{"id":1408,"date":"2011-04-18T10:01:26","date_gmt":"2011-04-18T00:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/?p=1408"},"modified":"2011-06-12T19:58:11","modified_gmt":"2011-06-12T09:58:11","slug":"the-bees-knees-drizzling-your-ears-with-sweet-stories-of-honey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/?p=1408","title":{"rendered":"The Bees Knees … Drizzling your ears with sweet stories of Honey"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Well” said Pooh, “what i like best” – and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment\u00a0 just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called …\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Honey headed anticipation...<\/p><\/div>\n

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<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Talofa and welcome to the sweetest show on the airwaves, the tastiest radio in the Shire, where this week\u00a0your ears will be\u00a0drizzled with sticky stories of honey love.<\/p>\n

The word honey along with variations like ‘hunny-bun’ ‘honey-pot’ and the abbreviated ‘hun’ have all become terms of endearment in most of the\u00a0English speaking world. In some places it’s used for loved ones yet in others such as\u00a0in Southern USA\u00a0it can be used when addressing casual acquaintances… or even strangers !<\/p>\n

In 2005 China, Argentina, Turkey and USA were the top produces of natural honey, according to reports from the\u00a0Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Significant regional producers include Turkey (ranked 3rd worldwide) and Ukraine (ranked 5th). Mexico is also an important producer of honey, providing\u00a0 10% of the worlds supply. Production began there in the early 20th century and on the Yuctan Peninsular most producers are small family operations who still use traditional techniques such as moving hives to take advantage of various tropical and sub tropical flowers.<\/p>\n

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Do bees really have knees ???<\/p><\/div>\n

Honey is made by the honey bee <\/strong>– a subset of the genus APIS. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees. In the hive or in a wild nest, there are 3 types of honey bee. A single female queen bee<\/strong>, a seasonal but variable number of male drone bees <\/strong>to fertilize new queens and some 20,000 to 40,000 female worker bees<\/strong>. The worker bees gather sugar rich flower nectar which they carry in the pollen baskets on their back legs. They take 28 days to grow from a larvae to a worker bee and will then spend their entire life working … (no fun !!) They do not lay eggs or mate, no, no, no … instead\u00a0 they build the comb from wax extruded from glands under their abdomen, they clean, defend and repair the hive as well as feed the queen, the larvae and the drones. They constantly gather nectar, pollen, water and propolis. They ventilate, cool and heat the hive to help maintain the constant ideal\u00a0temperature of 34.4*C. They do this by depositing water to cool warm areas and\u00a0fanning their wings\u00a0for water evaporation. They also huddle together\u00a0in other areas where warmth is needed.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Honey is created by the bees as their food source for energy. The nectar is regurgitated in the bees ‘honey belly’\u00a0 a number of times until it is partially digested. The bees all work together with the digestion and regurgitation\u00a0until the product reaches it’s desired consistency and quality. This is when\u00a0it is stored in honeycomb cells.<\/p>\n

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Do not attempt to comb hair with this !!<\/p><\/div>\n

After the final regurgitation the honeycomb is left unsealed, however the nectar is still high in both water content and natural yeasts, which if left unchecked would cause the sugars in the nectar to ferment and spoil.\u00a0\u00a0The incredible process continues therefore, to protect the honey and create a seal … but how<\/em> you may well ask ??\u00a0 The bees inside the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances evaporation of much of the water from the nectar. The reduction in water content raises the sugar concentration and prevents fermentation.<\/p>\n

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num num num<\/p><\/div>\n

“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry, you’re probably just feeling a little eleven o’clockish”\u00a0 Winnie the Pooh<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Removal and collection of the honey is typically achieved by using smoke from a bee smoker to pacify the bees. The smoke causes the bees to attempt to save the hive from a possible forest fire and they become far less agressive. The honeycomb is removed from the hive and honey is extracted from the comb\u00a0and usually filtered … keep reading to\u00a0discover the many\u00a0differences in extracted honey.<\/p>\n

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Schmokin'<\/p><\/div>\n

Sweet as bro –<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honey gets it’s sweetness from monosaccharides\u00a0fructose and glucose and is about as sweet as granulated sugar. The benefits over sugar are that it contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals and in it’s raw form is less processed than most other sweetners. Honey also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants, including vitamin C. The specific composition of any batch of honey though, depends on the flowers available to the bees that produce the honey.<\/p>\n

