Useful delicacy - acacia honey
At the end of May, clusters of fragrant flowers appear on acacias, and it is time for active work for the bees: these insects collect nectar and produce acacia honey from it. It is considered one of the best and most popular varieties and is appreciated for its exquisite taste and useful properties.
Acacia flowers are a medicine that is widely used in traditional medicine. After the processing of their nectar by bees, a unique natural product is obtained, which has not only healing, but also unsurpassed taste.
Acacia is a generous honey plant. Blossoming of trees does not last long, but during this short time, under favorable weather conditions, beekeepers receive from 500 to 1000 kilograms of honey from one hectare of plantations.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The product obtained from the nectar of acacia is transparent, with a mild taste and pleasant delicate aroma, characteristic of the fragrant flowers of this tree. It lacks the bitterness characteristic of many varieties, and its consistency is liquid. This type of honey is appreciated by gourmets and is especially popular among fans of beekeeping products.
Bees can produce honey from the nectar of white acacia (robinia) or yellow acacia (caragana). These two natural products differ somewhat from each other both in their properties and in appearance:
- Honey obtained from white acacia is light, almost transparent.
- The product produced by bees from yellow acacia has a slight greenish tint.
The main distinguishing feature of acacia honey is its extremely slow crystallization. Under proper storage conditions, this product can be in a liquid state for over a year. This quality, which is not inherent in other varieties, is due to the high content of fructose.
After this time, acacia honey begins to crystallize, or, in other words, to be sugar-coated. This is a natural process common to all types of natural honey. After crystallization, it acquires a light creamy shade and a fine-grained structure.
Acacia honey: useful properties and contraindications
Acacia honey is not only a delicious delicacy, but also a very healthy product with healing qualities. The valuable properties of acacia honey are due to the high content of fructose, which significantly prevails over other sugars. In some cases, this type of honey is allowed to be consumed by people with diabetes, after consulting a doctor.
It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body, helps to improve the function of the liver and kidneys, and normalizes digestion and blood pressure. Acacia honey has beneficial properties:
- calming;
- nutritious;
- antiseptic;
- fortifying.
This product is advised to take in case of nervous overexcitation, sleep disturbances and stressful situations. An aqueous solution of honey and ointment based on it is used to treat skin diseases.This curative is widely used beekeeping product in cosmetology as a component of masks for skin and hair.
In addition to the beneficial properties of acacia honey, there are also contraindications. They are connected, first of all, with individual intolerance to this product and the presence of allergic reactions. You should also remember about the high carbohydrate content and high calorie content, which is 335 kcal per 100 grams. You should observe the measure and do not use this product in unlimited quantities.
Acacia honey is the least allergenic, which compares favorably with other beekeeping products. This is due to the fact that it contains very little pollen. Nutritionists recommend including this product in the diet of children.
Choosing high quality honey
Having learned how acacia honey is useful, and having made your choice in favor of this variety, it is important to purchase a high quality product. To be sure of its naturalness and to avoid fakes, you can purchase fragrant honey in combs.
In order to choose a really high-quality product, here are a few recommendations on what to look for when buying:
- Color: very light, almost transparent. A slight yellowish or greenish tint is possible, without inclusions, impurities and sediment.
- Taste: soft, without bitterness and off-flavors. Sweet, but not sugary, with a pleasant aftertaste.
- Aroma: delicate, delicate, fragrant, with characteristic pleasant notes of blooming acacia. There should be no extraneous odors or caramel shades - it indicates that the honey has been heated.
- Consistency: liquid and flowing. Usually does not crystallize within a year after downloading.
- Structure: viscous and homogeneous. Quality honey is necessarily viscous. It should literally wind up on the spoon and smoothly drain from it with a continuous elastic tape, forming a "slide" that gradually spreads over the surface. If honey flows down quickly or just drips from a spoon, this indicates its low quality.
So that acacia honey will only benefit and not harm the body, it should not be heated above 45 degrees or poured with boiling water. The high temperature destroys the beneficial elements contained in this product.
In addition, under its influence, the carcinogen oxymethylfurfural can be formed in honey. Drink tea with honey only with a bite. When added to very hot tea, it has no more benefit than regular sugar tea.