Heather honey useful properties and contraindications. heather honey

Heather honey is the forerunner of many disputes. After all, it is this variety that most of all illustrates the saying: "How many people, so many opinions." Since this product of bee production is usually the most controversial. Some experts consider it a second-rate delicacy, but even they agree with the statement that it has a fairly impressive number of undeniable advantages.

Scottish "honey" mythology

In the Scottish epic there is a legend about heather honey, which says that the Picts were defeated in the war with the Scots. And the king of the victorious state decided to find out from the two surviving captives the secret composition of the magic drink. Based on the fact that only the old man and his son survived, the elder asked to kill the child, saying that he was ashamed to be a traitor in his eyes. And after the boy was thrown into the sea, the old man announced that he could be tortured as much as he wanted, but he still would not reveal the secret, while the boy, unable to withstand the painful trials, could tell what the invaders demanded of him.

In any myth, there is almost always a hint of real events. The secret of heather ale was indeed considered lost for a long time. But in 1986, an old family record of making ale was found. The revival of the brewing tradition turned out to be quite a laborious task, but with the beginning of the new millennium, heather ale began to be made at a brewery located near Glasgow.

Illustration for a Scottish legend

Origin

The origin of heather honey, whose beneficial features cause absolutely no doubt, originates from an evergreen plant called heather. It usually grows in North Africa and mid-latitudes. But most of this plant is in Scotland. Although it is worth noting that heather grows in other countries. Usually, pine forests, ashes, peat bogs and sand become its habitat.

Flowering time is in July and August. It is not possible to confuse honey from the nectar of this plant with any other variety of this product. After all, it is famous for its dark red or brown colors and memorable bitter taste. With an increase in its shelf life, the taste only gets better.

Characteristic features and composition of the product

Attention! In order to understand whether you have a natural product in front of you, or whether it is a mixture, you need to put a jar of honey on its side and see how long it does not flow out. If the jar managed to hold out in this state for at least two minutes, then there is no doubt that you really have heather honey sweetness in front of you.

Useful properties of the product

Despite the reduced popularity of this honey product among beekeepers, even the most demanding of them recognize its benefits. Usually, the following are noted as useful properties:

• Strengthening immunity and improving appetite;
• Effective help with gout and rheumatism;
• Use as a remedy for indigestion;
• Cleansing of wounds, as well as their increased healing.

It is also worth bearing in mind that this product helps well with pulmonary diseases and copes well with nervous disorders and prolonged lack of sleep. As a rule, such a peculiar sweetness is usually used as a component for various cosmetic masks. In addition, the effectiveness of this type of honey can be improved if you start using it with other bee products, such as pollen, perga and royal jelly.

How to use and in what quantities

For adults who do not have health problems, as well as leading an active lifestyle, this delicacy can be consumed every day. Those who follow the figure are not recommended to take more than four tablespoons per day.

Adolescents usually reduce the daily dose to two tablespoons. It is also worth considering the fact that if you use this product in the preparation of any dishes or drinks, then at forty degrees most of the useful properties “disappear” from it.

Attention! This type of honey product goes well with dried fruits and various types of nuts, it can be added not only to butter, but also used as a filler for yogurt. And what is even more remarkable, this delicacy works well not only with black, but also with green tea.

How heather honey is harvested

Contraindications for use

Based on the fact that this honey contains allergens, then, accordingly, when using it, restrictive factors are observed. Useful properties and contraindications of this product actually coexist, so if we take into account the fact that this kind of honey product is certainly useful, but not for everyone. This must first of all be remembered by those people who have a tendency to allergic reactions. For babies, such sweetness should be introduced into the diet only after consulting a pediatrician.

Quality and authenticity of honey

Based on the fact that this product of bee production is highly individualistic, with the help of its characteristic features, it will not be difficult to distinguish this type of honey product from others. If you delve a little into the composition of the product, then it is worth remembering that the above sweetness is a storehouse of salts and proteins. It is they who do not allow honey to absorb moisture well. Also, these substances contribute to its viscous viscous consistency.

