What is fireweed honey? Why you should use fireweed honey

Honey is a useful natural product that is used both for treatment and simply as an additional supplement. Methods for treating various diseases using this nutritional and healing agent are known, and there are different types of it, each of which has its own characteristics and specific application. For example, fireweed honey(which has numerous benefits) is known to treat a number of illnesses and is often prescribed as a healing supplement.

Properties and uses of fireweed honey

Fireweed honey (the beneficial properties of this product have been known for a long time) got its name due to the fact that it is obtained from the nectar of a plant called fireweed or otherwise called fireweed. This plant is a grass with narrow leaves and purple flowers; it is widespread in the non-black earth zone and can grow in continuous thickets in forested regions, along roads and canals.

It can be noted that herbalists and other specialists in this field use fireweed honey in many cases of treating complex diseases. The beneficial properties of this healing agent can be presented in the following list:

• anti-inflammatory;
• bactericidal;
• restoring and enhancing immunity;
• enveloping.

This is used to get rid of the following diseases:

• inflammation of the lungs, throat and nose;
• for wounds, ulcers and other skin lesions;
• stomach diseases;
• nervous disorders.

Healing recipes with honey

Fireweed honey (the beneficial properties are discussed above) is often used in combination with herbal decoctions, for example, the following remedy is prescribed for sore throat. You need to prepare a decoction of the following herbs: lungwort, plantain and sage, one part each, and wormwood - half a part, this mixture (1 spoon) is poured with boiled hot water(200 ml). Leave for about 2 hours, add 2 tablespoons of honey to the resulting drink. Take half a glass each time before meals.

For wounds and ulcerative skin lesions, it is recommended to make lotions and baths from an infusion of eucalyptus leaves (50 g) per hot water(0.5 l). This solution should be kept in a water bath for about 15 minutes, then strain and add 2 large spoons of honey.

To treat stomach ulcers, you can use a decoction (1 spoon of herb per glass of water), which must be left in a water bath for about 15 minutes. Add a spoonful of honey to the strained liquid, take 2 large spoons half an hour before meals.

How to choose honey?

In order to find out how to distinguish fireweed honey from other types or from a falsified product, you can use the following information:

1. Real honey, collected from fireweed flowers, is transparent with a barely noticeable green tint. Its crystallization occurs slowly, and when heated, this product becomes yellow.
2. A high-quality mature product does not foam, and if you dip a spoon into the honey and twist, the mass should wind up in the form of a ribbon.
3. The presence of impurities in honey can be determined using reagents. So, you can find out whether the product contains chalk by sprinkling the surface of the mass with acid (citric or acetic). In case of a reaction (foam formation), it can be stated that the product contains calcium.
4. You can find out whether honey has been diluted with sugar by doing a little experiment. To do this, you need to prepare a solution of honey in boiled or distilled water (1:2) and carefully examine it for the presence of sediment and impurities. Then you can add a diluted solution (a few drops), and the cloudiness of the solution confirms the presence of sucrose in the honey.

Fireweed honey (photo of the product is given in the article) has excellent healing properties. Using this product you can heal various diseases, and at the same time it is recommended to be used as a nutritional supplement to the diet.

Fireweed honey is a beekeeping product that is obtained from a honey plant widespread throughout Russia - Ivan tea. The beneficial properties of the herb with amazingly beautiful purple flowers were proven by our ancestors, who used it to make tea and various kinds of tinctures that could protect against diseases. As you know, honey is able to preserve the benefits of plants, so this product has found use in folk medicine. In addition, it is often used as tasty treat, different delicate taste and a mind-blowing aroma.

Composition and nutritional value of fireweed honey

Like other beekeeping products, fireweed honey contains many useful components that have a beneficial effect on the human body. An indisputable advantage is good, complete absorption by the body, which provides a boost of energy and good health. The constituent elements include:

• B vitamins – B1, B2, B3.
• Vitamin E
• Antioxidants.
• Tannins.
• Ascorbic acid.
• Tannin.
• Useful microelements: phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc.

