Since ancient times, honey has been considered not only tasty, but also a valuable product for health, containing a huge amount of vitamins useful for the body. Among all the variety of varieties, it is clover that is in special demand today, although it is extremely rare for a modern consumer to meet him on store shelves. This article discusses the usefulness of clover honey, how it looks, as well as how to eat it and how to distinguish it from a fake.

Description and characteristics of clover honey

At first glance, it may seem that clover is not of particular value, because all its use is usually reduced to livestock feed, but in beekeeping this plant is considered one of the main and most reliable honey plants. Today, some countries, including Canada, the USA and New Zealand, are specialized in clover cultivation with the aim of importing clover honey abroad.

Among all varieties of clover, bees were especially “loved” by white, red and Swedish, and the last two are specially cultivated and bloom no more than a month. The beekeeping product itself - clover honey - is one of the high-quality varieties and is famous for its excellent taste, aroma and medicinal properties.

What does it look like

A distinctive feature of fresh clover honey is its density. Crystallization of the product, however, is quite easy, so it soon becomes dense and acquires a granular structure. The finished product, as a result of consistency, should be very viscous and viscous, a pronounced floral aroma should come from it.

Did you know? In ancient Egypt, honey was so valuable that it was considered a full-fledged analogue of money. It was believed that a hundred pots of nectar were comparable in value to cattle. Subsequently, such a system was adopted by the Romans. — taxes in the ancient Roman empire could be paid both in gold and honey, and even the ancient Slavs could pay a fine either in money, or cattle, or honey.

Colour

After sugaring, natural clover honey acquires a white or pale amber color. In fresh form, such a product will be distinguished by its colorlessness and even transparency. The exception is nectar obtained from the flowers of red clover - in this case it will have a slight reddish tint. Its color does not affect the taste and useful properties of the product.

Taste and Aroma

By taste, clover honey is in no way inferior to other varieties and is even considered one of the most delicious and sweet, which will especially please the sweet tooth. The taste of natural nectar is light and very delicate, slightly resembling caramel candy. The fresh product leaves a long aftertaste, which is characterized by unobtrusive fruity notes, is easily digestible and not bitter. It has a rich floral aroma.

Sugaring terms

The collection of nectar occurs in the spring, which provides it with further easy, but prolonged crystallization - from 1 to 3-4 months. It is believed that honey collected in the spring is much better and tastier; this can be determined by smell - the later it was collected, the more saturated it will have a smell. The longest sugaring period belongs to honey from red clover - from 4 to 5 months, and in the process this product will lose its red tint, gradually turning into a white homogeneous mass.

Properties of honey for the human body

Healthy properties of this variety deservedly put it on a par with the best high-grade honeys. It is thanks to the wide range of its healing abilities that this product is successfully used in cosmetology, nutrition and medicine.

Important! Heat treatment of honey is contraindicated, since it destroys all its useful qualities, so it is not recommended to drink it with hot tea.

Benefit

The benefits of clover honey were known in ancient times - evidence of this is the ancient Chinese documents dated the second millennium BC. Later, the miraculous abilities of this product were noted by Hippocrates, describing in detail its use in medicine.

Since then, he has not lost his healing characteristics at all and among the main ones he has the following:

1. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect. The high content of vitamins, iron, magnesium and potassium contribute to an effective healing effect, so the product is actively used to treat burns and wounds. The regenerative capabilities of nectar provide its use in pharmacology, where this product is part of most creams, gels and ointments. In addition to this, the anti-aging effect achieved with regular use and an overall increased skin tone were also noted.
2. Normalization of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Just a few teaspoons of this product per day strengthens the heart muscle, which prevents the occurrence of a number of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Moreover, the same dosage quickly reduces blood pressure, therefore, such a treat will be especially useful for people suffering from hypertension. It beneficially affects the work of the intestines, liver and gall bladder; perfectly inhibits the occurrence of tumors. The substances contained in this product are perfectly absorbed by the body, without putting an additional burden on it, which means that fresh and high-quality clover honey can be safely consumed without fear of heaviness in the stomach.
3. Expectorant action. Like other varieties, clover honey is simply indispensable in the fight against cough - in the cold season, it is extremely useful to use this product in combination with medications. The naturalness and safety, as well as the antioxidant properties of nectar allow its use in the treatment of even young children. The most important thing is to make sure in advance that the child is not allergic to him.
4. Regulation of the nervous system, normalization of sleep and general health improvement. The use of this variety is recommended in case of a chronic loss of strength, for recovery after a long illness or surgery. Improving appetite, it prevents exhaustion, has a beneficial effect on brain activity and acts as a natural antidepressant, relieving fatigue and nervous tension.

