Flower honey – is a product derived from the nectar of flowers of plants and trees, which is collected and processed in the body of worker bees. Processed nectar is placed in the wax cells. Here it has final fermentation and maturation, and later it is sealed. Honey contains up to 75-79% fructose and glucose, 15-18% water. The remaining 10.3% are the enzymes, minerals, cane sugar, organic acids, vitamins, flavor and tannin.
Monofloral honey, according to beekeepers practice, is impossible to collect. It is impossible to order bees, where to take the nectar, and where not, but if you take out the apiary to the mass flowering of a honey plant, for example, linden grove, it is possible to get honey approximately from only one bee plant.

Linden honey has various beneficial properties. This is one of the first types of honey that people appreciated and have enjoyed for thousands of years. In the shade of blooming alleys, or just on the streets, planted with lime trees, the heady scent of tiny yellow-white flowers is all around us, and it attracts bees from the neighborhood. In the period of intensive selection the nectar on the flowers looks like drops of dew. Linden blossoms in late spring or early summer, selecting more nectar in warm, humid weather.

Linden has many historical destinations, symbolic and practical. Since pre-Christian times in Europe linden was considered as mystical tree of life, tree of health, justice tree, tree of victory, a symbol of fertility and an object of worship.

Lime trees were mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. The most famous legend is the story of a poor Phrygian couple, which the gods rewarded for their hospitality, endowing them with immortality, turning them into Linden and Oak.
For millennia, linden was planted in the center of towns or villages where the townspeople gathered later for events. Linden – is a national symbol of Slovenia. In the Slovenian town of Ruth there is a world-famous linden wood that is more than 850 years old, and the girth is more than 8 meters. The names of cities of Australia, Europe and North America contain the word “linden” or “lime”.

Linden honey. Description

Linden honey – it is one of the most valuable and best varieties of honey. Bees collect it from the nectar of greenish yellow flowers of the queen of  honey plants, as the people rightly called linden. One lime of middle age, growing in favorable conditions, with optimal weather conditions can give 40 or more pounds of high-grade honey, 1 ha of blossom lime gives more than 2500 pounds. Each flower gives 25 ml of nectar.

White lime honey – is one of the best varieties. Aroma of ripe honey is very thin and exquisitely fragrant. White honey color is pale yellow to greenish. It contains 39.27%  levulose and 36.05% glucose. However, depending on the area where the honey was collected, the figures can be different. Among all species of honey there are two sweetest kinds – lime and heather.

Type of lime does not affect the sensory characteristics of linden honey. And the intensity of the smell and taste is much stronger than it would be judged by the color of linden honey. The usual rule, which says that the darker the honey, the more saturated it is, does not work with linden honey. White honey color does not change, except during crystallization. Flavor of the honey is described as a fresh woody with a hint of mint, balsamic and camphor aroma. Linden honey is sweet, sometimes with a touch of bitterness. After it you can always feel persistent aftertaste and light astringency.
About 3 months after pumping the lime honey begins to crystallize: it thickens and loses its transparency. But white honey does not lose its useful properties and taste.
If you bought a white honey, and it is still liquid in the winter, then, unfortunately, you got a fake.

White honey. Chemical analysis

To sell honey with a clear conscience, there have been many studies to reliably identify and confirm the source of the honey. A common technique used to determine monofloral honey, is the study of pollen. Any honey contains a little bit of pollen that gets in there with nectar. Ie by microscopic analysis you can identify from what plants the bees collected honey. Honey is considered as lime honey if it contains approximately 80% of pollen of lime.
But it was also carried out some work in order to identify chemically complex variable markers that are unique to the particular monofloral honey. These markers are inherent in their unique smell. Knowing this, when they present in honey in sufficient concentrations to detect, you can catch the subtle nuances of flavor.
For example, there are two main components, responsible for the smell of lime – lime terpene ether with floral slightly minty flavor, and cis-rozenoxide (smell of the rose with a touch of fresh herbs).

Chemical composition and beneficial properties of linden honey

Honey, especially lime – is a real mystery to scientists. Its complex chemical composition causes unsurpassed healing properties. Judge for yourself: it contains about 400 substances and compounds, which are vital to man for the full activity of the organism.

Linden honey contains only 20% of the water, the remaining 80% – is dry matter, the overwhelming majority of it – fructose and glucose, which are easily absorbed by the body in its original form, without requiring power consumption. Linden honey is rich in maltose, it contains about 6-8% of it. It is formed during the ripening of the product, the presence of it has beneficial effects on digestion. As paradoxical as it may sound, linden honey contains little vitamins, in particular:

• Vitamin B ₁ (thiamine);
• Vitamin B ₂ (riboflavin);
• vitamin B- ₅ (pantothenic acid);
• Vitamin B ₆ (pyridoxine);
• nicotinic acid;
• Vitamin H (Biotin);
• vitamin PP (niacin);
• tocopherol;
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

However, a valuable advantage of the product is that it contains vitamins in a very good combination with other important substances, which leads to a healing effect of linden honey. In particular, it includes no less than 40 different micro-and macronutrients, such as potassium, calcium, sulfur, copper, iodine, aluminum, nickel, phosphorus, chlorine, magnesium, manganese, zinc, cobalt, etc.

