FAQ – hoyer-honig.de

Here you will find all the answers to frequently asked questions about our products

FAQs - Honey

What is the difference between organic honey and conventional honey?

Guidelines for organic beekeeping have been laid down in the EU Organic Regulation since 2000. The most important Rules of organic beekeeping:

No use of synthetic chemicals in the honey harvest, in the treatment of bee diseases and for pest control.
Beehives may only be made of natural materials.
If winter feeding is permitted, the feed (sugar) must be 100% organically produced.
The location of the beehives must be chosen in such a way that there are non-organically or organically farmed areas in the vicinity.
Beeswax for new middle walls must come from organic production.
No clipping of the queen bee's wings.

Why is it that some honeys are liquid and some are creamy?

Honey is clear and viscous when the beekeeper extracts it from the honeycomb. And all honey forms crystals at some point, which cause it to solidify. Depending on the composition of the honey, this transition (crystallization) from liquid to solid happens within a few days to a few months. The ratio of the two types of sugar, glucose and fructose, plays a decisive role in this process. The more glucose a honey contains, the faster crystals form. The more fructose, i.e. fruit sugar, it contains, the longer the honey remains liquid. A ratio of approx. 1:1, as is the case with rapeseed honey, for example, means very rapid crystallization within a few days. By contrast, if the ratio of fructose is predominantly around 1.5:1 (e.g. acacia honey), the honey remains liquid for months or even years.

What is the best way to store honey?

Thanks to its high sugar content and natural antibiotic substances, honey can be kept almost indefinitely. Nevertheless, a few basic rules should be observed with regard to enzymes and taste, among other things:

Best stored in a dark place
Always avoid direct sunlight
Store at temperatures between 10° and 20°
Always store in a dry and tightly closed place

Depending on the glucose content, liquid honey can start to crystallize after a long time. To liquefy the solidified honey again, it is sufficient to heat it slowly in a water bath at a maximum temperature of 40°.

Why does HOYER offer honey from other countries?

With an average of 1.0 kg per capita per year, Germans are among the world leaders in honey consumption. Due to the climatic conditions, domestic production is not sufficient to meet the high demand for this sweet treat. In Germany, only around 15,000 - 20,000 tons of honey are harvested each year, while around 80 percent of the honey consumed is imported from regions of the world where climatic and botanical conditions are ideal for several harvests per year. Many honeys come to Germany from the warmer countries of Europe and from Central and South America.

Thanks to the different climatic conditions and the associated flora, honey can be "harvested" anywhere in the world all year round. This means that there is not only a year-round supply of honey, but above all an unrivaled variety. Honey can be compared to wine in this respect: the decisive factor for the taste, color and consistency of this natural product is its origin - both botanically and geographically.

Why should babies not eat honey?

Babies and toddlers under the age of one should avoid honey altogether as a precaution. The gastrointestinal system of babies up to 12 months is not fully mature and still unstable. Honey is a natural product - therefore it cannot be ruled out that spores of bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) may be present in honey. In rare cases, these spores can cause illness in babies (infant botulism).

Why does honey crystallize?

All honey crystallizes or candies at a certain point in time. This natural physical process actually has nothing to do with the quality of the honey and is not a sign of damage. However, it can be observed that honey that is industrially finely filtered remains liquid for longer than traditionally strained honey. When the honey crystallizes depends primarily on the ratio of fructose and glucose to each other. This is a significant characteristic of the different varieties, so that it can be assumed that the crystallization behaviour of a particular variety (e.g. acacia) is always approximately the same. Acacia honey and fir honey often crystallize only after years, forest honey after a few months or even years, blossom and mixed honeys need a few weeks. Raps- und Kleehonig kandieren dagegen schon innerhalb weniger Tage. Auskristallisierter Honig kann problemlos durch Erwärmen wieder verflüssigt werden. It is best to place the honey jar in a warm water bath. However, the honey should not be warmer than 40°Celsius, as
otherwise important ingredients, such as enzymes, are reduced.

Is HOYER honey not heated above hive temperature during processing and what does "hive temperature" actually mean?

The hive temperature is around 38 degrees, but this also fluctuates depending on the outside temperature. The heat-sensitive enzymes contained in honey, among other things, decrease very quickly at higher temperatures. As a result, the honey loses some of its valuable substances. It is therefore advisable not to heat honey above approx. 38-40 degrees.

How do organic beekeepers feed their bees in winter?

With feed from our own farm or from other organic farms. At the end of the production season, sufficient honey and pollen must remain in the hives for the winter. The feeding of bee colonies isonly permissible, if the survival of the colony is at risk due to weather conditions, and even then only from the last honey harvest until 15 days before the start of the next nectar or honeydew season. In this case, organic honey, organic sugar syrup or organic sugar may be fed.