Also, when heating this product, it is worth monitoring the following things: if small air bubbles formed during pumping begin to rise and then burst completely, then we have the original honey product in front of us. And if, on the contrary, there is no bubbles, then, most likely, the product is not of very high quality and is only a miserable copy.

How is heather honey product stored?

When storing this product, excess moisture must be avoided. It is best to keep it poured into glass jars. It is not recommended to store it in dishes made of iron, copper and tin. Usually honey is stored at a temperature of ten degrees Celsius. At elevated temperatures, there is a danger of getting fermented honey. Although it will not deteriorate, its useful qualities will decrease quite noticeably.

It is also worth noting that the type of room itself does not play a special role. Honey can be stored both on the balcony and in the basement. The main thing to remember is that this type of honey product should not be kept in the refrigerator, and also try to warm it up.

honey plant

This is the name of a variety of wild-growing heather shrubs. Two-thirds of this plant is found in Scotland. Although in the larger family of heathers there are more than 500 species. Usually honey plant blooms in July. He endures all the riots of bad weather quite steadfastly. But the nectar capacity is still determined by such factors as humidity and weather and climatic conditions.

Different types of heather give different amounts of nectar. For example, marsh heather in this sense is more employable than mountain heather, as it is located on soil that is characterized by high humidity. Although if during the year it rains quite often, then the mountain heather can not only catch up with the marsh in terms of performance, but also take the lead.

heather field

Healthy Heather Recipes

Based on the fact that heather has many useful qualities, it is not so rarely used in various healing tinctures. For example, if you suffer from gout or gastrointestinal diseases, then you can use the following recipe for treatment.

Three teaspoons of dry heather are poured with two glasses of boiling water, and then left to infuse for two hours. As the drink passes the straining stage, it can be consumed according to the following scheme: four times a day, one hundred milliliters.

A powder consisting of crushed heather flowers is used externally in the treatment of eczema, burns and wounds. Tea with the addition of this plant is both a sedative and a diuretic that promotes sputum production.

In folk treatment, a decoction of flowering honey plant branches is used for colds, nervous diseases, rheumatism, dysentery. They also make baths from it for swelling of the legs. In addition, boiled grass is applied to bruises, tumors, fractures.

homemade scotch ale recipe

Five hundred or one hundred milliliters of cream should be whipped with oatmeal(two to four tablespoons) until creamy, and then leave the mixture to thicken for a while. Then, in the resulting mass, you need to add one or two tablespoons of honey and two hundred milliliters of whiskey.

Please note that cream can be replaced with water if necessary. Then the cereal will need to be poured with boiling water and left for sixty minutes. After that, the resulting slurry must be filtered and squeezed. Flakes do not take part in the further process. Further ale preparation technology is similar to the first one.

No matter how many opposing judgments there are about the position of this product in the honey hierarchy, some even call it the king of honey. Whether this sweetness corresponds to such a title or not - everyone will decide for himself, but it's definitely worth a try.

Heather honey tasting

Heather honey is a drink “sweeter than honey” and “drunker than wine”, as the legend by R.L. Stevenson, known to the Russian reader in the translation by S.Ya. Marshak. It is formed from the nectar collected by bees on the flowers of an evergreen shrub called "common heather", has a specific bitter taste and does not crystallize for a long time. It is difficult to obtain, which is why (among other things) it is considered an inferior product among professional beekeepers. Many are repelled by bitterness and a rather heavy aftertaste, but true connoisseurs exalt the beneficial properties of this product literally to the skies.

The qualities sung in the legend

Heather honey contains components useful for the human body:

Like heather itself, honey from it retains the most valuable healing properties:

• disinfectant, cleansing and anti-inflammatory;
• wound healing;
• soothing;
• diaphoretic and diuretic;
• expectorant and astringent;
• anti-acid and antioxidant.

And all this in addition to the amazing aroma and taste, which causes either sincere delight, or no less sincere, without undertones with shades, rejection.

Great support for healing

In traditional and folk medicine, the beneficial properties of heather honey are widely used. This remedy, which, according to legend, brings eternal youth, preserves beauty and health, is used in the treatment of a number of diseases.

