Ivy honey

[pargyle]

This is mine, not hard but not runny, just nice & spreadable. Incidently, i bought these jars in the sale someone put on here a few weeks ago, dam air bubbles get stuck in the top corners.

That doesn't look anything like Ivy honey to me either .... far too pale in colour and obviously very runny. Got to be something else in with it if it smells and tastes like ivy ... what ? Could be anything - bees are opportunists and will forage on anything that gives them a return on their energy investment.

If it was pure Ivy honey ... indeed, even a fair percentage of it from ivy blossom ... it would be pretty solid as well.

 

[jonnybeegood]

That doesn't look anything like Ivy honey to me either .... far too pale in colour and obviously very runny. Got to be something else in with it if it smells and tastes like ivy ... what ? Could be anything - bees are opportunists and will forage on anything that gives them a return on their energy investment.

If it was pure Ivy honey ... indeed, even a fair percentage of it from ivy blossom ... it would be pretty solid as well.

Could it be mixed with Balsam? Would that still go solid?

 

[MikeT]

I am wondering if it could be a mixture of blackberry and Ivy. The blackberry flowered into October this year and the ivy was early. The blackberry is very light in colour would reduce the colour of the ivy but what it wouid do to the crystallization I am uncertain

 

[Swarm]

I am wondering if it could be a mixture of blackberry and Ivy. The blackberry flowered into October this year and the ivy was early. The blackberry is very light in colour would reduce the colour of the ivy but what it wouid do to the crystallization I am uncertain

Really depends on location, Bramble, Willowherb and Balsam were done around here or offering little or nothing by then, Ivy was about all they had left.

 

[MikeT]

We had fields of mustard and radish in full flower up to the end of November. I think both of these also crystallise very quickly and are similar to ivy with an unpleasant taste.

 

[jonnybeegood]

We had fields of mustard and radish in full flower up to the end of November. I think both of these also crystallise very quickly and are similar to ivy with an unpleasant taste.

None of that here though, late on we had mainly bramble, rosebay willow, balsam, knapweed, then the ivy.

 

[BeeBeeKa]

My ivy honey was of the same color that yours, jonnybeegood, but crystallized very quickly. I just wonder would not different species of ivy make this difference? May be different locations have different species?(Or dominance of some over the others) And what pollen colors did you see on bees during ivy blossom?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera
It could also cause a difference in taste, I suppose.

 

[jonnybeegood]

My ivy honey was of the same color that yours, jonnybeegood, but crystallized very quickly. I just wonder would not different species of ivy make this difference? May be different locations have different species?(Or dominance of some over the others) And what pollen colors did you see on bees during ivy blossom?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera
It could also cause a difference in taste, I suppose.

It was bright yellow pollen, loads of it was coming in & it was the only thing here could have had so much pollen. There is definitely ivy in it as I know by the taste & scent of the honey, whether it is just ivy I don't know, I will have to speak to someone locally to see & compare.

 

[BeeBeeKa]

It was bright yellow pollen, loads of it was coming in & it was the only thing here could have had so much pollen. There is definitely ivy in it as I know by the taste & scent of the honey, whether it is just ivy I don't know, I will have to speak to someone locally to see & compare.

Yes, same here, thanks. There was some ling heather pollen (cream in color) in the beginning of ivy blossom but finished fast.

 

[user 6228]

ivy nectar according to literature varies greatly in sugar content.. 11% to 40%
unlike rape its not a single variety grown in hectares of almost identical conditions.
are there varying ratios of sugars ?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

This is mine, not hard but not runny, just nice & spreadable. Incidently, i bought these jars in the sale someone put on here a few weeks ago, dam air bubbles get stuck in the top corners.

Sorry to drift but who has a winter sale on jars? Does C Wynne Jones?

 

[BeeBeeKa]

ivy nectar according to literature varies greatly in sugar content.. 11% to 40% unlike rape its not a single variety grown in hectares of almost identical conditions.

I`m sure any nectar varies greatly in sugar content as it depends on multiple factors

are there varying ratios of sugars ?

I did not come across this information tough I was trying to find it… I would not be surprised if varying sugar ratios [FONT=&quot]( fructose / glucose ) [/FONT]take place in different species of ivy. This is a good topic for those who would like to make a scientific research in university, IMHO, as Ivy honey seems to have a significant proportion in a yearly yield. Knowing locations where to get [FONT=&quot]more attractive [/FONT] and runnier ivy honey could help present beekeepers in their marketing, while arranging of predominance of desirable ivy species over undesirable ones in our locations could improve our honey producer positions on a global market…
Viva The Honey Empire, where beeks have managed to get honey out of conifers even( if you know what I mean )

 

[Stiffy]

Sorry to drift but who has a winter sale on jars? Does C Wynne Jones?