Harm and contraindications

With all the useful properties of clover honey, do not forget about the contraindications that are prescribed for a certain group of people. Pollen, which is part of a natural product, can cause its intolerance, therefore, before use, you must make sure that there is no allergy to it.

• You should refrain from treats:
• children under 3 years of age - honey is considered a complex product for the child's body that can cause an allergic reaction;
• for patients with diabetes mellitus - a high content of carbohydrates in the composition of nectar can increase blood sugar;
• allergy sufferers;
• pregnant women;
• people suffering from diseases of the circulatory system, namely varicose veins, thrombophlebitis and increased blood clotting.

The chemical composition and calorie content of the product

The quantity and quality of this beekeeping product will directly depend on a factor such as weather. A stable temperature regime from +25 to + 30 ° С will provide the collected honey with a more pronounced aroma than under other circumstances, when the bees can dilute it with other herbs, thereby making a number of changes in the chemical composition.

Despite this, it is safe to single out the presence of the following components in honey:

• water - up to 18%;
• carbohydrates, namely fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and other disaccharides - up to 83%;
• minerals - less than 1%;
• water-soluble vitamins, proteins, enzymes and amino acids - up to 4%.

Did you know? To collect only 100 g of nectar, a bee must fly at least 47,000 km.

Separately, it is worth highlighting some active compounds and substances inherent in nectar:

• macro and microelements: potassium, copper, manganese, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, etc .;
• enzymes, amino acids and antioxidants;
• vitamin compounds of groups B, E, C, K and PP;
• tannins;
• salicylic acid;
• essential oils;
• carotene.

The calorie content of clover honey per 100 g of product will be 310 kcal, which is much lower than that of other varieties.

How to check clover honey for naturalness at home

Due to the inaccessibility of clover honey, it is very easy for a modern consumer to deceive and pass off a fake as a natural product. In order not to fall for the bait of an unscrupulous seller, you must always make sure that you have a certificate confirming the product’s commercial quality and type before buying. However, even this does not always guarantee authenticity, so it is best to buy this variety directly, that is, from the beekeeper.

At home, determining the naturalness of this variety is very difficult, but still possible thanks to the following features:

• pronounced and pleasant floral aroma;
• density and ductility - a natural product should in no case be liquid. Already by mid-autumn, the treat should be candied and very dense. If you are trying to sell liquid syrup of an incomprehensible structure, you can rest assured that this is a fake;
• the color of real clover honey is transparent if no more than 2 months have passed from the time of collection, and subsequently white;
• no bitterness should be felt in the taste - real nectar has a high sugar content, therefore it is not bitter, it tastes very pleasant and sweet, leaves behind a long fruity aftertaste.

In addition to the above signs, there is a very simple and quick way to check the quality of honey - just touch the surface with a chemical pencil. If blue spots appear around the stylus, then this is a fake.

How to take

The tremendous health benefits of this beekeeping product open up a number of possibilities in its use - both for medicinal and culinary purposes. However, in the first and in the second case, it is important to adhere to certain dosages of a sweet treat, otherwise honey will bring only harm instead of the expected benefits.

In folk medicine

Clover honey is a common product in traditional medicine, because thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and soothing properties, it is really able to help get rid of many diseases.

