularly, appetite improves.... It is used as a sedative, so it is recommended to use it at night before going to bed. In the morning, it is useful to take one tablespoon on an empty stomach with a glass of water.

Used in cosmetology as a body scrub and face masks.

Like any other type of honey, it helps with colds, fight overwork, surprises with its antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

Honey is useful for physical and mental stress. He normalizes intestinal microflorabut, has a beneficial effect on the entire digestive system of the body.

Because of the tart, bitter taste, in cooking it is used in small quantities.

Contraindications and harm

Heather honey is very high in calories. Therefore, you cannot overeat it, and, in general, you will not be able to eat a lot of it because of its specific taste. If someone is allergic to bee products, then it is better to refuse to use it.

Patients with diabetes mellitus should consult a doctor before using it. Cannot be given to children under three years of age.

About honey plant

The honey plant for this variety is wild heather shrubs, 2/3 of which are in Scotland. Of the heather family, there are more than five hundred species distributed throughout the world.

Blooms in July... They are not afraid of adverse weather conditions. Therefore, the plant itself is a good honey plant. But nectar capacity still depends on humidity and other weather and climatic conditions.

Swamp Heather gives off more nectarthan mountain just because of the high soil moisture. If there is a lot of rain during the year, then mountain heather is in no way inferior in this indicator, and even surpasses.

Britain has a special day of the year - August 12, which is called the "glorious twelfth"... Traditionally, on this date, beekeepers bring apiaries to this honey plant.

The honey productivity of heather ranges from 200 to 300 kg per hectare.

Storage conditions

This type of honey is practically not sugar-coated.... After standing, it takes on a jelly-like consistency. It is better to store heather honey at a plus temperature of 4 to 18 degrees. Air humidity it is preferable to keep it in the region of 60%, otherwise honey absorbs excess moisture.

In this state, the beneficial properties of honey will last for a long time. Above 40 with a plus sign and below 35 with a minus sign, they are lost. Store in a dark place.

The type of room does not matter... It can be a balcony, basement. The main thing is that you do not need to store honey in the refrigerator, or to warm it up, and you also need to avoid direct sunlight for a long period of time.

What are the main diseases it treats?

Heather honey with success used to treat diseases such as:

• rheumatism;
• genitourinary system;
• asthma and bronchitis;
• polyarthritis;
• low acidity;
• inflammation of the mucous membrane;
• neuroses;
• insomnia;
• headaches.

Moreover, he helps the liver and cardiovascular system, heals wounds and helps to normalize the body's metabolism.

Heather honey is classified as low grade due to its specific bitter taste and unsuitability to leave it for the winter for bees. Despite this, this variety has a reputation for healing and is common in Europe and America.