ΤΡΥΓΟΣ ΜΕΛΙΟΥ ΣΤΗΝ ΝΕΑ ΖΗΛΑΝΔΙΑ

ΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΟ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΟ ΕΛΑΙΟΛΑΔΟ Ν.Ζηλανδίας

Η παράθεση των παρακάτω αναρτήσεων έγινε(χρειάζεται πολλή μετάφραση και μελέτη..) για να παρουσιαστεί(όσο γίνεται) η προηγμένη μελισσοκομία της Ν.Ζηλανδίας(θα μου πεις ρε φίλε εάν έβρεχε και εδώ 3000-4000mm βροχής θα σου έλεγα εγώ!!). Συμφωνώ αλλά....

Δεν έγινε ούτε για να το παίξω έξυπνος ή ξερόλας, αλλά για να πάρουμε μια ιδέα το τί γίνεται παγκοσμίως στον χώρο της μελισσοκομίας .

Μια χώρα, η οποία από την άλλη άκρη της γής, ''παίζει μπάλα'' σε πολλούς τομείς όπως γεωργία και κτηνοτροφία με θαυμαστά αποτελέσματα(έχουν σπαρθεί 350.000 στρ ελιές και μην εκπλαγείται εάν δείτε ΕΞΑΙΡΕΤΙΚΟ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΟ ΕΛΑΙΟΛΑΔΟ Ν.Ζηλανδίας!! σε λίγα χρόνια στην παγκόσμια αγορά.

Έρευνα, δουλειά και επαγγελματισμός είναι το μυστικό της επιτυχίας.

Μπορούμε από πολλά να διδαχθούμε και από πολλά να πάρουμε ιδέες, αρκεί να υπάρχει η ΔΙΑΘΕΣΗ για κάτι καινούργιο, για κάτι θετικό......

ΕΝΖΥΜΑ ΤΟΥ ΜΕΛΙΟΥ

Honey can contain a number of different enzymes. Some of these are introduced by bees, and some are found in the nectar. As with most aspects of honey, different nectar/honey sources have widely varying enzyme activity. Typically enzymes are proteins of complex structure that catalyse a specific chemical reaction. They are sensitive to heat, visible and UV light and other forms of energy such as microwaves

Of all the enzymes in honey, Diastase and Invertase have received the most attention. They are introduced to honey by bees but their presence [in fresh honey] is variable. Factors that affect their presence are thought to be nectar composition and concentration, the age of the bees, and the intensity of the nectar flow. e.g. an intense flow of nectar with a high concentration usually yields low values for diastase and invertase activity.

Diastase

In simplistic terms, this enzyme is responsible for converting starch to dextrins and sugars and is introduced into honey by the bees. Its main point of interest is as an indicator of heating - much like HMF and is usually used in conjunction with HMF. It is measured with an empirical scale - the Gothe scale. Some honeys are naturally very low in Diastase. The Codex standard has a minimum of 8 on the Gothe scale for Diastase and a special category for honeys low in Diastase of 3. However in the case of honeys low in Diastase, the HMF must not be more than 10 mg/kg (compared with the more normal 80 mg/kg).

Half Life of Diastase in Honey
20°C	1,480 days	The "half life" is the time taken for half of the activity of the enzyme to disappear.
30°C	200 days
40°C	31 days
50°C	5.38 days
60°C	1.05 days
70°C	5.3 hours
80°C	1.2 hours

Invertase

Invertase is the most significant enzyme in honey in relation to the amount of work done, and is primarily responsible for converting sucrose in nectar to glucose and fructose. Since most ripe honey has very little sucrose (usually less then 5%) this enzyme's work is done very early on in the life of honey.

Half Life of Invertase in Honey
20°C	820 days	Invertase becomes inactivated more quickly than diastase at the same temperatures.
30°C	83 days
40°C	9.6 days
50°C	1.28 days
60°C	4.7 hours
70°C	47 minutes
80°C	8.6 minutes

Glucose Oxidase

Glucose Oxidase (GOX) is of interest in relation to antibacterial properties in honey. It catalyses glucose to form gluconic acid and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) - the main agent responsible for antibacterial activity in most honeys. GOX activity (usually measured by its production of H2O2) is highly variable in differing honeys. It appears that GOX activity is related to specific honey sources e.g. beech honeydew usually has a high level of activity.