Characteristics: color, taste and aroma

Fireweed honey has characteristics that are non-standard for a beekeeping product, which distinguishes this species from other varieties:

• Taste. According to reviews of people who have tried natural high-quality fireweed honey, it has a delicate, delicate taste. Adding the product to tea or baked goods will add some zest, emphasizing best qualities cooked dish.
• Color. The fresh, just harvested product has an unusual yellowish-green tint, which is not typical for other types of honey. After a short time, the color and consistency changes dramatically: the product crystallizes, becomes thicker and acquires a lighter shade. White honey In appearance, it reminds many people of whipped cream or thick sour cream. This does not indicate that the product has deteriorated and lost its beneficial properties, because this is a natural process. To find out what the product looks like, look at the fireweed honey photo:

• The aroma is light, subtle with herbal notes.

Useful and healing properties

Many people often wonder why fireweed honey is useful, where it can be used and what effect it has on the human body. The medicinal and beneficial properties of beekeeping products are used in the following cases:

• For colds, reducing pain in the throat, removing aches in the joints.
• Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, which prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases.
• It has a positive effect on intestinal function, relieving a person from constipation, heartburn, and abdominal discomfort.
• It has a beneficial effect on the blood, helps with anemia, and improves blood circulation.
• Regular consumption of honey from Ivan-tea immediately before bedtime will help you cope with insomnia and avoid nervous breakdowns.

• Has a beneficial effect on man's health, having a positive effect on potency, reproductive function, and helps in the treatment of prostatitis.
• Helps relieve cramps and has a beneficial effect on joints.
• Antibacterial properties help get rid of boils, skin diseases, and ulcers on the mucous membranes.
• It is an excellent painkiller and, thanks to its analgesic properties, helps cope with pain of any origin.

Application

Medicinal properties Fireweed honey is used in folk and traditional medicine, as well as in cosmetology. In the latter version, the beekeeping product is used as follows:

• As a scrub with the addition ground coffee, sea ​​salt. This procedure has a beneficial effect on the skin, giving it smoothness and elasticity.
• Used in a bath: the product is applied in an even layer to the body, and after a short time is washed off warm water. This helps maintain an ideal figure and beautiful skin.

• As an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial agent that helps get rid of acne on the face, promotes wound healing. Bactericidal properties help fight pathogens of skin diseases.
• Used to create homemade creams and masks. This cosmetic product helps keep the skin toned, giving it a velvety feel, evening out the complexion.

How long can it be stored?

Fireweed honey retains its beneficial properties throughout the year; after the expiration date, you should stop using the product internally, but it can be used for external use. Beekeeping products should be stored in glass containers with the lid tightly closed in a cool, dark place. It is important to remember that only fresh product retains the maximum amount beneficial properties and microelements.

Contraindications

Fireweed honey has no contraindications; in most cases, it is well accepted by the body, providing positive influence on the general condition of the body and human well-being. People who are allergic to any bee products should avoid using it. However, even if there is no allergic reaction, you should not use excessive amount product, experts believe that fireweed honey is designed more for treatment and disease prevention than for taste pleasure.

In case of using honey as a remedy traditional medicine It is important to follow the dosage and proportions indicated in the recipe to get the maximum effect. Even women can introduce the product into the diet in small quantities during pregnancy - this will have a beneficial effect on the health of the mother and the development of the child. If you abuse fireweed honey, you may experience the opposite effect:

• Deterioration in health.
• Intestinal disorder.
• Allergic reaction.

How to distinguish fireweed honey from a fake

For many people who are not very well versed in beekeeping, it is sometimes extremely difficult to distinguish natural fireweed honey from a fake. Unscrupulous product analyzers take advantage of this and try to sell low-quality products at a high price, passing it off as a fresh natural product. It is extremely difficult to distinguish fireweed honey from a fake, since it does not meet the basic requirements that are put forward for quality products:

• It should be translucent, bright yellow, amber in color.
• It flows well from a spoon in an even thin stream.
• Does not crunch on the teeth, has a uniform texture.

Fireweed honey essentially does not meet any of the above stated requirements, since by nature it has other properties. Extremely difficult to determine and choose natural products, but when choosing you should rely on your own taste buds, intuition and take into account characteristics products from Ivan tea:

• It has a white-yellow tint.
• The structure is heterogeneous, crystals are observed.
• The aroma is light, floral.
• The taste is slightly tart, but not cloying.
• The beekeeper or seller can provide a description of the product.
• The place of origin should be a region where the herb Ivan-tea grows in abundance, for example, Chuvashia, Bashkiria, Udmurtia, Perm, Oryol regions.

