Why is honey liquid gold from a beehive?

Why is honey liquid gold from a beehive?

29 August 2022
Reading time: 6 min
Prodajalna Medex tocenje medu
Until the middle of the 18th century, honey was the only sweetener in the area of ​​today's Slovenia. Beekeeping was already developed, but only Marija Terezija introduced a professional approach and founded a beekeeping school. Her first teacher was the Slovenian Anton Janša, who is considered the founder of modern beekeeping. His birthday - May 20 - became World Bee Day.
How is honey made?

Honey is a natural sweet gift of nature, which is created with the efforts of diligent bees. In nature, these important pollinators collect flower nectar (nectar honey) and tree juices with insect secretions (mannin honey).

Bees process the collected liquid with their own juices, store it, dry it and let it mature in the honeycomb. When the honey is ripe, the bees cover it with wax caps and store it as a food supply. Only naturally ripened honey fully preserves its natural quality.

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Did you know?

For 1 kg of honey, one bee would have to visit around 4 million flowers, collect 3 to 4 kg of medicinal herbs and make 120,000 flights. This path would be equal to seven times the circumference of the Earth.

Composition of honey

Honey consists of about 200 different substances, which determine its taste, smell, aroma and color. The most nutritious parts of the plants flow into it, which the bees process and add a unique stamp to. The kind of honey that a beekeeper pours from the hive depends on the source of the nectar, the maturity of the honey, the climatic conditions, as well as the method and conditions of honey production. Regardless of the type, it will have the following composition:

voda
15 – 20 % water
ogljikovi hidrati
70 – 80% carbohydrates in the form of simple sugars
beljakovine
0.2 – 0.5% protein in the form of enzymes, antibacterial peptides and free amino acids
ostalo
Other: protective polyphenols and flavonoids, trace minerals and vitamins
cebela sivka
Carniola lavender, native Slovenian bee

Slovenia covers 0.004% of the earth's surface, where more than 2% of all known terrestrial animal species live. The Carniola honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) has a special place among Slovenian native animal species and is also the only protected native bee in the European Union. Many beekeepers around the world have fallen in love with the Carniola lavender mainly because of its calmness, hard work, hardiness, good use of forest pasture and modest consumption of winter food supplies.

In Slovenia, you can meet it both on a walk in nature and in cities, where more and more urban beekeepers are offered the shelter of a hive. You will recognize it by its distinctly long snout and brown-gray hairs on its body. Have you seen her yet?

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Did you know?

During the main grazing period, the bee flies out of the hive up to seventeen times a day. He spends about half an hour on each flight.

Slovenian honey, honey with a protected geographical indication

Depending on the dominant plant species on which the bees collected nectar or manna, several types of honey can be distinguished. The rich flora and unspoiled natural environment of Slovenia offer bees the best pasture on acacia, linden, spruce, chestnut, holly and honeydew meadow plants.

Slovenian honey with geographical indicationis a product of Carniola lavender and selected honey plants that grow in the cleanest areas of Slovenia. The best grazing in Slovenia is provided by acacia, linden, spruce, chestnut and hoja trees, as well as honeydew meadow plants. Slovenian honey is subject to strict production and filling rules, which in addition to high quality also ensure safety.

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Did you know?

Bees are an important part of the food chain. Every third spoonful of food depends on their pollination.

Golden hive, the first Slovenian honey product with a higher quality mark

At Medex, we respect beekeeping and since 1954 have advocated for the preservation of Carniola lavender. With brand honey Golden hive we became the first Slovenian food processing company whose products received the red swallow mark- a symbol of higher quality. This symbol can only be obtained by agricultural products and foods that, with their properties, stand out among food products and foods of the same type with better quality.

Zlati pan is honey from Slovenia with the lowest water content, filled without overheating. Zlati panj honey differs from other types of honey in two main properties, which are key to determining quality - the level of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is an indicator of overheating of the honey, and the lower water content in the honey. The regulations on honey allow a maximum of 40 mg of HMF/kg of honey, and in Zlati Panja honeys, its amount never exceeds 15 mg of HMF/kg of honey. The water content in Zlati panj honey is at least 2% lower than the permitted 20% content.

In the Golden hive group, you can choose between mountain, meadow, chestnut, hoj and linden honey.

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Did you know?

Two tablespoons of honey would fill a bee with enough energy to go around the world.

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Check honey!

Checking the quality of honey requires knowledge, experience and appropriate equipment. At Medex, we first analyze all incoming raw materials for safety and quality parameters, as their control subsequently ensures the safety of the finished products.

With the desire to provide the general public with transparent proof of the authenticity of our honey, on our website we provide access to the analysis sheet of each filled jar of honey, thereby confirming to customers their trust in Medex brand honey.

Did you know?
  • If we add honey to warm milk, the drink helps us fall asleep.
  • If honey is used to sweeten cakes and pastries, they stay fresh longer.
  • Rinsing hair with a mixture of honey, water and apple cider vinegar restores shine to hair.