Another reason why the white honey is well absorbed by the body, is that many minerals  in it are at exactly the same concentration as in the blood. The regular use of linden honey helps to maintain adequate osmotic pressure at the cellular level, normalizes metabolism, has beneficial effects on digestion and hormonal activity.

Also linden honey contains organic and inorganic acids: gluconic, citric, lactic, malic, tartaric acid, linolenic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric.

Organic acids cause a pleasant sour taste of lime honey, as well as its flavor and bactericidal properties. An important component of the product is pollen of lime. It is the source of amino acids and proteins, required by the body.

Application of lime honey in the treatment of diseases

The people called honey “liquid gold”, because it – is a cure for many diseases. Especially white lime honey, because its anti-bacterial properties are the highest compared with other types of products of bees.

Colds

Use of a mixture of lime honey and juice of the aloe plant in the ratio of 1:5 has good additional effect in the treatment of colds (rhinitis, tracheitis, tonsillitis, etc.). A teaspoon of this medicine should be taken three times a day one hour before meals. Bad cold can be stopped if you instill into the nose 30% solution of linden honey in fresh red beet juice. In each nostril you should instill 5-6 drops. For the treatment of acute bronchitis  a very good remedy is made from 5 pounded leaves of aloe, a tablespoon of lime honey, two egg yolks and a bottle of Cahors.

Bad cough can be cured with pastils of linden honey, flour, mustard and sunflower oil. All ingredients should be mixed and applied before going to bed to the chest in the form of pellets. It should be remembered that the white honey has high diaphoretic properties, and therefore it should not be consumed before going out.

Ideally you should be in bed if you have a cold, then the product can cure diseases, associated with fever, malaise, headache, runny nose. By the way, white honey is a part of many pharmaceutical drugs to treat tuberculosis, and it once again shows that official medicine has recognized the healing properties of this unprecedented product.

Application of lime honey in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Gastritis, colitis, gastroenteritis are accompanied by a mass of unpleasant symptoms. In modern medicine, there are long-designed scheme of treating of these diseases. However, the effect of the therapy would be the best, and comes quickly, if you do not forget about the white honey. One tablespoon of the product, dissolved in warm water, leads to more rapid scarring of stomach ulcers if you make this treatment three times a day over a long period of time.

No wonder that the old people say that white honey – the best friend of the stomach. The thing is that it reduces the hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach (in the form of heat) and, on the contrary, it increases it (in the cold state). Doctors know this feature of linden honey and take it into consideration when they choose a method of treatment. It is widely used in combination with the decoction of the juice of fresh cabbage, village butter, kernels.

The ancient methods of treatment with white honey from Avicenna

Ancient scholar, philosopher and physician Avicenna, author of many books about healing, cured epilepsy, psychotic state, headaches, rheumatism, gout, diseases of kidney, urinary tract and female reproductive organs with lime honey. Many of his recipes have survived and have been successfully used in medicine.

They really help to successfully treat neurosis, heart disease, insomnia and stress.

White honey is taken not only inside, but also is used on the outside in the form of  alcohol rubbingы. It also has a good local effect for the treatment of festering wounds and burns.

In your mouth organic acids improve the process of juice- and bile secretion. Therefore it is recommended to hold it in your mouth until dissolved.
Honey with lemon juice is a good prophylactic against acute respiratory disease, and a cup of tea with white honey is useful in the treatment of liver, gallbladder, and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
White honey is good in ophthalmology. It contains substances that are beneficial to the retina. So all fans of computers and TVs can safely use it. A solution of lime honey is also used for lotions and washing of sore eyes. If your intention is to clean the body, the white honey is perfect for this, because it has diuretic and laxative effects.

Linden honey is widely used for colds, mainly as a diaphoretic. This honey has the highest antibacterial properties, has expectorant, anti-inflammatory, sedative and laxative effect. It is used for sore throat, colds, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma, as a heart tonic, for the treatment of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney and gall bladder, helps to keep women’s health. As the ointment is effective in the treatment of wounds and burns, eczema, inflammation of the mammary glands and other inflammatory diseases.

Recipes:

• cold:
  1 kg of lime honey, 1 cup of finely chopped leaves of aloe, 100 g of olive oil, 150 g of birch buds and 50 g of lime flowers. Melt the honey in a saucepan, add the aloe and well cook. Separately put in different dishes birch buds  (pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, hold on low heat for 20 minutes and infuse for 30 minutes) and lime color (add 0.5 liters of boiling water and infuse for 30 minutes), squeeze out birch buds and lime flowers and pour it into honey. The resulting mixture is poured into 2 portions and you add to each serving evenly olive oil. Application: 1 tbsp. 3 times a day, shaking before use.
  

 

• cough:
   grate garlic, add lime honey (1:1). Application:  before bedtime  1 tbsp. with warm water.
  