Having purchased a beekeeping product from a beekeeper, you have the opportunity to check the naturalness of honey at home to ensure the quality of the products consumed. To do this, you need to combine the product and warm water, stir well. Pour 2 ml from the resulting solution and add the same amount of ammonia to it. If a precipitate has formed and the color has changed to brown, you are looking at a low-quality product, to which various kinds of preservatives and chemical additives have been added.

This honey is called fireweed honey, because the nectar for it is collected by winged workers from fireweed, popularly called fireweed, fireweed, boron potion... The plant is tall, stately, its large, bright red, with a lilac, pink or violet tint to the brush, enveloped in a delicate aroma during flowering and attract honey-collecting bees. Typically, fireweed forms entire thickets, so hardworking insects can subsequently produce about 500 kilograms of a high-quality monofloral product from one hectare of abundantly flowering fireweed - pleasant, delicate and very useful. After all, angustifolia fireweed is a medicinal plant; the Slavs learned about its healing properties a long time ago. The infusion can restore strength after a long physical activity, raise those weakened by illness to their feet. Fireweed strengthens, exhibits antiseptic properties, removes toxins accumulated in the body, helps get rid of excess weight. In Ivan tea, scientists discovered two-thirds of the famous table of D.I. Mendeleev - 71 microelements, 18 amino acids, a large number of vitamin C, mucus, bioflavonoids, tannins.

What does fireweed honey look like?

Immediately after collection and pumping out this bee product, poured into a jar, has a transparent, greenish-yellow color, although very unusual. But a few months will pass and this jar will no longer be recognizable!

Fireweed honey, brought by beekeepers to the fair, differs in appearance from other various sweets. Real fireweed honey becomes white, changes consistency, and thickens one to two months after it has been extracted. Some say that its appearance is similar to lard, others compare it to cream or very thick sour cream. When stirring, you can sometimes find clumps that look a little like snowflakes.

This is what it looks like in November.

When heated, the color changes to yellow. Now about the taste. People who have tried it note that this honey is delicate, gentle, soft, with a pleasant, unobtrusive aroma. You can catch subtle notes of vanilla or caramel in it - if you slowly savor it in your mouth, enjoying the taste. Having tasted one spoon, you want to scoop up a second...

But many people pass by such honey, thinking that it is not real. After all, people are accustomed to the fact that honey has the following characteristics:

1. It should fall down from the spoon in a continuous thin stream.
2. The color should be amber.
3. It should feel a little hot on your tongue after tasting it.

But to fireweed honey Such descriptions are not suitable. This natural product, often sold already in crystallized form, will be white (or with a slight tint), a slight crunch of honey “snowflakes” is allowed. A good product can be found at the fair from beekeepers from the Oryol, Ivanovo, Perm regions, Bashkiria, Mari El, Chuvashia, Udmurtia.

Medicinal properties and uses

This honey has absorbed the entire gamut of useful components that are found in angustifolia fireweed. There are vitamins from group B, as well as E, P, C, tannins, and antioxidants. It is rich in easily digestible microelements: calcium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium... The composition of fireweed honey is so well balanced that microelements are completely absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Monosaccharides present in a sweet product replenish the body's reserves of energy and enzymes, which makes it possible to start the metabolic processes of organic acids - participants in important protein reactions. This product has many advantages:

1. If a patient comes to an apitherapist complaining that he cannot fall asleep and sleeps restlessly, then the first thought is to prescribe him to take fireweed honey before bed, because it has a very good calming effect.
2. Its beneficial effects on the quality of lymph, blood and condition have been revealed of cardio-vascular system(strengthening vascular walls, stimulating hematopoiesis).
3. It has been noticed that with regular use by hypertensive patients, their blood levels decrease. blood pressure.
4. Thanks to its enveloping properties, it improves the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa, especially when increased acidity. To do this, in the morning you need to stir a teaspoon of pleasant honey in 200 ml of boiled water and drink shortly before breakfast.
5. Honey has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory properties; fireweed honey helps get rid of the onset of, or. The rawness, sore throat decreases, and the aches go away. And if you take it during periods of epidemics (a teaspoon per day), then it will prove to be a preventative measure.
6. Useful for nursing mothers.
7. Honey strengthens and tones the body.
8. Will reduce attacks (with regular use).
9. Relieves unpleasant symptoms associated with.
10. Dressings with fireweed honey treat abscesses on the skin. It helps wounds get rid of pus faster and restores damaged tissue.

If a beekeeper adds to fireweed honey royal jelly, then it healing properties are amplified many times over.