The activity of GOX is reduced by heat, light and other forms of energy such as microwaves. Some honeys appear to lose GOX activity with even small amounts of visible light while other honeys can retain their GOX activity exposure to stong sunlight.

GOX is thought to be mostly added to honey by bees. There is some evidence that there are at least two variants of this enzyme coming from different parts of the bee - and this may explain the apparent variance in some GOX's sensitivity to heat/light etc. GOX is also produced by various other sources (e.g. Aspergillus niger is a common source of commercially available GOX) and it is possible that some of these may find their way into honey under some circumstances.

Gluconic acid is the main acid found in honey and usually accounts for most of a honey's acidity. The production of gluconic acid and H2O2 is very slow in ripe honey and most of this production takes place as the honey is being ripened and dried by the bees. If honey is diluted then this reaction speeds up again. This is an important factor that greatly affects the antibacterial property of a honey. At this time we have no published data on the half life of GOX, but references to its stability indicate that this is highly variable.

Catalase

Catalase is recorded in some honeys and its presence is thought to be derived from the nectar i.e. a plant source. Catalase decomposes H2O2 so its presence will produce a decrease in the antibacterial activity produced from GOX activity. It is possible that some of the variability of apparent H2O2 production is due to the presence or absence of catalase in the nectar from a particular plant species.

Antibacterial Honey Lozenges

Made almost entirely from Manuka and Honeydew ACTIVE AAH™ honeys, these lozenges are unlike anything you’ve ever had before. ACTIVE AAH™ honeys are high in antibacterial activity, antioxidants and oligosaccharides. To findout more about ACTIVE AAH™ honeys click here.

Airborne Health Antibacterial Honey Lozenges are effective at soothing sore throats, coughs and colds: in a recent study, honeys high in antioxidants were shown to be more effective at soothing coughs than cough medicine. They’re also a lot safer than other lozenges as they don’t contain any chemical ingredients, many of which have limited or no research on their safety once consumed.

Airborne Health Antibacterial Honey Lozenges are:

• The only lozenge that targets sore throats and coughs
• The only lozenge that is made almost entirely from honey – even other ‘honey’ lozenges contain sugar or artificial ingredients as their first ingredient
• High in Vitamin C, which is believed to help recovery from colds
• High in natural antibacterial activity and oligosaccharides
• The only lozenge high in antioxidants
• Made with a patented process, only Airborne Health Antibacterial Honey Lozenges contain honey that is dried, not boiled, which retains the natural health properties of the ACTIVE AAH™ honeys.

ΜΕΛΙ ΜΕ ΑΝΤΙΒΑΚΤΗΡΙΑΚΕΣ ΑΤΙΟΞΕΙΔΩΤΙΚΕΣ ΙΔΙΟΤΗΤΕΣ-Antibacterial Antioxidant Honey

Airborne Health honeys

ACTIVE AAH (Antibacterial Antioxidant Honey) is an extensively researched and proven antibacterial and antioxidant factor in honey. Only Airborne Health Manuka, Honeydew and Thyme contain ACTIVE AAH. They are the only honeys in New Zealand that are high in antibacterial activity, antioxidants and oligosaccharides.

Airborne Health are the best health honeys because they are high in:

Antibacterial activity
Honeys high in antibacterial activity have been proven to improve wound healing, and can help to improve your health. Airborne Health Manuka, Honeydew and Thyme have up to 173% more antibacterial activity than New Zealand Clover honey. As every case differs, please check with your doctor before using these honeys as a wound dressing.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants deactivate free-radicals, which are caused by air, sunlight and pollution. They have been medically recognised as the cause of degenerative skin diseases, such as wrinkles and skin discolouration and can damage cells and harm the immune system. Eating foods high in antioxidants can help limit these negative effects.

Oligosaccharides
Oligosaccharides help maintain and increase the number of ‘good’ bacteria in the digestive system and reduce the amount of ‘bad’ bacteria (particularly beneficial after taking antibiotics). They also increase absorption of calcium and magnesium, and help eliminate toxins.

Scientifically proven
Extensive research was undertaken by Dr Geoffrey Savage, Associate Professor of Food Biochemistry at Lincoln University, on antibacterial and antioxidant activity (ACTIVE AAH) in New Zealand honeys. He is a world-renowned food biochemist and one of New Zealand’s leading authorities on the health benefits of antioxidants in food. Dr Savage and his team found that:
Airborne Manuka, Honeydew and Thyme contained extremely high, naturally occurring levels of antibacterial activity and antioxidants – far more than any other honey varietals.
Airborne Honeydew also contained oligosaccharides, which improve gut health.