Pattesons
http://www.jarsandbottles-store.co.uk/index.php/special-glass-range/8oz-hexagonal-jar.html

Excellent jars and service, bought a few 100 which are all bottled up ready to sell
S

 

[MikeT]

" I would not be surprised if varying sugar ratios ( fructose / glucose ) take place in different species of ivy.

There is only one species of ivy which is indigenous to the UK and Ireland

Hedera helix

It can be found in Europe and Asia.

There are a number of cultivated species in parks and gardens and used as pot plants. These are mainly variegated and seldom flower.

I would imagine the variations in honey type from ivy is derived from the soil type, water holding capacity of the soil and climatic conditions.

 

[Finman]

I`m sure any nectar varies greatly in sugar content as it depends on multiple factors

At least night mist dilutes often nectar so much that bees do not want to forage nectar from flowers even if there big droplets there.

 

[BeeBeeKa]

There is only one species of ivy which is indigenous to the UK and Ireland
Hedera helix

I would not be so sure, my friend. At least 2 species are common in our areas[FONT=&quot](Ireland, Britain) [/FONT] : Hedera helix( ditto), and Hedera hibernica. And if you have a look at pictures provided for different species in the link I gave, you realy need to be an expert in order to distinguish ivy species .
I.e. Hedera rhombea (or Japanese ivy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera_rhombea [FONT=&quot]is very similar to helix.[/FONT]
“The island Hedera of Macaronesia in the eastern Atlantic, northern African Hedera and European Hedera are closely related species. Until recently it was thought there was a single species (Hedera helix), but recent studies have shown that there are several species that differ mainly by microscopic details of the hairiness of the buds.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera_canariensis

I would imagine the variations in honey type from ivy is derived from the soil type, water holding capacity of the soil and climatic conditions.

I`m sure it affects nectar density, but in doubt whether may it affect ratios of sugars , as it`s mostly genes programmed factors AFAIK.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I would not be so sure, my friend. At least 2 species are common in our areas[FONT=&quot](Ireland, Britain) [/FONT] : Hedera helix( ditto), and Hedera hibernica. And if you have a look at pictures provided for different species in the link I gave, you realy need to be an expert in order to distinguish ivy species .
I.e. Hedera rhombea (or Japanese ivy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera_rhombea [FONT=&quot]is very similar to helix.[/FONT]
“The island Hedera of Macaronesia in the eastern Atlantic, northern African Hedera and European Hedera are closely related species. Until recently it was thought there was a single species (Hedera helix), but recent studies have shown that there are several species that differ mainly by microscopic details of the hairiness of the buds.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedera_canariensis
I`m sure it affects nectar density, but in doubt whether may it affect ratios of sugars , as it`s mostly genes programmed factors AFAIK.

have a look at this link, I take it they got it wrong? ivy with white flowers?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/3428.shtml.

 

[BeeBeeKa]

“A Human is liable to mistakes”

 

[MikeT]

I apologise BeeBeeka, My old Clapham Tutin and Warburg "Flora of the British Isles" published in 1962 only lists one ivy H Helix, Hedera hibernica was in those days a sub species. You learn something every day.
This is an interesting link http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/metro/urban-jungle/pages/130219.html.

 

[BeeJayBee]

... My old Clapham Tutin and Warburg "Flora of the British Isles" published in 1962 only lists one ivy H Helix, Hedera hibernica was in those days a sub species. ...

Wikipedia isn't always right - H hibernica is recognised as a sub species of H helix by some taxonomists, as a separate species by others. So there's no clear right or wrong.

RHS https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/8406/Hedera-hibernica/Details
Hedera hibernica. Atlantic ivy. Hedera helix subsp. hibernica

CABI http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/26694
extract:-

On the basis of differences in trichome positioning, leaf shape and chromosome number, McAllister (1990) recognised H. hibernica as a distinct species from H. helix. Tutin et al. (1968) have suggested that this taxon had originated from south-west Ireland. However, H. hibernica has still often been treated as H. helix subsp. hibernica (e.g. Stace, 1997). There are many forms and cultivars, for instance Brickell (1999) lists 28 cultivars/varieties of H. helix and four of H. hibernica. As both the taxonomic status and the extent of planting of the Hedera material introduced around the world is often not clear or even unknown, Hedera helix L. and Hedera hibernica Carr. are treated in this datasheet as one species complex, H. helix. Indeed, in the horticultural trade in the USA, the two species are commonly known as 'English ivy'.​