We often hear that honey processing is an integral part of harvesting. Also, some people believe that it is not necessary. But, today we are going to talk about honey processing and why it is necessary to process honey during harvesting.

 

 

• Honey processing

 

• Honey needs to be processed as soon as possible after it is removed from the hive. This process requires patience and time to achieve the best results.

 

• It is necessary to protect the honey from contamination by ants and flying insects.

 

• Honey should be handled hygienically and the equipment used during harvesting and processing should be perfectly clean.

 

• Honey is hygroscopic thus, it absorbs moisture. So, honey processing equipment should be dry. If there is too much water in honey it ferments.

 

• Honey processing involves heating, filtration, and moisture reduction.

 

 

• Honey never expires or spoils so why do we need to process it?

 

• It can prevent fermentation.

 

• It delays crystallization.

 

• removes impurities.

 

 

 

• Honey should be processed in a particular manner to maintain the nutrients:

 

 

• Raw honey should be handled well and collected from the right source. After harvesting, honey should be kept in a container for a day, and it allowed to stand or settle.

 

• Due to this process, light impurities are separated like leaves, pollen chunks, bee debris, and wax. All this floats at the top and heavy impurities settle at the bottom.

 

• This simple separation process provides the much necessary hygiene and this doesn’t require heavy processing.

 

• Humidity damages honey so, it has to be stored in an airtight container. Exposed honey will absorb water especially when Relative Humidity is above 48%.

 

 

• Honey processing has 3 steps:

 

• Heating

 

• Filtration

 

• Moisture reduction

 

• Heating Honey:

 

• Honey that is removed from the beehive is extremely sticky and viscous so filtering can be a big challenge. Honey is heated up till 40°C. to decrease its viscosity before its filtered.

 

• It is pasteurized, so in that case, it requires to be heated till 72°C or higher.

 

• The heating process reduces moisture content and delays crystallization. It also destroys yeast cells and improves the shelf life.

 

• Heating can be done in tanks or through an infrared heater or heat lamp.

 

• In this process, honey might lose its nutrient value only when heated beyond 45°C.

 

 

• Honey filtration:

 

• The purpose of filtration is to retard crystallization and to get a clear product. Different types of filtration are used to make varied types of honey. Membrane filters are usually used.

 

• The membranes allow some compounds to pass through and the rest will remain behind as per the pore size and pore distribution.

 

• For honey filtration, Macro-filtration is used to remove bubbles, dust, insect parts, and crystals.

 

• With this process, heating is not required and it is referred to as raw honey.

 

 

 

•    Moisture reduction:

 

• This process called bulk harvesting involves the extraction of unripe honey.
• Unripe honey has excess moisture (20-25%). This is more than ripe honey.
• Excess moisture causes the fermentation of honey. Thus, moisture reduction is an extremely necessary process.
• With this process shelf life of honey increases.

 

 

Honey processing is necessary to remove the impurities and the moisture.

 

 

Visit Navmi website www.navmi.co.in to buy pure, original, natural foods as our focus since inception has always been serving customers with natural foods of the best quality. All our products like coconut oil, flaxseed oil, ghee, A2 milk, different types of natural honey, jaggery, turmeric, etc are chemical-free. Unprocessed foods contain higher amounts of antioxidants, they reduce the risk of heart disease, cancers, and other health issues.

 

 

Visit our site (Nirlesh Foods Private Limited or Navmi) www.navmi.co.in to know more about nutritionally pure and unprocessed food. Make a conscious and healthy choice of foods.

 

 

 

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The untold story of Natural honey

 

 

Nomadic beekeeping and monofloral honey

 

Importance of honey bees for the earth and human existence?

 

 

@Nirlesh Foods Pvt. Ltd.