The consistency of a honey depends primarily on the composition of the natural sugars already present in the nectar. If a honey contains a particularly high amount of fructose, it remains liquid for a long time. If, on the other hand, it contains more glucose, it will crystallise soon after harvesting. The enzymes in honey also cause the sugars to be converted. As a result, honey crystallises over time, and the longer it is stored, the firmer it becomes.

Only honey that has been produced according to strictly defined criteria can be labelled as organic honey. Organic beekeepers are only allowed to let their bees fly out in unpolluted areas. The beehives consist primarily of natural materials, such as wooden boxes. In order to combat diseases, organic beekeepers mainly use natural products and refrain from using chemical-synthetic medicines. In winter, the bees are fed their own honey and pollen. Further information on organic beekeeping can be found here.

If stored correctly, honey can, in principle, be kept indefinitely. Honey was even found as burial gifts in the Egyptian pyramids dating back to 3,200 BC – and is still edible today. If stored improperly for a long time, however, honey loses some of its valuable constituents.

Honey should be stored away from light and at room temperature. As honey quickly absorbs foreign odours and is highly hygroscopic (attracts water), it is best stored in a tightly sealed glass jar.

Over the course of storage, honey crystallises and becomes solid. This is a natural process and does not affect the quality. If, however, you prefer liquid honey, you can carefully heat it in a water bath. The temperature should thereby always remain below the hive temperature of 36° C in order to ensure that the heat-sensitive constituents of the honey are not damaged.

In order to create one kg of honey, a bee must collect around 3 kg of nectar. In order to collect this amount of nectar, the bee has to fly to up to 15 million flowers. In doing so, the bee covers a distance of around 160,000 kilometres. In other words, it flies around the world four times.

Beekeepers are able to harvest single-variety honey, such as rapeseed honey or acacia honey, thanks to the bees’ consistency in their collection routines. Bees continue to collect nectar or honeydew from the same plant until they find nothing more. In order to harvest rapeseed honey, for example, beekeepers place their hives next to large rapeseed fields. The beekeeper observes the bees and can recognise from their pollen baskets, for example, whether they are actually flying to the desired plants. Pollen analysis can be used to determine whether all the honey is actually of the same variety.

Honey consists of 80 per cent natural sugars. These are primarily natural and valuable glucose and fructose, which are easily absorbed into the bloodstream and provide energy quickly. In contrast to conventional refined household sugar, honey also contains a number of proteins, minerals and small amounts of vitamins. Above all, the enzymes and inhibins contained in honey make it a particularly valuable sweetener.

From the age of one year onwards, children can enjoy honey without any problems. In younger children, the intestinal flora – and, therefore, the defence system – is not yet fully developed. Honey is a natural product: Just like other raw foods, it can – in rare cases – contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, which can be found everywhere in our environment. These bacterial spores, which are harmless to adults, can cause dangerous infant botulism in babies. For this reason, it is advisable not to give honey to children under the age of one.

Depending on the severity of their diabetes, diabetics can also enjoy small amounts of honey following consultation with their doctor. Honey consists of 35 – 40 % fructose, which is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream and is therefore more favourable for diabetics. However, honey also contains 30 – 35 % glucose, which causes blood sugar to rise more quickly. Honey with a higher fructose content is therefore recommended for diabetics. These are mainly the more liquid honeys, such as acacia honey. Diabetics should, however, always discuss their diet and the use of honey with their doctor.