Sainfoin honey is one of the most valuable honey varieties in the world. In Russia, it is still not very popular, but in Europe and North America it is considered elite, due to its delicate taste, pleasant aroma and useful properties.

So what is sainfoin honey? The main characteristic is a beekeeping product obtained thanks to sainfoin, a plant of the legume family.

Sainfoin is a herbaceous perennial plant distinguished by large inflorescences of bright red flowers and a rich, attractive aroma. Flowers bloom in May, after the garden trees have faded. In the Russian regions, sainfoin rarely has time to bloom in full force - hayfields begin, and the plant goes to feed.

In Europe, there are entire fields of this plant, the main purpose of which is to create honey. Italian (Tuscany) and French (Gitina) varieties are considered elite in this area. But the leader in the production of the product, oddly enough, is Canada.

Esparcet honey

General characteristics

Exparcet honey stands out with some features that are not characteristic of other varieties:

  • The freshly harvested product has a rather liquid consistency, translucent, yellowish or greenish.
  • The taste is pleasant, unpleasant, moderately sweet, without the usual bitterness, with an unobtrusive herbal aftertaste;
  • The aroma is intense, pleasant. Reminds the scent of roses;
  • It crystallizes rather quickly. At the same time, it becomes creamy.

On a note. A big plus of collecting this type of product is the high productivity of sainfoin nectar - from one hectare sown with this plant, you can get up to half a ton of honey.

By its origin and composition, sainfoin honey is a brother of the well-known melilot species. Sweet clover honey sainfoin is a storehouse of useful substances necessary for high-quality human life.

Chemical composition

Sainfoin honey differs from more usual for species in its versatile composition. It includes the necessary amino acids, enzymes, minerals, vitamins. Fats and sucrose are virtually absent, making it an excellent sugar substitute.

The main components:

  • Proteins, carbohydrates.
  • Fructose, glucose.
  • Vitamins:
  • Thiamine (B1);
  • Pantothenic acid (B5);
  • Folic acid (B9);
  • Pyrodoxin (B6);
  • Riboflavin (B2);
  • Ascorbic acid (C);
  • Biotin (H);
  • Niacin equivalent (RR).
  • Minerals:
  • Phosphorus;
  • Copper;
  • Iron;
  • Cobalt;
  • Fluorine;
  • Manganese;
  • Potassium;
  • Calcium;
  • Iodine.

Useful properties and areas of use

Thanks to this unique composition, sainfoin honey has a number of valuable properties. The product is especially widely used in medicine, cosmetology, and cooking.

Beneficial features

The influence of honey on human health can hardly be overestimated. It has a beneficial effect, both on the general condition of the body, and is used as a medicine for specific diseases.

Basic properties

  • Strengthens the immune system, tones up the body well, has a calming effect on the nervous system. Used for GDVI, bronchitis;
  • Restores blood composition - normalizes sugar and hemoglobin levels, promotes the removal of cholesterol and toxins, prevents the development of blood clots;
  • Has an antibacterial effect, promotes wound healing and skin regeneration;
  • Has an anti-inflammatory effect:
  • It has a good effect on the condition of the digestive tract, it is recommended for use in the presence of stomach ulcers or gastritis. Thanks to enzymes, it improves the quality of food assimilation. Helps in the fight against enterocolitis, constipation;
  • It is used in the form of a solution for rinsing the mouth with stomatitis, periodontitis.
  • Normalizes the body's metabolism;
  • Popular in the treatment of gynecological diseases - it helps to restore hormonal levels, accelerates the healing of erosions and wounds, and soothes.
  • Has a diuretic effect.
  • Strengthens blood vessels, increases their elasticity.
  • Has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
  • It showed itself well as a prevention of male diseases, due to the effect on the level of the hormone testosterone in the blood.

Sainfoin honey is widely used in cosmetology: it is used in massage, wrapping, peeling, it is a component of face and hair masks, creams, balms, body scrubs. This element becomes especially effective in combination with other products used in cosmetology - olive oil, lemon juice, yolk, glycerin, oatmeal, sour cream, essential oils.