Use for cosmetic purposes

An interesting fact is that our ancestors, while in the bathhouse, coated each other with fireweed honey taken there in advance, and after some time they washed off its remains. This simple procedure helped get rid of toxins, preserve beautiful figure, be rosy and healthy.

Cosmetologists who add fireweed honey to masks and creams claim that this promotes collagen production. And this is the main structural protein necessary to maintain tone, youth, and beauty. The skin becomes velvety, a tonic effect is noticeable. Honey contains bactericidal components; they destroy pathogenic microbes and fungi that get on the skin - the culprits of inflammation, irritation, and ulcers. Balms and creams, to which a little fireweed honey is added, moisturize the epidermis, improve, gradually the depth of facial wrinkles decreases, and the skin becomes more elastic.

For sufferers, we can recommend this lotion for wiping the skin: take 50 ml of warm chamomile infusion and add one-third of a teaspoon of fireweed honey to it. Or you can apply cotton pads soaked in the following composition to problem, inflamed areas of the face for 20 minutes: 100 ml of warm infusion of calendula flowers + a teaspoon of fireweed honey.

And one more important piece of advice: if you have a tendency to, then be careful when you first take fireweed honey. Do a preliminary test on the bend of your elbow before adding this honey to cosmetic products.

I suggest you, dear readers of MirSovetov, to try fireweed honey. Perhaps you will like it, bring a good mood, cheerfulness, and improve your health. And if you take it shortly before bedtime, you will relax and fall asleep peacefully. Sound sleep helps restore the strength needed for a fruitful and successful day.

The famous plant fireweed (scientific name - fireweed) was popular even among our ancestors. The many beneficial properties of the plant were valued and used in medicinal purposes in ancient times.

According to beekeepers, the delicacy product is valuable because it is equal to medicinal qualities to the general properties of linden and clover honey. Its distinctive features are its indescribable aroma, great taste, creamy consistency, minimal side effects and great benefits for the human body.

Characteristics of fireweed honey

The healing culture of fireweed often grows in places of forest fires, as well as near deforested forests. That is why it has become a habit to call him the forest orderly. A fairly tall culture in some cases can exceed a person’s height. According to popular belief, no vegetation is observed at the place where fireweed appears for another 10 years. The perennial flower Ivan-tea can be found in the Caucasus, Bashkiria, Chuvashia, etc. The plant is distinguished by bright blue-lilac flowers with a characteristic elongated shape. Fireweed is an excellent honey plant; bees like it, swarming around it from dawn until sunset. The plant can produce quite a lot of nectar, so there is no shortage of honey in our country.

The consistency of fireweed honey in its normal state is similar to heavy cream. It has a noticeable greenish or yellowish tint. Some beekeepers even get a pinkish tint. This is an absolutely normal phenomenon and does not degrade the quality natural product. Rare enzymes can give it a specific color, as well as unique composition nectar. At the same time, fireweed honey is sold on domestic markets in a thick state of a light (almost white) shade.

Fireweed honey is characterized by extreme fast process crystallization, which is accompanied by the appearance of white grains. For this reason, there is a widespread misconception among uninformed buyers about the ability of a natural product to deteriorate quickly, which leads to low demand for it. However, such appearance and consistency are considered completely normal, and the presence of white grains should not bother anyone. In some cases, small lumps may form in the product; this process is also completely natural and does not affect the healing properties of the product.

The speed of sugaring directly depends on the increased glucose level. In order for Cyprus honey to acquire a liquid state, it must be heated in a water bath. Use traditional way heating in a container is strongly not recommended, since in this case it will lose almost all of its beneficial properties. In Canada and the USA, many producers begin to whip honey before selling it. In this way the product becomes creamy and especially tender soufflé. It can perfectly complement tea drinking in the morning.

Beneficial properties of fireweed honey

Due to the beneficial properties of honey, its direct help can effectively combat many common diseases. It is characterized by powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and can also “overtake” many expensive antibiotics. It is also commonly used for external use as effective means from ulcers and other skin injuries.

The main beneficial properties of fireweed honey are the following functions:

• calming effect on the nervous system (help with neurosis and insomnia);
• antibacterial effect (especially relevant for colds, flu and acute respiratory infections);
• positive impact on digestive system(recommended for constipation);
• acceleration of hematopoietic function (useful for anemia);
• normalization of blood pressure (strengthening blood vessels and heart muscle);
• eliminating headaches (relieving migraine attacks), strengthening the immune system and improving the general condition of the body.

