When you think of honey, you probably think of wildflower honey: the classic, golden-yellow honey found in almost every household. Yet, wildflower honey is actually a collective term for an entire group of honey varieties. In this article, we explain what wildflower honey is exactly, how it's made, and what distinguishes it from more specific types of honey.
What is Wildflower Honey?
Wildflower honey, also called polyfloral honey, is honey that bees produce from the nectar of diverse flowers and plants in their surroundings. Unlike, for example, Manuka honey or thyme honey, which predominantly come from one specific plant, bees visit countless different flower species for wildflower honey: clover, fruit blossoms, dandelions, linden blossoms, and many more, depending on what is blooming in the season.
Because the bees themselves decide which flowers they visit, no two harvests of wildflower honey are identical. The composition varies by region, by season, and even by year, depending on which plants bloomed well that year. This makes every pot of wildflower honey a little bit unique.
How is Wildflower Honey Made?
Bees collect nectar from the flower cups of blooming plants and bring it back to the beehive. There, the nectar is transferred to other bees, who add enzymes to it and slowly reduce the moisture content by "fanning" it with their wings. Once the moisture content is low enough, the bees seal the honeycomb with a thin layer of beeswax. The beekeeper only harvests the honey when the combs are sufficiently sealed, which guarantees that the honey has "ripened" sufficiently.
Spring, Summer, and Autumn Honey: Also Wildflower Honey
Within the category of wildflower honey, there is often a further subdivision by harvest time. Spring honey is harvested early in the season and has a lighter color and fresher taste due to blossoms from fruit trees and willows, for example. Summer honey is harvested later, when bees visit linden blossoms and clover, among other things, and therefore has a warmer, slightly deeper taste. Autumn honey is often a mixture of the last blooms of the season. All these variants fundamentally fall under wildflower honey, but differ slightly in taste and color due to the harvest time.
What is the Difference with Other Honey Varieties?
The main difference between wildflower honey and other honey varieties lies in the nectar source:
- Acacia honey comes almost exclusively from the acacia tree. Due to its high fructose content, this honey remains liquid for a long time and has a mild, subtle taste.
- Thyme honey comes from the thyme plant and has a distinct, herbal taste that clearly differs from the milder wildflower honey.
- Manuka honey comes from the Manuka bush in New Zealand, naturally contains methylglyoxal (MGO) and is therefore separately certified and priced.
- Heather honey comes from the heather plant, is dark in color and has a full, firm texture that distinguishes it from the softer wildflower honey.
Wildflower honey itself is therefore not a separate "flavor", but a mix: the result of everything that is blooming in the vicinity of the beehive at a certain moment. As a result, the taste is generally milder and rounder than with mono-floral varieties, and less predictable from pot to pot.
Does Wildflower Honey Also Differ in Crystallization?
Yes. Wildflower honey contains relatively more glucose compared to fructose, causing it to crystallize faster than, for example, acacia honey. Crystallization is a completely natural process and not a sign of spoilage: the honey changes texture (firmer and grainier), but remains perfectly edible. If you want to liquefy the honey again, place the jar au bain-marie in warm water of a maximum of 40°C.
How to Use Wildflower Honey?
Thanks to its mild taste, wildflower honey is versatile: pure from the spoon, with yogurt or cereals, on bread, in warm tea (not boiling), or as a natural sugar substitute in baking. Because the taste is not overpowering, wildflower honey combines well with both sweet and savory dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is wildflower honey? Honey that bees make from the nectar of diverse flowers and plants, instead of from one specific plant species. Also called polyfloral honey.
What is the difference between wildflower honey and mono-floral honey? Wildflower honey originates from a mix of flower species, while mono-floral honey such as acacia, thyme, or Manuka honey predominantly comes from one plant and therefore has a more pronounced, recognizable flavor profile.
Why doesn't wildflower honey taste the same every year? Because the composition depends on which flowers bloomed that season in the vicinity of the beehive. This makes each harvest slightly different.
Does wildflower honey crystallize faster than other honey? Yes, generally faster than acacia honey, for example, due to the higher glucose ratio. This is a natural process and does not affect the quality.
Curious about our wildflower honey? View the full assortment at Honingwinkel.nl.