Proper storage - lasting effect

Any kind of honey tends to absorb odors, so it is imperative to use a container with a hermetically sealed lid to store a heather product. During the year, you can store this product in a dark place, while maintaining room temperature - it will become even darker, with an even more expressive taste, and all useful properties will be fully preserved.

Important: heather honey can provoke allergies, it is harmful when diabetes, obese, not shown to young children. The approval of the doctor is a prerequisite before the course of admission.

Heather drink
Forgotten a long time ago.
And he was sweeter than honey
Drunker than wine
It was boiled in cauldrons
And the whole family drank
Little meads
In caves underground.
The king of Scotland has come
Merciless to enemies
He drove the poor Picts
To the rocky shores.
On the heather field
On the battlefield
Lying alive on the dead
And the dead - on the living.
Summer has come in the country
Heather blooms again
But no one to cook
Heather honey.
In their cramped graves,
In the mountains of my native land
Little meads
They found shelter.
The king rides down the slope
Over the sea on horseback
And the seagulls fly by
Along with the road.
The king looks sullenly:
"Again in my land
The honey heather blooms
We don't drink honey!
But here are his vassals
Noticed two
The last honey cooks
Survivors.
They came out from under the stone
squinting at White light, -
Old hunchbacked dwarf
And a boy of fifteen.
To the steep sea
They were brought in for interrogation.
But none of the prisoners
Didn't say a word.
The king of Scotland sat
Without moving, in the saddle.
And the little people
They stood on the ground.
Angrily, the king said:
- Torture awaits both,
If you don't tell me, damn it
How do you prepare honey!
The son and father were silent,
Standing at the edge of a cliff.
The heather rang over them,
Waves rolled into the sea.
And suddenly a voice rang out:
- Listen, Scottish king,
talk to you
Eye to eye let me!
Old age is afraid of death.
I'll buy life with change
I'll give you a secret! -
The dwarf told the king.
His voice is sparrow
Sounded sharp and clear:
- I would have given away the secret long ago,
If the son did not interfere!
The boy does not care about life
Death doesn't matter to him.
I sell my conscience
It will be conscientious with him.
Let him be tied tightly
And thrown into the abyss of water,
And I will teach the Scots
Cooking vintage honey!
Strong Scottish Warrior
Boy tightly tied
And threw it into the open sea
From coastal cliffs.
The waves closed over him.
The last scream died...
And echoed him back
From the cliff, the father is an old man.
- I told the truth, Scots,
I expected trouble from my son.
I did not believe in the resilience of the young,
Not shaving beards.
And I'm not afraid of a fire.
Let me die with me
My holy secret
My heather honey!

Heather ordinary - an evergreen shrub with small flowers of lilac, pink-blue hue. It grows almost throughout the Russian Federation, and is also a typical flora for Scotland and other countries. Opinions about palatability ah product of beekeeping - heather honey among connoisseurs disagree. Some do not like the bitter taste and aftertaste, while others consider it refined, valuable for gourmets.

The variety is distinguished by its composition containing substances, trace elements, which are few in other varieties. Due to its usefulness, the product is used in medicine and cosmetology. The period of its collection by bees is July, August. Details of what heather honey is, the beneficial properties and taste of which are described by legends, we will consider further.

What is heather honey and where does it come from? Two varieties are known.

• From common heather (Calluna vulgaris), which has small flowers with pink, purple hues;
• From plants of the heather family, Erica species (extensive botanical genus).

This is considered the first product obtained by bees from heather nectar. It also has the names Summer, Autumn or Scottish. The characteristic features are:

• strong smell, reminiscent of the aroma of a flowering plant;
• dark color with yellow, brown, red-brown hues;
• tart taste with noticeable bitterness, which increases during storage.

Due to the special structure, crystallization occurs slowly, very poorly. This property is present because the composition is replete with protein. When thickened, the product is similar to jelly, which becomes liquid again when stirred.