Thanks to the antioxidants contained in honey, the likelihood of developing cancer cells is minimized. An effective anticonvulsant has proven itself positively among our compatriots. Regular use honey by representatives of the stronger half of humanity can reduce the likelihood of progression of prostate diseases. It is recommended to consume healthy fireweed honey for people without allergic reactions to bee products. At the same time, you should not abuse sweetness either, since white fireweed honey is first and foremost a medicine, and only then a delicacy.

Hypertensive patients should take fireweed honey especially carefully. When combined with certain plant extracts, it often provokes an increase in blood pressure. First of all, this applies to echinacea, eleutherococcus, etc. The honey of the plant contains enzymes with amino acids, as well as many vitamins and minerals. But besides undoubted benefit for health, fireweed honey with royal jelly can contribute to allergic reactions. Problems can also arise due to the use of homemade cosmetics that were made based on honey. Therefore, at the preliminary stage of testing homemade beauty recipes, it is necessary to test the resulting mixture on the crook of your elbow. If no redness occurs after 12 hours after applying the mask to the skin, then the product can be safely used.

The benefits and harms of fireweed honey in conservative medicine are presented as positive and negative influences which it has on the human body. Doctors advise using the product as a dietary supplement or a means to support immunity. According to reviews from our compatriots, its effectiveness in the prevention of ARVI, influenza during epidemics, etc. has already been proven. Hypertensive patients, diabetics and people who are overweight have contraindications to the daily use of a natural product.

Common traditional medicine recipes

Natural fireweed honey is rightfully considered a powerful and harmless remedy for depression and bad mood. According to traditional medicine recipes, it is recommended to take 1 tablespoon in the morning and evening. To enhance the effect, you can additionally use a decoction of St. John's wort. But this combination is not recommended for hypertensive patients. However, with low blood pressure, as well as fatigue during the spring (autumn) season, honey can really help.

We list common recipes with fireweed honey:

• Angina. Mix 0.5 tbsp. l. plantain, lungwort and sage, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 2 hours. After cooling, add 2 tablespoons of honey. Take 100 ml of the decoction before meals 3 times a day.
• Stomach ulcer. To prepare a healing potion, pour 1 tablespoon of dried cucumber into a glass of boiling water and heat for 15 minutes in a water bath. After cooling the broth, add 1 tablespoon of honey. The prepared medicine should be taken 30 minutes before meals (1 tablespoon). This medicine will be convenient for washing wounds and other skin lesions to speed up healing.
• Prostate adenoma. IN equal proportion you need to mix propolis tincture and honey. The medicine should be taken 30 minutes before eating (1 teaspoon). It is recommended to place it under the tongue until it is completely absorbed.
• Digestive disorders and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. A teaspoon of honey dissolves in a glass of cold boiled water. The resulting mixture should be taken on an empty stomach every morning.
• Strengthening the immune system and healing the body. Eat 1 teaspoon of honey daily (without additives).
• General anxiety, insomnia and the occurrence of disorders in nervous system. It is necessary to eat 1 teaspoon of honey every evening before going to bed and wash it down with 1 glass of warm boiled water.

Using honey, you can make lotions and baths that have a disinfecting and wound-healing effect. To do this, 50 grams of eucalyptus leaves should be poured with 500 ml of boiling water. After heating for 15 minutes in a water bath, strain the broth and add 2 tablespoons of honey.

The healing product has also proven itself positively in cosmetology. It rejuvenates the skin and eliminates obvious defects (with the help of honey water). The product is especially suitable for problem skin, which is prone to acne. It will be useful to wash your face with a healing tonic in the morning and evening. In some cases, it will be appropriate to add chamomile decoction to honey water in the following proportions: 1 liter of water, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 liter of chamomile decoction. The resulting antibacterial lotion will vary affordable price and ease of preparation. It must be stored in the refrigerator to extend the period of use, and also used to cleanse facial skin that is prone to acne.

Due to its growing popularity, many unscrupulous sellers offer to purchase an artificial product with a lack of beneficial properties. Not only experts know how to distinguish natural honey from fake honey. During crystallization, the product acquires a light white color (can be seen with the naked eye even from a photo), and in the liquid state it can be distinguished by its characteristic green tint. It has a floral aroma, delicate and pleasant taste. Reviews about the natural product are mostly positive, which is why it is popular among our compatriots.

