How did honey survive in Egyptian tombs until today? How do bees produce it from nectar? In this article we answer some common questions and curiosities about honey, exploring its benefits, discovering why this unique food never expires and why its crystallization is an indicator of quality.
What is honey and how is it produced?
Honey is the product of the digestion of flower nectar collected by bees. Its production begins with foraging bees, adult worker bees that fly from flower to flower to collect nectar, a sugary substance produced by flowers to attract pollinating insects. The bees suck it and store it, starting to transform it during the return flight to the hive thanks to enzymes that break down complex sugars (sucrose) into simple sugars (glucose and fructose). This process lowers the pH and changes the chemical composition of the nectar, starting to make it more stable and less subject to fermentation. Once back at the hive, the foraging bees transfer the nectar from bee to bee to enrich it with further enzymes . The partially transformed nectar is then deposited in the hexagonal cells of the hive, where from liquid and still rich in water it is made stable and preservable by the work of the fan bees which create currents of warm, dry air by flapping their wings, and promote the evaporation of water until its content is reduced to around 16-23%.
When the honey has reached the right consistency and humidity, the bees seal the cells with a wax cap , to protect it and store it as a food reserve for the winter or for periods of scarcity of flowers. The beekeeper extracts the honey from the honey super, the upper part of the hive dedicated to the production of honey in excess of the needs of the hive.
What are the benefits of honey?
Honey contains compounds with natural antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, useful for fighting infections, promoting wound healing and preventing respiratory tract infections. Thanks to its emollient and calming power, honey is an effective remedy against dry coughs and throat irritations, a function also recognized by the World Health Organization. Less known is its ability to stimulate intestinal bacterial flora, improving digestion and helping to maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota. Finally, the presence of flavonoids and polyphenols combats free radicals, helping to slow down cellular aging and reduce inflammation. It is therefore a true concentrate of virtues that make it a precious food.
Why does honey not expire?
Due to its chemical-physical characteristics, honey is a hostile environment for the development of bacteria and mold and therefore its shelf life is practically unlimited. Proof of this is the discovery of containers filled with honey in perfect condition in Egyptian tombs dating back thousands of years. Here are the characteristics of honey that allow such a stable and high shelf life:
- Low water content: Honey contains about 17% water, which is too low for bacteria and mold to survive and multiply.
- High pH: The pH of honey is between 3 and 4.5, a value that slows or inhibits the growth of many bacteria.
- Presence of hydrogen peroxide: It is a powerful antimicrobial agent that denatures bacterial proteins and prevents the proliferation of microorganisms.
These factors, combined with the fact that honey is hygroscopic (i.e. capable of absorbing humidity from the environment), make it a food that can naturally be preserved for very long periods.
Why does honey crystallize?
Honey is a saturated solution of sugars, in particular glucose and fructose, dissolved in a small amount of water. Between the two, glucose is less soluble in water than fructose and tends to separate from the liquid part forming crystals. When the concentration of glucose is high compared to fructose, glucose precipitates and triggers crystallization. It is therefore a natural phenomenon dictated by the genuine presence of sugars in honey. Not only that, crystallization is a desirable characteristic that denotes the purity of the product, in fact It does not occur in altered honeys or in honeys that have undergone industrial processes that have compromised their original characteristics (e.g. excessive heating or dilution with sugar syrups). Furthermore, crystallized honey can be easily returned to a fluid state by gently heating it in a bain-marie at temperatures below 40°C so as not to alter its properties.
Boniviri honey, Chestnut honey, of Millefiori and Zagara di Arancio, are produced by the Artale Natura farm of Rosario Ferrara of Furci Siculo (ME). Rosario honey is organic, raw, unpasteurized and protects biodiversity by safeguarding the Sicilian black bee, an endangered species that, thanks to the efforts of beekeepers like Rosario, can grow and reproduce without the stress of intensive production methods.