Testing
ACTIVE AAH honeys are unique because they are the only health honeys that are rigorously tested by reliable scientific methods. This guarantees that every jar contains the activity rating stated on the front of the pack and therefore that every jar is active – something only Airborne Health can guarantee.
Every jar also contains a pollen count, which indicates how much pollen is in the honey. Airborne Health contains the maximum amount of pollen in each jar, ensuring it contains only the best quality active honey available.

Usage
For maximum benefit take 2-3 tsp daily.

Health tips
Try eating Honeydew with yoghurt. The oligosaccharides in Honeydew provide food for the good bacteria in the yoghurt (acidophilus and bifidus), ensuring that the yoghurt delivers maximum health benefits.

ΚΡΕΜΩΔΗΣ ΜΕΛΙ-CREAMED HONEY

Creamed honey is 100% pure honey - there is nothing extra added. The "creaming" process relies on, and enhances, honey's natural tendency to crystallize. Utilizing this feature creates a product with a very small crystal size (less than 25 microns - 0.025mm), so small that the product appears smooth and silky. The interlocking nature of these crystals gives the product its smooth, thick, spreadable texture. The "pearly" appearance of good quality creamed honey is evidence of the small crystal size. When small crystals form they are flat in shape. Any disturbance in the product (such as when the jars are filled - see picture on right) causes the crystals to be aligned together. The flat sides of the crystals reflect light while the edges do not. This effect creates a pattern of light and dark "swirls" in the honey - creamed honey at its best! From early development in the 1930s creamed honey has become a large part of the New Zealand consumer's diet.
	Approx. 80% of all honey sold in New Zealand is sold in this form. The acceptance of high quality creamed honey by the New Zealand consumer has led to the exceptional level of honey consumption of 2 kilos per person. This is unequaled anywhere in the World and is a point worth noting by countries looking to increase their own honey consumption.
	Airborne has many years experience producing creamed honey and was one of the early pioneers of this process. Today with exacting honey selection and controlled production techniques, Airborne produces some of the best creamed honey available anywhere. A useful tip! Sometimes when you buy creamed honey, it is too hard to use easily. This is because most of the crystallizing has happened after the jar was filled and it has "set:" hard. If you microwave the jar (around 30 seconds on high for 500 grams) it will soften - and it stays soft!

HMF (HydroxyMethylFurfuraldehyde)

HMF (HydroxyMethylFurfuraldehyde) is used as an indicator of heat and storage changes in honey.

• HMF is formed by the breakdown of fructose in the presence of an acid.
• Heat increases the speed of this reaction.
• The increase in speed is exponential with increasing heat.
• HMF occurs naturally in most honeys and usually increases with the age and heat treatment of honey.
• HMF's occurrence and accumulation in honey is variable depending on honey type.
  

While today HMF is used as an indicator of heating or storage at elevated temperatures, it was first used (as early as 1908) as an indicator of the adulteration of honey with invert syrups (syrups of glucose and fructose). Cane sugar (sucrose) is "inverted" by heating with a food acid, and this process creates HMF. However it was quickly realized that heated natural honey also had higher levels of HMF and therefore the interest switched from being an indicator of adulteration, to that of an indicator of heating and storage changes. It should be noted however that high levels of HMF (greater than 100 mg/kg) can still be an indicator of adulteration with inverted sugars.

It should be noted that HMF is not a harmful substance in levels found in food. Many sugar type products (e.g. Golden Syrup, Molasses etc.) have levels of HMF that are 10-100 times that of honey. Many food items sweetened with high fructose corn syrups, e.g. carbonated soft drinks, can have levels of HMF between 100 and 1,000 mg/kg.

Fresh natural honey can have varying levels of HMF. Normally this is below 1 mg/kg but levels soon start to rise with ambient temperatures above 20°C. It should be noted that temperatures in the beehive can rise to over 40°C during summer months (when the main honey crop is in progress). It is usual for HMF to be below 10 mg/kg in fresh extracted honey. Levels higher than this may indicate excessive heating during the extraction process.

Many countries impose maximum levels for HMF. The Codex level is currently set at 80 mg/kg, but was set at 40mg/kg for many years, a level still used in Germany, the World's largest importer. This twofold difference in imposed levels shows that HMF is not a simple subject and that many anomalies arise throughout the varied honey World.

