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Honey's aspect , whether runny
or crystallized and its color, light or dark depend entirely
on the floral origin of the nectar. Therefore, the quality of
honey cannot be judged by aspect alone.
Honey rich in glucose (colza,
clover, sunflower) crystallizes quickly.
Honey low in glucose (acacia, chestnut, lime, etc.) stays runny
for much longer.
Crystallized honey can always be made runny again by heating
it carefully (ie in a bain- marie) to avoid altering its natural
qualities.
Composition
and food value
Completely ripe honey contains 16% to 18% water, 75% to 80% sugar,
the rest is made up of substances belonging to a wide variety
of chemical groups:
· organic acids
· trace elements
· proteins
· free amino acids
· volatile scented substances
· diastase, etc.
The diverse nature of these ingredients mean that honey is not
just a simple sweetener, but a nutritionally worthwhile product.
The composition of the sugars alone, a worth a second look. Two
simple sugars, glucose and fructose, predominate. Apart from
them, there are a dozen or so other sugars such as maltose, saccharose,
etc.
Glucose can be
directly assimilated by the blood stream without being transformed.
This explains why honey is such an effective food for muscular
energy. Even the athletes of ancient Greece used honey on a regular
basis and many sportsmen today are following their example.
Fructose has
gentle laxative properties and honey is one of our daily foods
which contains it in the highest proportions.
Apart from sugars, honey contains numerous mineral substances.
Dark-colored honey like heather, is particularly rich in iron
and copper, both essential to the organism.
Honey helps fix calcium and, therefore, encourages the growth
of healthy bone.
It is an excellent food for elderly people and babies.
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