It is important to consider that for each ailment, the method of taking the product will be different:

• in case of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract nectar must be taken in the morning on an empty stomach - no more than 2 teaspoons. The fact is that the therapeutic effect of the product will be achieved just before eating - a tasty medicine will accurately cover the walls of the stomach and contribute to the secretion of gastric juice;
• for the treatment of respiratory diseases Doctors recommend drinking milk with one teaspoon of clover honey overnight. Such a drug will easily help to cope with the discharge of sputum, prevent possible complications and relieve inflammatory processes;
• to quickly eliminate the common cold and strengthen immunity you can use this recipe: when brewing ginger tea, add a handful of ground ginger root to it and leave to brew. After the drink is infused, you can add one teaspoon of clover honey and a slice of lemon to it. Such a tasty medicine is simply indispensable in the season of colds and the risk of respiratory diseases;
• to lower blood pressure, this variety - An excellent tool, but do not rush to eat it right away. In order for the delicacy to work in full force, it is recommended to put a small piece of candied honey under the tongue and slowly dissolve. This procedure must be repeated every 30 minutes before eating.

As for healthy people, there is also a restriction in the use of goodies for them - no more than 35–40 g per day is considered the norm. Such a dosage is quite enough to saturate the body with all the necessary useful substances without the risk of a food reaction.

Important! Regular consumption of honey even in small quantities can cause tooth decay, therefore, after each meal, it is recommended to rinse your mouth, and even better — brush your teeth.

In cooking

People learned about the excellent taste qualities of this variety almost immediately, so in ancient times this delicacy served as an excellent alternative to sugar. For culinary purposes, it was actively used for preservation - they were coated with meat and most other products to pickle them and at the same time reduce the risk of decay. Today, there are a lot of recipes for confectionery products using clover honey - cakes, gingerbread cookies, pies, etc. However, such delicacies are appreciated by culinary specialists not only for their taste and aroma - thanks to it, baking does not stale for a long time, retains moisture and gives the necessary consistency to some products. for example, baklava.

A distinctive feature of the product is its ability to sugar due to its high sucrose content. This greatly complicates its use in cooking, so in most cases it will need to be heat-treated first - so honey will not be sugared immediately. When melted, it is perfectly used as a filling for all kinds of desserts, or syrup, which is watered on top of pastries.

How to store and in what conditions

The purchase of real clover honey may not seem like such a big problem compared to the storage of this product, because it has a number of requirements and nuances, non-observance of which will inevitably lead to spoilage.

In order for this variety to retain all its taste and medicinal properties and please them for several years, it is necessary to take care of the following factors:

1. Temperature. The most suitable for storing honey is a temperature of from -5 ° C to + 20 ° C. At room temperature, this product is not recommended to be stored, otherwise it will quickly absorb moisture and sour. At higher temperature indicators, it will lose a significant part of vitamins, and with it all its useful properties. Low temperatures do not affect the quality of honey, it just hardens, although it will feel much better.
2. Tableware. The container for storing delicacies should in no case be dirty or wet. It is unacceptable to have the remnants of last year’s honey or nectar of another variety in it — it will quickly ferment and deteriorate. The most suitable materials for containers are aluminum, ceramics and glass; storage of honey in dishes made of iron, zinc and copper is strictly contraindicated, since the long-term content of the product in such metals will make it toxic. A container made of food-grade plastic is also considered an acceptable option, however, in this case, the shelf life of honey in it will be only one year.
3. Humidity and smell. In no case can honey be stored in high humidity - the fact is that it has the ability to absorb moisture and odors from the external environment, so the dishes should be very tightly closed. It is undesirable to keep the container with nectar near sources of water and odorous products - otherwise it will quickly deteriorate and become completely unsuitable for consumption.
4. Lighting. The worst enemy of honey is sunlight, so if you store nectar in a glass jar, it is best to put it in a dark room. The thing is that prolonged exposure to the sun will destroy in it all the beneficial substances and enzymes responsible for the antimicrobial properties of the product.

Read about the beneficial properties of other varieties of honey:

Clover honey since ancient times has established itself as one of the most delicious and healthy varieties. Having tried this variety once, you are guaranteed to love it, and on your table this product will occupy a special place of honor.