Of all the existing varieties of honey, May is perhaps one of the most famous and popular, although few people know how, apart from the collection period, this product differs from many others. The review will discuss everything about May honey - about what colors it is made from, what it should be in color, smell and taste, what healing properties it has, as well as how to choose a quality product, and whether it exists a truly reliable way to distinguish it from a fake.

Important! PAcechnik cannot know for sure what his product is made of. One can only guess about the composition of the goodies, and this is very approximate: you cannot force a bee to collect nectar from “useful” flowers and ignore honey plants.

What plants serve as the basis for may honey?

As the name suggests, unlike most of the most common varieties of honey (buckwheat, acacia, linden, heather, chestnut), May characterizes not the type of plant that the bees used to produce it, but the collection period. As a rule, in reality, this term is often referred to as any honey first pumped out in a given season.At the same time, you need to understand that this concept is largely marketing, that is, invented for buyers, while professionals usually do not use it. There is a fundamental mistake in this “philistine” name of goodies, since this product is actually produced not in May, but rather in June, so it would be more correct to call it “June” or, say, “early summer”.

The main thing you need to know about May honey is that it refers to polyfleur, that is, those for the production of which bees use not one specific plant, but several different honey plants that grow nearby and bloom about the same same time.

Important! May honey can be very different depending on the honey plants with which it was collected. The high price of a product is determined by its limited quantity, and not by the characteristics of the composition.

The main "suppliers" of nectar and pollen for the production of bee products of the first pumping can serve:

• bird cherry;
• hazel (hazel);
• fruit trees (cherries, apricots, cherries, apple trees, plums);
• garden shrubs (raspberries, currants, gooseberries);
• alder;
• maple;
• willow;
• Rowan;
• barberry;
• honeysuckle;
• hawthorn;
• buckthorn;
• white acacia;
• almond;
• wild strawberries;
• violet;
• dandelion;
• mother and stepmother.

Of course, the specific composition of the “plant material” that served as the basis for the production of the product depends on climatic conditions, as well as the territorial location of the apiary (that is, on which plants are present in the radius of the bee's flyby).

Description and Features

Given the variety of components and their possible combinations, it is difficult to find two honey that are exactly the same in properties among those called May. The first honey is not intended for long-term storage. Its purpose is to satisfy the bee family's food needs right now, when all winter stocks have already been used up. It is for this reason that conscientious beekeepers who care about the health of the bee colony do not pump out the first production of bees, leaving it in the hive.

Did you know? Scientists have estimated that the inhabitants of modern Russia eat honey 150-200 times less than their distant ancestors, but the missing “sweetness” is more than compensated by sugar - about 41 kg per year per person, with a maximum allowable rate of 38 kg.

An exception can only be especially favorable conditions when the spring turned out to be dry and warm, and the bees after wintering were strong enough to collect a large amount of nectar and harvest it in excess. It is customary to distinguish between two types of May honey - northern and southern. The first is characterized by rapid crystallization (sometimes this period is no more than a month), the second, collected during the flowering period of white acacia, retains its liquid structure for much longer.As for color, it can vary from very light and transparent to dark amber. Greenish, yellow, or orange notes in the substance may also be present. Since the aroma of a bee production product is imparted by the plants from which it is made, May honey can smell differently. If the bees managed to collect nectar from fruit trees, the finished treat will have a rich aroma.

But if the "hunt" was carried out in a meadow or, worse, on a semi-abandoned urban green islands, the "healing nectar" may have the smell of dandelion, wild onions or other weeds. You should also know that freshly pumped May honey almost does not smell, the flavor, whatever it may be, this product gains later, after 2-3 months of aging.

Did you know? Each resident of Germany eats about 1.3 kg of honey per year, which is almost twice the average in Europe, about 2.5 times more than in the USA and Japan and 4 times more than in Russia.