The main property possessed by honey is a positive effect on the skin - it soothes it well, softens, tones, and promotes regeneration. The skin becomes more toned, supple and hydrated. After applying the honey mask, the hair becomes softer, brighter, more manageable.

Due to its exquisite taste without excessive sweetness and delicate aroma, sainfoin honey is often used in cooking: to create sweets and drinks. In addition, the product adds zest to meat dishes, becomes the basis for wonderful sauces.

Contraindications

There are no special contraindications for using sainfoin honey.

But you should be careful and pay attention to some factors:

  • Individual intolerance to the body. To exclude an allergic reaction, the product should be consumed for the first time in a very small portion or applied to the skin.
  • It is recommended to limit the use of honey for diabetic patients, pregnant women and children under 3 years old.
  • You should not use the product in large quantities for overweight people - it is high in calories and contains a lot of carbohydrates.

Note! An important feature is that you should not heat honey. You don't need to add sweetness to hot tea. At a temperature of 40-45 degrees, it loses its beneficial properties. When heated to 60 degrees, honey releases carcinogens. This poses a certain threat to health.

The main rule when using the product for food is to know when to stop. One to a maximum of two tablespoons of this sweet product per day is the optimal serving. Uncontrolled eating of honey can cause considerable harm to the body.

How to distinguish a fake

If you study the above features of sainfoin honey, it will not be difficult to distinguish an original product from a fake.

How to distinguish a fake

Why doesn't honey smell

The main characteristic of this honey is its unusual color - transparent with a yellow-green tint. It is difficult to confuse the bright scent of rose for which this product is so famous.

Note! Natural sainfoin honey crystallizes within a month after pumping out. Thus, a beautiful transparent delicacy can be purchased only in summer. Closer to autumn, it becomes semi-solid, acquires a beige color. If the seller offers a liquid product in autumn or winter, it means that it is not natural or it was overheated, which badly affects the useful properties of the substance.

Otherwise, the methods of checking sainfoin honey for originality are not much different from the classical methods used in relation to other types.

The main ones are:

  • Structure. The natural product will form a fold in the form of folds when transfused. If you pull with a stick, it will be pulled by a string. When applied to the skin, good honey is easily absorbed.
  • The weight.Quality honey is heavy. On average, 1 liter = 1.5 kg of honey.
  • Appearance. A good product is clean, homogeneous in structure. Foam formation is a sign of immaturity.
  • Taste. Ideally sweet with a touch of astringency. If sourness is felt, the product may be spoiled.

There are several simple ways to test honey for originality:

  • Dip a small piece of bread into the honey. If the product is of good quality, the bread will harden. If it's a fake syrup, it will soften.
  • Heat the tip of a knife, dip in honey. The good sweetness will not leave traces, the fake will caramelize.
  • Dissolve a small amount of product in warm water. The piece substance will not completely dissolve.
  • Add alcohol or iodine to the resulting mixture. If there is a counterfeit, in the first case, the water with honey will become cloudy, in the other - blue.

Storage conditions

Esparcet honey keeps well for a long time. At the same time, it does not need any special storage conditions.

Honey with royal jelly

But some general rules must be followed:

  • Honey is stored only in ceramic, earthenware or glass containers. The use of metal or plastic containers can negatively affect its quality. Air should be avoided - dishes should be hermetically sealed.
  • Young liquid honey is stored at 13-18 degrees Celsius. With the beginning of the sugaring process, the temperature drops to 4-8 degrees.

Remember! It is not recommended to heat and freeze the product - it loses its valuable properties.

  • Air humidity should not exceed 60-65%. Higher rates can significantly shorten shelf life.
  • A container with honey is placed in a dark place or refrigerator.

It is not for nothing that sainfoin honey is one of the most beloved delicacies in the world and is so highly valued. This type has embodied all the best qualities of honey, its beneficial properties, exquisite taste and aroma.

The production of sainfoin honey is a fairly promising beekeeping industry in the Russian regions. This fact is explained by the fact that this product is not yet very widespread in our country, there is no competition, the conditions for its creation are almost ideal.