My honey looks white on the surface and on the side of the jar. What is that?

In crystalline, solid honeys, a white coloration appears on the inner wall of the jar and on the surface of the honey. There is a tiny air gap between the jar and the honey body, into which glucose crystals have grown. On the surface, glucose crystals have appeared above the actual honey surface, which also have air in the gaps. The trapped air leads to an optical brightening of the crystals. The honey surface and the side layers look white.

The cause: Honey with a crystalline consistency has a syrupy film of fructose, water and many other honey components between the glucose crystals. If the honey mass does not cover the entire surface of the glass wall during filling, an air gap is created in which the blossom later forms. This can be caused, among other things, by the honey being stored in rooms that are subject to temperature changes or being exposed to strong temperature fluctuations during transportation (especially in the cold season).

However, this does not mean any loss of value, quality or taste for the honey.

I have a jar at home where the honey separates. It is liquid at the top and crystalline and solid at the bottom. Is the honey still suitable for consumption?

A liquid layer sometimes forms on the surface of a creamy honey. This phenomenon is called "mother liquor" or phase separation. The lower layer consists mainly of glucose crystals. The upper layer consists of a water-fructose mixture. How quickly this separation process takes place and the thickness of the layer depends on the honey composition and the storage conditions. In warmer storage conditions, e.g. in summer, this process takes place more quickly. A homogeneous consistency can be achieved again by stirring vigorously and subsequent slightly cooler storage is recommended.

This phenomenon does not mean that the honey is fermenting. A fermented honey can be recognized by a sour smell and taste and a slightly later foamy bubble formation due to fermentation gases. The volume of fermented honey also increases due to this bubble formation, which can cause the lid to bulge or even lift off.

FAQs - Manuka Honey

What is Manuka honey?

Manuka honey is a special honey made from the nectar of the flowers of the South Sea myrtle or manuka shrub (Leptospermum scoparium). This shrub grows almost exclusively in New Zealand.

Manuka honey is primarily known for its exceptional properties.

What makes Manuka honey so special?

Manuka honey occupies an outstanding special position due to its unusually high activity. The Institute of Food Chemistry at TU Dresden was able to identify the active ingredient that is primarily responsible for this: Methylglyoxal (MGO). In contrast to normal honey, only New Zealand Manuka honey contains a significantly high content:

❗️Other honeys: 0 bis 20 mg/kg MGO

❗️Manuka honeys: 20 bis 800 mg/kg MGO

The higher the content, the more intense the honey and the taste. As is usual with natural products, the differences in the MGO values of Manuka honey are based on factors such as location, weather conditions, time of harvest and storage...

How is Manuka honey used?

Manuka honey is traditionally used externally and internally. Like other honeys, Manuka honey can of course also be enjoyed on bread, in tea or in smoothies.

How much Manuka honey should I eat a day?

It is recommended to take one teaspoon daily to support general well-being.

When used in a targeted manner, it can be used according to personal needs. Manuka honey is a natural product.

Why is Manuka honey so expensive?

In addition to the valuable ingredient methylglyoxal, the limited natural occurrence of the South Sea myrtle contributes to the higher price of manuka honey. The manuka plant grows almost exclusively in New Zealand and only flowers for a few weeks a year, which means that the bees only have a short period of time to collect nectar.

In addition, the bees that produce manuka honey have to be taken to remote and sometimes hard-to-reach areas, as the shrub does not grow everywhere.

HOW WAS MANUKA HONEY DISCOVERED?

The South Sea myrtle, also known as manuka (from Māori: Mānuka), is a shrub plant related to the Australian tea tree and is almost exclusively native to New Zealand. Manuka has been used by the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, for many generations.

The effects of manuka honey first attracted attention in the 1930s when New Zealand dairy farmers fed it to their cows and noticed that they suffered significantly fewer illnesses than cows that had not previously been fed manuka honey. Since the 1980s, scientific publications have increasingly made reference to the properties of manuka honey.

In recent years, this exceptional honey has also become known in Europe thanks to further research (including at the Technical University of Dresden by Prof. Thomas Henle) and numerous media reports.

How can I recognize real Manuka honey?

You can usually recognize genuine Manuka honey by its MGO certification, which guarantees the methylglyoxal (MGO) content.

Look for clear indications of origin from New Zealand and official seals. In the best case, it is an original bottling directly from New Zealand.

Reputable brands also offer the option of tracing the origin of the honey using a batch number or QR code to ensure authenticity.

WHAT DOES THE SPECIFICATION "MGO 250+" MEAN?

The indication "MGO 250+" means that it contains at least 250 mg/kg of the active ingredient methylglyoxal (MGO).