 

• sore throat:
   1 cup of boiling water, 1 tbsp. of dried chamomile flowers, brew, cool, filter and add 1 tsp. of linden honey. Application:  gargle.
  

 

• colds and coughs:
  mix 2 tbsp. of coltsfoot, 2 tbsp. of marshmallow, 1 tbsp. of oregano, brew in 1 liter of boiling water, cool pre-wrapped, and add 3-4 tbsp. of linden honey. Application: 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day.
  

 

• sore throat:
  mix 1 part of lime flowers and two parts of oak barks or 2 parts of lime flowers and 3 parts of chamomile flowers. Boil in 1 cup of boiling water 1 tbsp. of this mix, hold on low heat for 5 minutes, infuse for 1 hour and drain. Application: gargle, diluted broth with white honey.
  

 

• sore throat:
  pour 1 finely crumbled onion with 0.5 liters of boiling water, hold on low heat for 5 minutes and infuse for 2 hours. Application: gargle with broth mixed with white honey (1:1).
  

 

• Angina:
  boil 1 cup of boiling water with 1-2 tbsp. of green crust of a walnut and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, cool and add 2 tbsp. of linden honey. Application: 1 tsp. in 1 cup of tea 3-4 times a day.
  

 

• inhalation for sore throat:
  1 part of lime honey is diluted in 5 parts of boiling water (temperature about 40 ° C (104 F)), spray with inhaler. 10 minutes you inhale through the nose, out through the mouth, for another 10 minutes – on the contrary. Repeat the procedure two times a day.

 

• gastric ulcer:
  mince burdock root (collected in the spring), squeeze the juice and mix it with white honey in the ratio of 1:1. The mixture is placed in a bottle and put for 21 days in a warm place, then strained. Application: drink 1 tbsp. 3 times a day for 30 minutes before meals.
  

 

• hepatitis:
  take 100 grams of chamomile, St. John’s wort, immortelle, birch buds. 1 tbsp. of this mix is brewed in 500 ml of boiling water, infused for 1 hour. Add 1 tsp. of linden honey in 1 cup of the mix. Usage: 2 times a day, 2 hours after a meal or 20 minutes before a meal.
• liver, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys: Make a decoction of wormwood (1 tbsp. of dried herb in 1 cup of boiling water), add lime honey (3 tbsp. per cup of broth) and cook in a water bath until the condensation . Application: 1 tsp. 3 times a day.

White honey. Health and Beauty

Unusually persistent fragrance of this type of honey, its gentle charming taste could not be overlooked by professional cosmetologists. As a result, they recommend various recipes of masks, wraps and ointments that contribute to maintaining youthful skin and the elasticity of the body.

Adding a bit of lime honey in mashed strawberries, raspberries, flesh of peach, apricot, cheese or egg yolk, you can experiment to create miraculous household masks for the face, neck, hands, feet and even hair.

The composition of honey has almost a full range of vitamins and minerals, essential oils and trace elements, so the white honey has amazing properties in cosmetology. Not surprisingly, this natural product is commonly used in the manufacture of cosmetics.
Vitamins and amino acids soften the skin, improve circulation, and stimulates lipid metabolism. Due to the content of vitamins B, C and E honey helps to restore cell rejuvenation. Beauty depends on the mood and state of mind, so the honey is very useful, because it strengthens the psychological status, reduces depression, improves mood and overall health.

Bought test

Fragrance: place 30 g of honey in a glass beaker, close tightly a lid, and put in a water bath (45 – 50°C (105 F)) for 10 minutes.

Taste: heat honey to 30 – 60°C (120 F), and taste.

If it is a real honey, you will have strong burning sensation in the throat, which does not disappear after 15 minutes(!).

Color: pure transparent amber fluid in February proves that honey is overheated (pure lime honey should crystallize no later than the end of September).

Test for transparency: natural honey due to the presence of proteins has turbidity, which increases with the nucleation of crystals of glucose. 

Maturity test of honey: a test with a spoon – take honey and quickly turn around the axis. Mature honey with normal humidity should wound on a spoon as a tape. Raw honey, and therefore, liquid, containing a lot of water will flow.

Test of supplementary molasses: honey is dissolved in water (1:1) and add 1 drop of standard iodine – if the color of the solution does not change, then starch syrup is not mixed up.

And reaction to dextrins – to an aqueous solution of honey (1:2) add 96% ethanol and stir. If the solution remains clear – there is no impurities of starch syrup.

Test of addition of flour or starch: 5 g of honey dissolved in 5 – 10 ml of water, heated to a boil and add a few drops of Lugol’s solution – a blue color indicates the presence of flour or starch.

Test of addition of chalk: reaction to vinegar – take honey, diluted with distilled water, add a few drops of vinegar. The boiling of the mixture due to the release of carbon dioxide indicates the presence of chalk.

Superheated honey impersonates in storage. If you bought white honey in the summer, by November you’ll know exactly, natural it is or not. Natural honey crystallizes: loses its transparency, does not leak. Faked honey remains liquid for a long time, does not crystallize.