Compound

Heather honey leads in terms of protein content, which contains more than 2%, and mineral salts. It is distinguished by its richness in vitamins: B6, riboflavin, thiamine. The product contains calcium, potassium, zinc. 1 tablespoon includes 111 kilocalories in terms of nutrition (approximately 36 grams). A teaspoon (12 grams) is 37 kcal.

Beneficial features

Heather honey, whose beneficial properties and qualities are highly appreciated by the gastronomic sector, is often used by cosmetologists.

Masks, scrubs, useful balms for face care are made from it. And it serves medicine in part of the function of healing the body. Here are the types of impact:

• against inflammation;
• antimicrobial property;
• anti-acid quality;
• antiseptic.

The listed qualities make the product effective tool for the following ailments.

• Heartburn, poor appetite, indigestion (diarrhea);
• Cleaning of wounds, their good healing;
• Bronchial asthma, help with treatment;
• Gastric, intestinal disorders;
• Diseases of the kidneys, bladder;
• Sleep disorders, stress, nervous disorders with excitability;
• Gout, rheumatism.

By using heather honey, the beneficial properties and therapeutic effect can be enhanced by adding other bee products: pollen, zabrus. As well as royal jelly, bee bread. Methods of taking a healing agent can be different.

• Medicines for sore throat, stomatitis, inflammation of the mucous membrane. Prepare a liquid that rinses your mouth throughout the day. A tablespoon is mixed with warm water, 1 cup.
• What is the product useful for nervous ailments and sleep disorders? Such disorders are treated with 1 teaspoon eaten at night.
• The following breakfast dish will improve your appetite: 2 tablespoons of heather honey and 1/2 cup of walnut kernels. This is a powerful energy booster.

Contraindications

Some people have a personal intolerance to bee products. Heather honey, whose beneficial properties and special taste are considered very valuable, can also cause allergies.

Therefore, you need to take it in food carefully, checking the reaction. It is not recommended to feed them to small children. The product is marked as having both beneficial properties and contraindications.

Recipes

Dishes, drinks from this product, in addition to dessert taste, contain health benefits. So digestion improves the following recipe:

• Take 200 grams of walnuts (kernels), which must be crushed;
• Mixed with 300 grams of raisins, add the same amount of dried apricots;
• Finely chop 2 lemons and add to the mixture.

You can grind all these products with a meat grinder or blender. After receiving the mass, it remains only to add honey from heather, 200 grams. By consuming this mixture rich in vitamins, you can significantly improve the function of digestion. A useful prescription dose is 1 tablespoon daily, 3 times before meals.

In Norway, Scotland, Germany, there are many legends and songs about drinks from the delicacies collected by bees. Their gastronomic qualities are unique, as they give people an unusual strength. The product is even credited with magical properties with the ability to heal, calling it the nectar of the gods. Now heather ale and other such famous drinks are still being prepared. Among them is a homemade Scottish liqueur, the recipe of which is as follows:

• from 50 to 100 ml of cream;
• 2 to 4 tablespoons of oatmeal;
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of heather honey;
• 1 glass of whiskey.

The flakes with cream are whipped until the structure of the cream is obtained. You need to wait a bit for the mixture to thicken. It remains to add honey, whiskey. The second version of the recipe: cream is not used, cereal is poured hot water. After a while, strain the porridge using only the liquid. Whiskey and honey are added, after which they enjoy a pleasant, nutritious result.

Mentions

Geographically, heather grows in many areas. But the swamps of Scotland are considered the main place, where the shrub feels good, which cannot be said about all other plants. Farmers feed livestock with it, and also breed bees.

Climatic conditions cannot be called very favorable, often there is only heather from honey plants. Beekeeping has developed here over the centuries. Due to the fact that bush thickets are most common in Scotland, the mention of the delicacy in question is associated with this area.

A unique product is associated with legends covered in secrets. He gave the name to the songs, the musical group. In one of the computer games, black-briar honey was prepared in a virtual brewery.

In literature

The wonderful properties of the heather delicacy were celebrated in a ballad written in 1880 by the Scottish poet R. L. Stevenson, first published in 1890. The poem "Heather Ale" (Heather Ale) tells how the king of Scotland exterminated the people of the Pict tribe - a small people who inhabited the area.