What am i buying ??<\/strong><\/p>\n

Generally honey is bottled in it’s familiar liquid form but it is also sold in other forms and can be subject to a variety of processing methods which produce any of the following – What’s your choice ???<\/p>\n

Crystalized Honey\u00a0<\/strong>– Where some of the glucose content had spontaneously crystalized. Also called ‘granulated honey’. Honey that has crystalized over time in the home can be returned to it’s liquid state if stirred in a container sitting in fairly warm water.<\/p>\n

Pasturized Honey <\/strong>–\u00a0\u00a0Has been heated in the pasturization process. Pasturization destroys yeast cells. It also liquifies any micro-crystals in honey, which destroys the onset of visible crystalization. However !!! Excessive heat exposure also results in product deterioration as it reduces enzyme activity thus reducing it’s\u00a0therapeutic\u00a0benefits<\/strong>. Heat also affects it’s appearance (darkens natural colour), taste and natural fragrance.<\/p>\n

Raw Honey <\/strong>– Pure Honey as it exisits in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining, without adding heat. Raw honey contains some pollen and may contain small particles of wax. Local honey is sought after by allergy sufferers as the pollen impurities are thought to lessen sensitivity to hayfever.<\/p>\n

*NOTE ON ALLERGIES AND HEALTH HAZARDS*<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Because of the natural presence of BOTULINUM ENDOSPORES in honey, children under the age of 1 year should not be given honey. The more developed digestive system of older children and adults in general destoys the spores. Infants however can contract BOTULISM from honey<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Strained Honey <\/strong>–\u00a0\u00a0Sounds a bit uptight but it is what it says. Passed through a mesh material to remove peices of wax, propolis and other defects without removing pollen, minerals or other valuable enzymes.<\/p>\n

Ultrafiltered Honey <\/strong>– Heats honey to 65-77*C so it more easily passes through a fine filter to remove all extraneous solids and pollen granules. Prefered by supermarket trade as it is clear and has a long shelf life. It’s pretty much lost all it’s natural goodness.<\/p>\n

Ultrasonicated Honey\u00a0<\/strong>– Processed by form of ultrasonification … yes yes, but what does that mean exactly ?? It’s a non-thermal processing alternative that destroys most yeast cells but the ones that do survive usually loose their ability to grow. Hmmm, sounds suss to me. It reduces the fermentation process substantially (for longer shelf life) and works at around 35*C. It is\u00a0still processed and tampered with.<\/p>\n

Whipped Honey\u00a0<\/strong>– I’m sure there have been many a kinky thing done with honey but this type is also known as creamed, spun, churned or\u00a0candied and has all been processed to control crystalisation and produces something for those of you that like it smooth with a spreadable consistency.<\/p>\n

Dried Honey\u00a0<\/strong>– Has moisture extracted from liquid honey but not by the bees flapping their little wings ten to the dozen. The process may or may not include the use of drying and anti-binding agents and produces a completely solid, non-sticky honey. Well where’s the fun in that ??? It is commonly used to garnish deserts. Oh, yummy, there’s the fun.<\/p>\n

Comb Honey <\/strong>– Not a new kind of hair product. This is honey still in the hardworking honey bees wax comb, which is traditionally collected by using standard wooden frames and the comb cut out in chunks before packaging. In India, honey is harvested from forests in the bees natural habitat. It is said that the honey will be consumed by the bees on the new moon day so it is cultivated the day before.<\/p>\n

Chunk Honey <\/strong>– Is this what you’ll be called\u00a0if you eat too much ?? …\u00a0No. This is infact honey that is packed in wide mouth containers consisting of\u00a0one or more \u00a0peices of honeycomb immersed in extracted liquid honey, mmmmmm sounds delightfully delicious does it not\u00a0?<\/p>\n

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Too much of a good thing is as bad as too much of a bad thing (unfortunately) ...<\/p><\/div>\n