Perhaps one of the few features truly characteristic of May honey, no matter where and how it was collected, is its soft and delicate taste without the characteristic bitterness of later varieties. This feature of the product is explained by the low content of special enzymes in it, which play the role of preservatives. Since the first prey in the bee colony is intended for immediate consumption, the bees prepare it according to the “lightweight” scheme.

Like any honey, May contains a rich set of biologically active components, including:

• simple carbohydrates (fructose and glucose);
• enzymes (amylase, lipase and phospholipase, inulase, invertase, glycogenase, reductase, gluco-, polyphenol, ascorbate and peroxidase);
• minerals (potassium, calcium and phosphorus);
• amino acids (alanine and phenylalanine, valine, tyrosine, threonine, arginine, lysine, serine, leucine and isoleucine, glutamic and aspartic acids, serine);
• alkaloids (caffeine, nicotine, morphine, strychnine, quinine);
• organic acids (malic, citric, tartaric, acetic, oxalic, formic, lactic, gluconic).

Important! A direct contraindication to the use of honey is children's age.

It may sound surprising to someone, but there are not many vitamins in honey. However, the bee product still contains a certain amount:

• ascorbic acid;
• retinol (not always);
• tocopherol (not always);
• water-soluble vitamins (thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, pyridoxine and biotin).

May honey properties

According to the effects on the human body, May honey differs little from other varieties. The main beneficial properties, as well as possible contraindications for use, are similar in all bee products.

Benefit

• The value of the first pumping bee product is that it:
• It has a pronounced antioxidant effect - it removes from the body the products of incomplete redox reactions that cause premature aging, heart attacks, strokes and other problems;
• accelerates all metabolic processes in the body;
• stimulates the protective functions of the body, helps it cope with various infections, including seasonal;
• beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system - relieves depression, relieves fatigue, tones, but at the same time helps to relax;
• possesses anticonvulsant effect;
• improves the state of the cardiovascular system, normalizes blood pressure (the vasodilating effect of treats is useful for hypertensive patients, and its high content of fast carbohydrates eliminates unpleasant symptoms of hypotension);
• increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood, improves its composition;
• stimulates the work of the stomach and intestines, relieves heartburn, diarrhea and constipation;
• It has a general strengthening, anti-inflammatory, healing, antiseptic and analgesic effect;
• stimulates regenerative processes in the body;
• normalizes hormonal balance, increases libido, is a strong aphrodisiac;
• strengthens nails and hair, improves skin condition;
• promotes rapid recovery after illness, including accompanied by the use of potent drugs with a wide range of side effects.

Contraindications

With all its beneficial properties, honey, due to its high enzymatic activity, cannot be consumed in large quantities. Among the direct contraindications to the use of this product is usually called an allergy. However, in reality, an allergy to honey is less common than is customary to say, moreover, since individual intolerance is caused not by the delicacy itself, but by the pollen of certain plants, the presence of an allergy to one of its varieties does not at all mean that it is impossible to use others.

Did you know? When the honey is heated, the substance oxymethylfurfural is released, which is considered hazardous to health. However, scientists refute the myth of the inadmissibility of heat treatment of honey, noting that fried potatoes and drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola contain much more hydroxymethyl furfural, which does not make them less popular.

Since May honey is a multiflore product, the likelihood of an allergy to it is higher, but, on the other hand, changing the manufacturer of the product, this problem can be solved (for example, instead of treats from the northern regions, give preference to goods from the south and vice versa). The position of physicians diverges only with regard to how many years a child should be before he first gets acquainted with this delicacy.

Three numbers usually sound:

• 1 year;
• 2 years;
• 3 years.

Thus, until the age of one year, a treat should be explicitly prohibited, then each family individually decides. However, it should be borne in mind that the danger of honey for children is not so much in its allergenicity as in the risk of infection with botulism, the causative agent of which can be in the hive and in small quantities get into the final product.Among the conditions in which a bee delicacy should be used with caution or temporarily abandon it altogether, it should be mentioned:

• acute inflammatory processes, accompanied by hyperthermia (increased body temperature);
• intestinal disorders;
• exacerbation of ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis and other diseases of the digestive system;
• urolithiasis and some other kidney diseases;
• alcoholism and some other pathologies of a psychic nature;
• diabetes mellitus (the possibility and method of using honey for this disease requires discussion with a doctor).

