we love bees
Fresh berries are one of the real joys of summer. Berry pies, berry crumble, berry jam, berry ice cream, berries with yogurt or cereals - there are many delicious ways to eat berries. But have you ever tried blueberry honey?
It turns out that bees can make honey out of almost anything these days. That’s right - Blackberry honey exists. Though it may not be as common on the shelves as the Wildflower or Orange Blossom varieties, it is definitely worth keeping an eye out for.
Blackberry honey is usually labeled as blackberry blossom or bramble honey. Since the nectar for blackberry honey is harvested from blackberry blossoms, these products are precisely the same. And "Bramble” means that the nectar and honey come from wild blackberry bushes rather than cultivated ones.
And if you’re considering even a small jar of Blackberry honey on your next trip to the supermarket, you might want to know a few things about this rich but rare product:
Wild blackberry bushes grow in temperate and northern states like Oregon or Washington State, and some parts of Europe, especially in France, where they are largely produced.
There’s a reason why we mentioned that Blackberry honey is rare on the market. Most plants only flower throughout particular seasons and the bramble bush is no exception to the rule. The flowers of the Blackberry tree usually blossom in the first few months of spring - more specifically, between April and May.
This leaves the honeybees with very little time to gather up nectar to take back to the hive. Once they are done suckling on the flowers, the buzzers return to their colony, where they then hand over producing honey to the worker bees.
This is stored in the honeycomb but is continuously used by the hive members as a source of energy. What does that mean?
By the time the beekeeper comes to extract the honey from the comb, a percentage has already been used up by the insects. And before much of the natural by-product can be packaged and shipped off, the spring is over.
So don’t be surprised if you notice Bramble Honey or Blackberry Honey in the aisle today and nowhere to be found tomorrow.
Although the blackberry has a natural deep-red to purplish color, its honey is in no way close to sharing this hue. In reality, Blackberry honey is pretty smooth and light in color, yellowish-orange or medium amber and has a very thick consistency.
Blackberry honey tastes much like orange blossom honey, but with a unique, light berry taste, almost like you bite a juicy, ripe blackberry.
Not all aspects of this honey are unpredictable. Blackberry honey tastes quite like its fruity counterpart and has a distinct floral aroma that many find hard to forget.
If you are short on the berries this springtime, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to substitute it with some good, old-fashion honey straight from the bramble bush.
It has a relatively high fructose content, which slowers crystallization, especially if stored in a dry place at room temperature. If you notice crystallization/granulation, place the jar in a bowl of warm water for twenty minutes to re-liquefy.
Blackberry honey is best served for breakfast and it goes well with pancakes, waffles, muffins, tea and can be used instead of sugar in baked goods and cooking.
You can also blend it with lemon juice, add water, and sweet blackberry lemonade is ready!
If you are looking for a new, unique honey taste to spice up your dishes and bring you many health benefits, go for blackberry honey and include it in your diet.
Blackberry honey is an excellent option to include in your diet for multiple reasons, and the most obvious is its naturally low sugar content.
This honey's viscosity and smooth texture make it great for topping pancakes and replacing cane sugars in your green teas.
As a bonus, you get to enjoy the added freshness and herbal flavor to your beverages, owing to its floral origin.
Because this honey is raw or unprocessed, it contains high quantities of organic compounds like pollen rich in fiber, proteins, and other essential nutrients. As a result, blackberry honey can be used to:
The vitamin C and other antioxidants in this honey help boost overall immunity and combat existing respiratory ailments.
Also attributed to its high antioxidant content, Blackberry honey uses flavonoids and phytochemicals to deter free radical formation within cells.
Blackberry honey is known to have anti-aging properties due to the enzymes and other organic compounds present in its composition. These help to protect the cells from various processes that contribute to the reduction of their life spans.
Try this variety in your skincare routine and watch it work magic for your wrinkles.
Most honeys serve as antiseptics because of their ability to draw moisture out of broken skin and wounded areas. This can come in handy instead of using harsh chemicals to maintain the hygiene of your cuts and burns.
Blackberry honey can solve everyday issues like colds, sore throats, laryngitis, high blood pressure, stress, anemia and gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea.
Keep in mind that none of these treatments have been scientifically proven, but it is well known that many different varieties of honey help with a wide range of medical issues.
Though it may be a relatively uncommon commodity, bramble berries make a mean batch of honey.
We often get the most benefit from the things that we least expect, and Blackberry honey is the perfect example. Who would have thought that something so tiny could have such a significant impact on our health?
So the next time spring comes around, look out for those jars of Bramble honey and try some for yourself. You might end up loving it.