In some cases, sellers add to it to give false honey a believable appearance. harmful dyes. In this case, there is a high risk of poisoning, allergic reactions and other troubles. Thus, fireweed honey is a real gift of nature, which is painless and with minimum quantity possible side effects relieves a person from common diseases. Having tried the healing product and felt its healing properties, every person begins to believe in the magical abilities of fireweed honey.

Honey made by bees from fireweed nectar, which is otherwise called fireweed, despite its inconspicuous appearance, has a truly wide range of beneficial properties. Daily use This natural beekeeping product helps strengthen the immune system and improve the general condition of the body. We will describe in detail all the properties and features of fireweed honey below.

The source of fireweed honey is the medicinal plant - fireweed, which is better known among the people as fireweed grass or fireweed tea. This plant grows along highways and on motherworts, attracting bees with its aroma. It is not surprising that honey extracted from medicinal plant, has healing properties.

Fireweed honey contains:

• B vitamins
• Vitamin E, P and PP
• It contains 2-3 times more vitamin C than citrus fruits
• Tannins,
• Copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, titanium, molybdenum and other micro- and macroelements
• Organic acids (acetic, citric, oxalic and others)
• Flavonoids, pectin, alkaloids

What are the benefits of fireweed honey? Thanks to such a rich composition, honey collected from fireweed has the following healing properties:

• Thanks to ascorbic acid, it helps fight influenza and ARVI viruses
• Iron, vitamins C and B improve hematopoiesis
• Vitamins P and C reduce capillary fragility
• Alkaloids in the composition give honey a sedative effect
• Tannins, mucus and pectins in honey have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and also promote the healing of ulcers
• The combination of organic acids with flavonoids manifests itself in the form of choleretic properties
• Magnesium, mucus and alkaloids act as an analgesic

In addition, fireweed honey can be used in cosmetology:

• The antiseptic properties of honey help speed up the healing of boils, abscesses and other skin problems.
• Flavonoids, vitamin C, organic acids and other substances that stimulate collagen synthesis help maintain skin elasticity, and therefore slow down its aging.

Of course, the effect of fireweed honey is only cosmetic; the cause of dermatological manifestations is still worth fighting.

Fireweed honey: contraindications

Although the taste of fireweed honey will definitely appeal to those with a sweet tooth, its consumption should be limited. This product should not be perceived as sweetness - it is first and foremost a medicine. When consuming such honey, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of allergic reactions, so those who are allergic to bee products should use it with caution.

It is advisable for people with hypotension not to get carried away with consuming this delicacy due to the vasodilating properties of honey (which leads to a decrease in blood pressure). Honey contains large amounts of sucrose and glucose. Therefore, diabetics should limit their consumption.

At the same time, fireweed honey in small doses is even recommended for consumption, moreover, it is even indicated for pregnant women.

What does fireweed honey look like?

This one has useful product according to the law of the genre, a very unpresentable appearance. It differs from ordinary honey in its more liquid consistency, similar in density to liquid sour cream. Fresh fireweed honey is similar in color to regular honey, but has a slightly greenish tint (and the larger the volume of the container, the brighter it appears green color). During crystallization, honey brightens and becomes similar to butter whipped with sugar.

The fresh product has a very subtle aroma, reminiscent of fireweed. But this smell is not as strong as the smells of other types of honey.

Characteristic of fireweed honey is rapid crystallization. Don’t be surprised if, soon after purchasing, the honey turns into a thick mass with white “snowflakes” - this does not indicate low quality of the product or fraud on the part of the seller - fireweed honey is supposed to look like that.

The combination of this appearance and aroma scares away the buyer, but do not worry - all the characteristics of honey described above indicate its authenticity and naturalness.

How is fireweed honey made?

Fireweed honey is obtained in exactly the same way as all other types of honey. Unless bees collect nectar from the edges where fireweed grows.

All summer long, bees fill the honeycombs with their product, flying hundreds of kilometers over and over again. As honey plants (those plant species whose nectar is collected by bees) fade, beekeepers begin to pump out honey. The very first - May - honey is obtained at the end of May and June. The beginning of honey collection depends on the climatic conditions of the region.

Fireweed usually blooms from late June to late July, approximately 4-5 weeks. Therefore, the collection of honey from fireweed begins in late July and early August.