According to the plot, only two representatives remained: a father and son, who were supposed to discover the secret of making heather honey beer under the threat of torture. As a result, the son was drowned in the sea, and the father refused to give out the secret, agreeing with death at the stake. The story was not reflected by the author quite accurately. After all, the Picts were not completely destroyed, about which the poet personally wrote a note. The ballad was translated into Russian twice: by N. Chukovsky and S. Ya. Marshak.

To the cinema

Based on the ballad by R. L. Stevenson, film adaptations were made. This is a film by V. Bordzilovsky in 1963 “Heather honey”, a cartoon of the Kyiv film studio in 1974 with the same name. The feature film “Timur and his team” of 1976 contains an episode: the hero reads this poem, translated by S. Ya. Marshak.

Conclusion

Heather honey, whose beneficial properties and characteristics are widely used by residents of countries and areas where it is mainly mined, has a somewhat piquant taste. Bitterness is very appropriate for a variety of dishes, combined with poultry, lamb, ham. This is a good addition to coffee, it is served with yogurt, ice cream, cheese. The recipe for gingerbread also includes this product, whose popularity is growing.

Distinctive qualities of Heather honey

There are two different types honey heather. One species is the true heather, Ling Heather (Calluna vulgaris), and the other type is any Erica plant, Erica vulgaris.

Ling Heather heather honey is considered the true "Hather Honey" and is very different from Erica's honey and all other types of honey. Heather, unlike Erica, is a short evergreen native of Europe who is sympathetic to the dry. Heather is considered a symbol of Scotland and is one of the national colors of Norway.

Honey taken from the Ling Heather heather has a unique sensory quality: it has a gelatinous property called thixotopism. Typically, heather honey is gel-like and hard. It becomes temporarily liquid when stirred or mixed with anything.

Ling Heather Honey - Thixotropic (jelly-like) honey

Knowing about these properties of heather honey, one can judge its purity. Do a common heather honey test - lay an open jar of honey on its side to see how quickly it drains. Pure Honey Ling Heather will stay in place for a few minutes. The longer it stays in place without leaking out, the purer the honey. Another sign of cleanliness is the presence of small air bubbles in it. Trapped in gel-like honey, air bubbles add color to it. Heather honey has a bright color: reddish/orange to dark amber.

The taste is slightly bitter, pungent, slightly sweet and smoky. Heather honey has a strong distinguishing characteristic: it has a woody, warm, floral aroma, reminiscent of heather flowers.

The crystallization rate of heather honey is rather slow. In the early stages, it cannot crystallize at all. Some beekeepers believe that bees take the purest Heather Honey from high swamps.

Another unusual characteristic of heather honey is that it usually has a high moisture content associated with fermentation. Humidity sometimes reaches 25%, but is usually 19-23%. This is due to the gel-like consistency, which complicates the evaporation of moisture from honey. For most honeys, the moisture level usually corresponds to 20%. An exception is made for heather honey, since this is its natural state and is more resistant to fermentation than. It is believed that water gets trapped in a gel-like trap, which slows down the fermentation.

Heather blooms in late July, and blooms until mid-August. During this period, other nectar-forming plants also bloom. It is quite difficult to obtain pure heather honey. More often you can get honey from mixing with other nectars, such as rose, willow, or blackberry.

Heather grows over swamps in, on the uplands of Britain and. These areas account for about 75% of open moorlands, most of which are in Scotland and the remainder are in Western Europe. Heather grows in swamps or dry heaths, on well-drained shallow peat less than 0.5 m deep.

Wastelands are actually artificial landscapes. They were cleared from the forest for use in agriculture for grazing livestock. The name "Calluna vulgaris" comes from the fact that brooms were made from heather. Kalluna is the ancient Greek word for "sweeping", vulgarism meaning "ordinary". The wastelands were cleared of bushes and forests by burning. This practice continued for a thousand years, and as a result. In addition, young heather produces more nectar and therefore more honey.