Important! A method that suggests treating honey as counterfeit if, after applying it to a paper towel on the back, leaves a wet mark, is not reliable: in addition to fakes, it sometimes rejects high-quality products.

Application features

Excellent taste and numerous healing properties of the first pumping honey determine a variety of directions in its use. This product, alone or in combination with other ingredients, can be eaten, combining the resulting pleasure with the benefits brought to the body, and also used as an external remedy, and this method is used both for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

In folk medicine

The traditional areas of use of the May delicacy in folk medicine is the treatment of:

• chronic fatigue syndrome (the body perceives a high content of glucose and fructose as a real energy explosion);
• insomnia and other manifestations of nervous disorders;
• colds, especially accompanied by severe cough and sore throat;
• a hangover (to remove alcohol intoxication products from the body and maintain liver function);
• headaches, including migraines, as well as other conditions associated with severe pain (arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism);
• skin diseases, boils, abscesses, as well as purulent ulcers and wounds;
• various inflammatory processes, including prostatitis;
• metabolic disorders and problems with lack of appetite;
• respiratory diseases, including bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis (as part of complex therapy);
• any other serious illnesses at the stage of recovery - as a tonic, able to quickly recover after suffering exhaustion.

In cosmetology

Among the popular uses of May honey in cosmetology is its inclusion in the composition:

• face masks (cleanse, nourish, improve skin condition);
• hair balms (strengthen, relieve dandruff, give shine);
• scrubs, peels, creams and other body care products;
• products for various spa procedures - massage, gommage, lymphatic drainage, body wraps, aromatherapy.

In cooking

The easiest way to eat honey is to eat it with a spoon or put it on bread instead of butter. However, culinary specialists of the world have found many more interesting options for using this sweet natural product. For example, the rich taste of honey in May makes it an excellent ingredient for preparing marinades and salad dressings (in traditional recipes of Asian cuisine, it is combined with soy sauce, lemon juice and vegetable oil, adapted European versions of the same dishes suggest the addition of mustard) .

Did you know? At the autopsy of the Egyptian tomb, dating back to approximately the XIII century BC. e., archaeologists discovered a hermetically sealed vessel with honey, which, as the inscription on the container testified, belonged to the house of Tutankhamun. At autopsy it turned out that the product had a great taste and aroma, moreover, it remained liquid.

Lubricating the meat or poultry baked whole with a sweet and viscous substance, you can get a beautiful ruddy and crisp. Honey glazing is also used in the preparation of fish and vegetables, but only a few cooks are familiar with this method. There are many recipes for pies, in the preparation of which honey is added to the dough.

Such baking, in addition to its unique taste and aroma, has another valuable property - it remains fresh longer. And honey gingerbreads are famous all over the world. Sweet porridge and cottage cheese are often seasoned with honey, and they are also mixed with milk to season cereal, cereal and other varieties of breakfast cereals.

How to identify a quality product?

The quality of any honey is determined by many criteria, including:

• environmental situation in the region where he was going;
• the type of plants from which pollen and nectar were collected;
• the diet of bees (whether they ate honey or sugar syrup);
• compliance with sanitary requirements in the apiary;
• the use of antibiotics for the prevention of diseases of the bee colony;
• the presence of extraneous additives and harmful impurities.

Unfortunately, there is no simple and reliable way to determine good honey, therefore, when making a purchase, the consumer should focus on two things:

1. Good faith seller.
2. Own sense organs - sight, taste, smell.

Purchase Rules

The qualitative characteristics of honey (water and sugar content, maturity, stability) must comply with the state standard of the country where it is produced. To make sure that the product meets all the requirements is possible only if it has a factory packaging and a label on which there is the necessary information.However, even in this case, the probability of acquiring counterfeit cannot be ruled out.Buying honey at a specialized fair or from a well-known beekeeper has advantages, since the seller’s reputation is sometimes more expensive than any government guarantee. However, in all cases it is necessary to be interested in where and when the product was assembled, after which, armed with our own knowledge, compare the external characteristics of honey with the stated information about its origin.