The process of pumping honey has its own specifics depending on the equipment, but general principle one:

• Bees are neutralized;
• Frames with full honeycombs are removed from the hive;
• Already in a special room, the wax that seals the honeycomb is cut off;
• The frames are inserted into a pumping device, which operates on the principle of a centrifuge;
• At the bottom of the pumping device, honey remains, which is drained into containers for transportation or storage, having previously been filtered to remove all excess .

Beekeepers often add royal jelly to purified honey to enhance its beneficial properties.

When does fireweed honey set?

Fireweed honey sets very quickly; by the end of November, all the honey in the container should already be a uniform white color. Otherwise, if the honey does not acquire the required characteristics, there is a high probability that the honey you purchased was fake.

Sometimes in a thick honey mass you can find lumps of honey - in this case there is no need to worry about the honey being fake, because this phenomenon is also typical for fireweed honey. After thickening, honey can turn into a kind of “snowflakes”, which also indicates the authenticity of the product.

How to distinguish real honey from fireweed?

Before purchasing a healing jar of fireweed honey, you need to know the signs that distinguish real honey from fake:

• Firstly, consistency. Real fresh honey stretches behind a spoon, and this stream of honey delicacy will be approximately the same thickness throughout its entire length.
• Secondly, the smell. U natural honey not a very strong smell. At least it doesn't irritate the nose as much as an artificial fragrance.
• Thirdly, color. Each type of honey has its own color. And it should be uniform and homogeneous.
• Next is the taste. If you can try it before buying, keep the honey on your tongue longer. As soon as you start to feel warmth or burning, you can calm down - this is real honey. It will leave a bitter taste in your throat - even better. It's all about the enzymes contained in this beekeeping product. They tend to affect the mucous membrane with a kind of tingling sensation.
• Honey weight - normal liter jar honey weighs approximately 1.4 kg.

Often in late spring and early June you can find sellers offering early fireweed honey. Unfortunately, this honey is fake. The fact is that if you heat up old honey, it darkens and becomes thinner. But such a product can no longer be called honey, because when heated it loses all its properties.

How to distinguish honey from Ivan tea from the rest:

• Let us recall the dependence of the color and state of aggregation of honey on the time of year. At the end of summer and beginning of autumn, fireweed honey can still be liquid, but by the end of September it begins to gradually thicken. In winter and spring it must already be white.
• Fresh honey should have a light aroma of fireweed and a greenish color.

Many unscrupulous beekeepers, in order to increase the volume of goods, dilute honey with caramel molasses. It is difficult to distinguish it from the real thing by sight and color. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Drop onto a piece toilet paper honey. If there is molasses in it, then after a few minutes it will begin to saturate the paper, and a liquid stain will appear on the back side.
• Drop some honey into a glass and add iodine. Honey has turned blue - there are starch impurities. This means that the honey is not entirely real.
• Sometimes chalk is added to honey. To identify it, you need a drop of vinegar, which will extinguish the chalk, like soda.
• You can dilute honey with distilled water in a 1:1 ratio and leave it for some time. If a precipitate has formed - it could be chalk, starch, flour - then you have falsification.

There is also such a thing as honey maturity. This is the consistency of the honey after it has been pumped out - fireweed honey must be viscous enough to be considered ready for consumption.

To check maturity there is a fairly simple test:

• Use a knife (stick or flat spoon handle) to scoop out some honey
• It should not immediately flow down, but rather linger a little on a flat surface
• Twist the knife. A stream of mature honey will curl around the blade rather than fall down
• A slide should form on the surface
• The last drop of falling honey should spring upward, as it were.

The viscosity of honey is an indicator of its quality. Let us briefly explain what this means. Bees collect nectar and transport it to the hive. There it is processed and sealed with wax when ready. This honey is thick and does not flow out of the honeycomb easily. Unscrupulous beekeepers, in pursuit of profit, pump out the spray - honey not sealed with wax. This honey has a higher moisture content than ready-made honey (no more than 21%). The spray can ferment and deteriorate, because it cannot be stored for a long time.

Napyrsk is characterized by:

• liquid consistency
• small bubbles
• slightly noticeable smell of vinegar

White fireweed honey: photo

In order for you to be able to determine whether the fireweed honey in front of you is real, you need to know its appearance well. We offer a selection of photos that will reveal its visual characteristics:

Video: Fireweed honey from Ivan-tea: beneficial properties