Flower honey contains the flavors and scents of each region since it is a polyfloral honey. Highly appreciated, this natural treasure has many benefits and can be used both in care and in cooking.
Why do we say flower honey?
The term “flower honey” is used to describe all honeys made from the nectar of flowers foraged by our beloved bees. To put it simply, this term emphasizes the origin of the flower nectar that was collected by these pollinating insects to produce the precious honey.
We use the term "flower honey" to refer to honey produced by bees from multiple flowers.
Flower honey is a reflection of the diversity of flowers present in a region. It can reflect the floral diversity of a given region, thus capturing local flavors. Flower honey is certainly one of the most popular honeys among honey lovers.
Each jar of flower honey holds a surprise, revealing changing flavors with each tasting. It is the surprise and sweetness of the regions that we like to find when tasting this delicious elixir.
Is flower honey real honey?
Of course, the honey house's flower honey is harvested and packaged in accordance with beekeeping traditions. Just like monofloral honeys, it is produced by domestic bees that gather nectar from a wide variety of flowers, transform it in their stomachs and then store it in the hive. The process is therefore the same for all honeys.
The quality of this gift from nature may vary depending on the season and the weather, however its status as true honey will not be affected since we obtain this amber elixir only thanks to the meticulous work of our bees.
What are the characteristics of flower honey?
Unlike monofloral honeys, flower honey is composed of several types of flowers. This means that there is not one particular plant that makes up 80% of the honey. We will then speak of polyfloral honey.
The latter contains more glucose than fructose. This is why flower honey will tend to crystallize quickly. Note that this is not the case with acacia honey, for example, which is a liquid honey.
Smooth and sweet, flower honey has a taste that can vary depending on the flowers foraged. It is generally very sweet but its sugar content can change for the same reasons.
Is flower honey healthy?
Absolutely, flower honey like all types of pure honey are healthy since they are composed only of natural ingredients such as flower nectar.
As the change of season approaches, it is important to remember that flower honey contains many virtues that can boost the immune system.
- Antibacterial properties:
Flower honey is known to counteract bacteria, so it is the perfect time to consume it and face the fall, with it say goodbye to irritated throat and cough.
- Anti-infectious properties:
This elixir also helps fight infections, so you can use it to prevent ailments related to seasonal changes.
- Healing properties:
That's not all, flower honey also has healing properties, so it is ideal to use it to treat superficial wounds.
The tryptophan contained in this honey with a thousand surprises will also allow you to sleep soundly all night long, in fact, this amino acid helps improve sleep and mood. Flower honey is therefore perfect for coping with the resumption of a sustained rhythm.
How to cook flower honey?
Flower honey can be used in both cooking and baking: whether you are a fan of sugar, or you want to explore new horizons by revisiting your savory recipes, honey will be your ally in the kitchen!
Here are some examples of how to use flower honey in cooking:
At breakfast
On a slice of buttered bread, to sweeten your fromage blanc or for your porridge, honey is a perfect replacement for sugar.
In your drinks
Honey is regularly used in drinks, especially to sweeten alcoholic cocktails but also to make your smoothies more delicious. It is also very frequently used in tea and infusions.
In your marinades
Honey is the ideal ingredient for creating marinades such as for pork or chicken. You can also use it to caramelize your vegetables in a pan or oilseeds in the oven.
In your pastries
Used in baking, liquid honey will bring more smoothness and softness to your cakes. It is also used in creams as a natural sweetener.
In sauce, vinaigrette, coulis, topping, sweetener, softener, honey comes in a variety of forms to suit all tastes!
There are, however, a few small changes that occur when honey is used in cooking:
If you want to replace sugar with this natural ingredient in your recipes, pay attention to the dosage. In fact, honey is on average 1.5 times sweeter than sugar. This means that for 50 grams of sugar, for example, only 35 grams of honey will be enough.
In addition, since honey is moist, we advise you to slightly reduce the quantity of liquids introduced into your recipes.
You can find out more about the use of honey in cooking right here .
What recipe to make with flower honey?
Homemade Carrot Cake
Who says autumn arrives obviously says Carrot Cake!
Very popular in the United States during the Thanksgiving period, Carrot Cake is the quintessential fall pastry.
This is because the main ingredient of this cake is carrots, which are harvested at the end of summer. Spices such as cinnamon add warmth and an autumnal connotation to the pastry. Finally, its color allows it to be directly linked to the amber colors of this beautiful season.
To enjoy this sweet treat, what could be better than a film accompanied by a good hot chocolate with spices?
We invite you to revisit the star of autumn that is Carrot Cake with this recipe for 6 people.
Ingredients for the device:
- 180g grated carrots
- 90g flour
- 65g cornstarch
- 15cl of grape seed oil
- 75g of ground almonds
- 2 eggs
- 75g liquid flower honey
- 1 sachet of baking powder
- 1 pinch of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- The zest and juice of one orange
Icing ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 200g cream cheese
Preparation :
Start by preheating the oven to 180 degrees.
Then, in a salad bowl, mix the flour, almond powder, cornstarch, bicarbonate, yeast, salt and cinnamon.
Take another bowl and whisk together the eggs and honey until the mixture turns white.
Then add the oil, zest and orange juice. Incorporate the powder mixture into the liquid mixture.
Mix until you get a smooth paste then add the grated carrots.
Stir again to obtain a homogeneous dough. Then pour the contents into a mold for 45 minutes. Take it out, place baking paper on the cake and put it back in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Then add the icing and let sit for a few hours in a cool place.
Bring your most beautiful plate to enjoy this delicious treat as it should be.
The little details
Using honey helps the crust brown faster. Replacing the sugar with honey in this recipe is ideal as it will make the cake even more autumnal.
Let's not forget that the honey-baking soda alchemy will allow the cake to rise more easily and will give it a nice dome.
The antibacterial properties can also improve the preservation of this pastry.
Cooking tips
We recommend using acacia honey to make your pastries because it does not mask the taste of other ingredients. In addition, as it remains liquid for a long time, this honey is easy to use and can be easily incorporated into other foods.
If you want to explore other flavors, we also recommend thyme honey which goes perfectly with spicy flavors.
Let's not forget orange blossom honey which is perfect for accentuating the flavors of orange and bringing sweet fruity notes.
Finally, if you want to add character to your cake, in this case we advise you to opt for chestnut honey . This honey, to be used sparingly, knows how to accentuate the flavors of food as it should be.