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long difficult words but rather short, easy words like, ‘what about lunch ?’ ” Winnie the Pooh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you have chosen the honey of your dreams, you might like to know how best to preserve it. Because of it’s unique composition and chemical properties, both honey and objects immersed in honey have been preserved for decades or even centuries !! The key to preservation is limiting access to humidity. If exposed to moist air, it’s chemical structure means that it is able to pull moisture into the honey, eventually diluting it to the point where fermentation can take place. Sealed in honeycomb cells is ideal but at home it generally should not<\/strong> be kept in metal containers because the acids in the honey promote oxidation of the vessel. Traditionally it was stored in ceramic or wooden containers but today glass or plastic (yuk) is favoured.<\/p>\n

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WARNING - Honey addiction can lead to sticky situations like 'dry cupboard syndrome'<\/p><\/div>\n

Excessive heat has detrimental effects on the nutritional value of honey<\/strong>. Heating up to 37*c causes loss of nearly 200 components, some of which are antibacterial. Heating up to 40*C destroys\u00a0invertase – an important enzyme\u00a0that helps in the breakdown of sugars. At 50*C the honey sugars caramalize. Sounds heavenly …\u00a0but you’ve killed it !!<\/p>\n

Regardless of preservation, crystalization may naturally occur over time. This does not affect the flavour, quality or nutritional content of the honey, though it does affect the colour and texture.<\/p>\n

Indicators of Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n

High quality honey can be distinguished by fragrance, taste and consistency. Ripe, freshly collected honey should flow from a knife in a straight stream, without breaking into seperate drops. Honey should form temporary layers when poured, layers that dissapear fairly quickly indicating high viscosity (thickness). If not, it indicates high water content and is not suitable for long term preservation. In jars it should appear as pure, consistent fluid and should not set in layers.<\/p>\n

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Go with the flow <\/p><\/div>\n

History in Medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the last 2,700 years honey has been used by humans to treat a variety of ailments through topical application but only recently have their antiseptic and antibacterial properties been chemically explained. Some wound gels which contain antibacterial raw honey and have regulatory approval are now available to help treat drug resistant strains of MRSA – METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AURES – which is a bacterium responsible for several difficult to treat infections in humans. It had developed a resistance to some anti-biotics which include Penicillin. MRSA is eapecially troublesome in hospitals where patients with open wounds, invasive devises and weakened immune systems are at a greater risk of infection than the general public.<\/p>\n

A quick buzz on ‘MANUKA HONEY’ (Leptospermum Scoparium)<\/p>\n

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Manuka collector<\/p><\/div>\n

For the past 28 years, honey researchers at the university of Waikato in NZ have been investigating what many local New Zealanders have long accepted as common wisdom …\u00a0that their local Manuka honey is a\u00a0 superior treatment for wound infections (amongst other things). Manuka honey is gathered from the Manuka bush which grows uncultivated throughout NZ. A honey with the same properties has more recently been discovered right here in Australia. Leptospermum Polygalifolium, better known as JELLYBUSH HONEY also grows uncultivated in certain parts of this country but has not been around for long enough that we are able to bring investigative facts to you yet … and being a Kiwi i am always going to sway the Maunka way !! Both of these honeys contain high levels of additional non-peroxide antibacterial components that make them very unique. Incredibly, after 28 years of study on Manuka honey\u00a0at the Waikato University,\u00a0\u00a0researchers are still unable\u00a0 to identify\u00a0the specific\u00a0synergistic component that is responsible for more than doubling the antibacterial activity within Manuka and Jellybush honey.<\/p>\n

I encourage you to delve furtherand stick your nose into the honey\u00a0pot of natural\u00a0food products\u00a0to enhance your health and wellbeing. I hope that the information\u00a0i provide\u00a0inspires you to learn more about what it is you eat, where it comes from and\u00a0 ultimately what is best for YOU as an individual because it’s important to remember that we are all\u00a0individual and so are our dietary needs.<\/p>\n

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Time to buzz off now ...<\/p><\/div>\n

Thanks once again for listening, reading and keeping the fire in the belly burning as we enter into the cooler months. So much more to come so stay tuned !!<\/p>\n

Honey dripping love,<\/p>\n

Sister Rasela<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Well” said Pooh, “what i like best” – and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment\u00a0 just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called …\u00a0 \u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-radio-show-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1408"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1421,"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1408\/revisions\/1421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.belly.net.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}