So, for example, if on the eve of Christmas, “May honey”, collected “in the south of Ukraine”, is sold on the market, but the product has a liquid consistency and practically does not smell, there is no doubt: this is a fake. Honey can be purchased in packaged form or by weight. Both options are acceptable, however, in the first and in the other case, the product must be in clay, porcelain, wooden or ceramic containers.Glass is an acceptable but undesirable option, because in a transparent dish the product “lights up” and loses its properties faster. But plastic and metal are strictly prohibited: in the first case, honey can absorb harmful impurities, in the second, due to the oxidation of the active ingredients of the product, the consequences can be even more sad, up to serious poisoning. In this regard, pay attention to the material from which the packaging is made, when buying honey, you must.

Methods of checking for quality and naturalness

Each mistress has her own secrets on how to check the quality of honey, however, in the case of May, not all of them work. So, for example, when choosing a product it is difficult to focus on color, since it can be different according to the standard, and the manufacturer cannot know the specific list of honey plants from which nectar was collected. The same goes for flavor. But if by the appearance of honey it is difficult to determine that it is May, its quality and naturalness can still be checked.

Here are some common ways to do this:

1. Color, transparency and texture. May may have different shades, but it should not contain impurities and sediment, in addition, the substance, if it is liquid, should not be cloudy.
2. Smell. Ripe may honey may smell different, but the complete lack of aroma suggests that we have sugar syrup. Sour smell is a sure sign of fermentation (just like the presence of foam).
3. Viscosity. A natural product drains from a spoon with a heavy wave or stretches with a thread, but never drips. A hill is formed at the place of runoff, retaining its shape for some time.
4. Consistency. When rubbed between the fingers, real honey is completely absorbed into the skin, while foreign impurities present in it will slide into lumps.
5. Taste. If you hold the honey in your mouth and then slowly swallow it, the burning sensation should remain on the tongue, in the case of May honey, very weak.

The presence of impurities in the product can be determined using such experiments:

1. Dilute honey in hot water and add a little iodine. A blue reaction indicates the presence of starch.
2. Anneal the stainless steel wire and lower it into the substance. If the product is natural, the wire will remain clean.
3. Add some honey to mild tea. The color of the drink should darken, and the substance should completely dissolve in it.
4. Put a drop of honey on paper and set fire to it. If the substance melts, sugar is added to it. A good product should retain both color and texture.
5. Mix honey with distilled water. Many impurities will precipitate.
6. Separate a small amount of honey solution and add alcohol there. A yellow precipitate indicates that sugar was added to the product.
7. Add vinegar to another portion of the solution. Hissing indicates the presence of chalk impurities.

Storage Methods and Rules

Ripe honey can be stored for many years, and the exact shelf life of the product can not be called. The shelf life of the goodies depends on several factors, including:

• the initial quality of the raw material (the presence of impurities in it, the so-called paddy, pathogenic microflora and other doubtful components);
• temperature conditions (the product is best stored at a stable temperature in the range of +3 ... + 10 ° C);
• humidity (the less it is, the longer the product will last);
• the presence of ventilation and the absence of drafts;
• lighting (honey should be stored in an opaque container in a dark place);
• the material from which the container is made and the tightness of the package.

To say that May honey is especially useful is fundamentally wrong. In fact, the medicinal properties of this product are much more ambiguous than monoflera varieties, with respect to which it is precisely known which plants they are made from. However, it can be said with all responsibility that the taste of May honey is especially delicate and mild, and if the product was purchased from a conscientious and honest beekeeper, then such a product can be successfully used as a treat and as a natural cure for many diseases.