How Is Manuka Honey Produced?
Manuka honey is produced by bees collecting nectar from the mānuka plant (Leptospermum scoparium). You may have heard about the potential benefits of Manuka. It contains special health properties used to support digestion, health, and healing. With so many benefits providing so many uses, questions invariably crop up as to how the honey is produced.
In this blog, we will be talking about the origin and process of production of manuka honey.
Origin of Manuka Honey
Leptospermum Scoparium historically used to be considered as a weed and many years ago farmers used to pull Manuka from the fields, that was before its purported benefits were known. The prolific bush-type tree is often the first species to grow upon cleared land which is more commonly referred to as the ‘Manuka tree.’ The flowers it produces contain a genetic makeup that makes them stand out for its antibacterial activity amongst other types of honey. When the honeybee arrives to pollinate with the flowers, it takes that special nectar away to their hives to store in their honeycombs.
The Manuka plant only flowers 2- 6 weeks of the year, this makes the presence of genuine Manuka relatively rare and that is what makes Manuka honey one of nature’s special gifts of all times.
Process of making Manuka honey
- The Manuka pollination process that will eventually create honey, is undertaken by the western honey bee1 (also known as ‘the European honey bee’) – the most common bee species worldwide.
- Once the honeybees start their collection of pollen and nectar, they pollinate with the flower. A whole colony will stay until the nectar supplies have been used up; helping to get the most out of the flowers they pollinate with.
- Honeybees have a second stomach to store the collected nectar in (think ‘backpack’) which provides an opportunity for it to be mixed with enzymes that allow for long-term storage.
- Once the process is complete, the honeybee will fly back to the hive and pass the materials they’ve taken from the flowers to worker bees. This is done by regurgitating the nectar into the mouth of the worker, who will go on to place the nectar into a honeycomb that it has built especially to store the material.
- During the early period of storage, the nectar still contains a large concentration of water, so the bees will push the evaporation process along by moving their wings and then seal up the honeycomb with liquid taken from its abdomen, creating what we commonly call ‘beeswax2’.
- Just when the plants start to flower, the beekeepers place their hives into these Manuka-growth areas in order to acquire Manuka honey. The foraging area around a beehive can extend for around two miles, which makes it crucial to identify which areas have an abundant growth of Manuka.
- As Manuka trees only experience a flowering season of 2-6 weeks, timing plays a significant role in the production process.
Healthy 5’s manuka honey is pure with no additives and that is what makes it even more special. Made by bees that collect nectar from the Mānuka tree, the essence of the honey is delivered just as nature intended. It is extensively researched and recognised for its remarkable natural qualities.
Healthy 5 follows the authentic process of honey production and delivers nature’s best gift in the most luxurious form.
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