Determining the taste of honey based on specific flowers

[Brainstreetceo]

Dear All, is there is any documentation on the above topic? Looking for some base information so that I can build a database in my neck of the woods. Based in Guyana, South America.

 

[Amari]

Dear All, is there is any documentation on the above topic? Looking for some base information so that I can build a database in my neck of the woods. Based in Guyana, South America.

Welcome! Beecraft magazine has a monthly article by a 'Honey Sommeliere'. The author describes the flavour of various monofloral honeys from different parts of the world. Here in the UK the honey is usually from mixed nectar sources. The exceptions are ling heather honey and, for the first time this year, I had a hive on buckwheat (pictured in my avatar) which has a very distinctive flavour.
https://www.bee-craft.com

 

[user 819]

As does lime and ivy.

 

[Finman]

And raspberry has almost no flavour.

 

[Swn58]

I have lime trees all around my hives, especially in Birmingham. This year, if I harvest some honey in July, it will be labelled as such. The flavour is so distinctive.

 

[BugsInABox]

And raspberry has almost no flavour.

Like Aldi Manuka. (Though it was viscus).

 

[Amari]

I have lime trees all around my hives, especially in Birmingham. This year, if I harvest some honey in July, it will be labelled as such. The flavour is so distinctive.

I have an avenue of nine limes alongside my main apiary. Only on a warm still day are there enough bees to create an audible buzz despite lots of blossom. I've not been able to detect a distinctive taste - tho' I admit I don't selectively extract honey stored during flowering time. The trees are c. 30 years old, probably hybrids I'm told.

 

[Swn58]

I have an avenue of nine limes alongside my main apiary. Only on a warm still day are there enough bees to create an audible buzz despite lots of blossom. I've not been able to detect a distinctive taste - tho' I admit I don't selectively extract honey stored during flowering time. The trees are c. 30 years old, probably hybrids I'm told.

Sounds like you are in the same situation. I have trees metres away from my hives and they are alive when flowering. You can almost feel the 'buzz' through the trunks! The taste of the honey is very rich, with a citrus tang.
I have never tried to harvest early, but regret I didn't last year, because it was obviously a great flowering year for the Limes. It will be interesting to see the difference if this happens again this year and the lime isn't mixed with later foraged nectar.

 

[StephenT]

We’ve got at least 20 big Lime trees close by and I have convinced myself that our honey has a zingy menthol tang. Definitely going to try and get an empty super on this year when they come into flower. Got even more Horse Chestnut trees close by. Anyone had a crop from them before?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have a group of 14 limes within 50m of one of my apiaries but have never had a year when I've had any lime honey. I got some honeydew from them 2 years ago but that's all.

 

[Amari]

I have a group of 14 limes within 50m of one of my apiaries but have never had a year when I've had any lime honey. I got some honeydew from them 2 years ago but that's all.

How did you know it was honeydew/honeydew from limes/not floral from limes/not something else?

 

[pete darbyshire]

I dont get any 'citrus tang' when the bees are on lime. More of a Turkish delight flavour.

 

[pete darbyshire]

It makes me wonder when I see linden/lime honey advertised as citrusy if the advertiser has tasted it. I have never tasted honey from citrus orchards, but the UK lime trees (tilia spp) produce a perfumed honey. Our local churchyards and cemeteries are full of mature lime trees.

 

[Newbeeneil]

How did you know it was honeydew/honeydew from limes/not floral from limes/not something else?

The flowers had been very disappointing and got washed out by a spell of rain but after that the bees were all over the “sticky” leaves of the limes. They produced a dark, strong flavoured honey with tones of burnt caramel.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It makes me wonder when I see linden/lime honey advertised as citrusy if the advertiser has tasted it. I have never tasted honey from citrus orchards, but the UK lime trees (tilia spp) produce a perfumed honey. Our local churchyards and cemeteries are full of mature lime trees.View attachment 24954

Damien at Abelo had some Linden honey in last time I was physically in the store. It had a very distinctive limey flavour. Quite delicious!

 

[John Twidle]

One of my apiaries has lots of mature limes nearby and some customers specifically ask for honey from hives there. I struggle to tell the difference between different sources though as I have little sense of taste or smell (a family trait and nothing to do with Covid) but did once park my car underneath a lime tree one year, only for a short while, and it took hours of washing and polishing to remove all the sticky deposits.

 

[gmonag]

It is the best in my opinion, but you cannot rely on Limes to produce every year.

 

[masterBK]

I have tasted many flavours of honey over the years both from my own bees but also from honies judged at honeyshows all over the UK and in common with many other honey judges I can now recognise the distinct flavour of honey from several floral sources from their colour, taste and aroma. However I would be wary of trying to sell any honey with labels indicating the floral origin as under the honey regs the honey must be wholly or mainly from that source. Even honey with the distinctive flavour of lime flowers tends to contain honey (and pollen) from many other plants that flower at the same time as lime. Ling heather honey can often meet the regs and can be labelled as such but many samples may contain admixture from Bell, willowherb and thistle.

 

[Swn58]

Got even more Horse Chestnut trees close by. Anyone had a crop from them before?

There are horse-chesnuts close too......but predominantly lime.
All this being said, I have to admit to not being a trained honey taster! I have three apiaries. One is by far dominated by limes. One has limes scattered everywhere, but had new bees installed only in May. The other does not have limes that close. All three produce completely different tasting honey. I hope that the second site will produce honey this year like the the first site, as it is excellent. It would win any honey show competition, if I could be bothered to enter!

 

[Ely]

Dandelion is quite a strong flavour. Nice though