Honey that is traded in a bulk form is usually required to be below 10 or 15mg/kg to enable further processing and then give some shelf life before a level of 40 mg/kg is reached. It is not uncommon for honey sold in hot climates to be well over 100 mg/kg. This is mostly due to the ambient temperatures (over 35°C) that honey is exposed to in the distribution channel.

The time taken to accumulate HMF at varying temperatures has had considerable research. The most important thing to remember is that this is variable. However work by White, Kushnir & Subers in 1964 indicated the following approximate ranges for accumulation of HMF.

Time for 30 mg/kg HMF to accumulate (based on 3 samples)
30°C	100-300 days	It can be seen that honey held at an ambient temperature over 30°C for 6 months will accumulate more HMF than the same honey flash heated to 70°C for 5 minutes and then rapidly cooled.
40°C	20-50 days
50°C	4-10 days
60°C	1-2.5 days
70°C	3-5 hours
80°C	<>

Measuring HMF

There are 3 main methods in current use for measuring HMF. The oldest of these is "The Winkler" method. This method is a photometric method that is used extensively in Germany. It used to be listed in the AOAC but was dropped some years ago due to concerns regarding the carcinogenic nature of one of the reagents (toluidine). The two methods currently in the AOAC are a direct measurement using HMF's absorbance at 284nm and an HPLC method that uses the same absorbance property. The HPLC method is the most recent method added to the AOAC and is gaining widespread popularity. We use the HPLC method at Airborne.

There are often diferences in results between the methods due to unforseen or unresearched variabilities in some honeys. It is important to use comparable methods when comparing results for specific samples.

ΣΥΝΤΑΓΕΣ ΜΕ ΜΕΛΙ

Recipes

Rata Honey Ice Cream - Rata, Rewarewa, Thyme, Honeydew Stir Fried Pork/Chicken/Beef - Manuka Crispy Roast Chicken - Clover Honey Gingerbread Men - Manuka Honey Fudge Sauce - Vipers Bugloss Honey Mustard Sauce - Kamahi Mulled Wine - Vipers Bugloss Quick Barbecue Sauce - Nodding Thistle Kiwifuit Muffins - Kamahi Chinese Pork and Mushroom - Manuka Ginger Spiced Honey Cake (Peynenburg Koek) - Kamahi Honey-Glazed Corned Beef - Thyme Honey Low Fat Comb Honey Muffins - Comb Honey

	RATA HONEY ICE CREAM
	½ cup (100gms) RATA HONEY 4 Tablespoons water 4 egg yolks 300 mls whipped cream
	Melt the honey and water together slowly until the honey has dissolved. Stir, then bring the liquid to a rolling boil, until there are little even-sized bubbles all the way across the pot. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric beater. With the beater running, slowly pour in the hot syrup. Continue whisking until the mixture has cooled and is double its volume, or as thick as whipped cream. Fold whipped cream into mixture, checking sweetness. Pour into a mould, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 8 hours. To Serve Leave at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly. Run a knife around mould, sit mould momentarily in 2.5 cm of hot water and put ice-cream onto a serving platter. Garnish with Southern Rata flowers if possible. Serves 6 Try the same recipe with REWAREWA, THYME or HONEYDEW for a gourmet tasting treat!

	STIR FRIED PORK (or CHICKEN or BEEF )
	2 tbsp soya sauce 2 tbsp sherry 2 tbsp MANUKA HONEY or HONEYDEW 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tbsp chopped ginger 1 clove garlic 1 chopped onion 1 green pepper 120 mls fruit juice 500 gms pork pieces 1 tbsp Five Spice
	Combine soya sauce, sherry, honey, cornflour, ginger, garlic, and fruit juice. Marinate pork in this for at least half an hour. Heat wok or frypan and with a little oil, fry pork until browned. Add onion and pepper and then the marinade. Stir until thickened. Serve with rice or egg noodles.

	CRISPY ROAST CHICKEN
	1 chicken 3 tbsp CLOVER HONEY 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp oregano stuffing of your choice
	For a chicken with a golden glaze, superb eating and crispy skin: Stuff a chicken with your favourite stuffing. Roast in your usual manner, but half an hour before the chicken is finished, spread honey all over it, sprinkle with paprika and oregano. Return to oven til cooked.

	HONEY GINGERBREAD MEN
	100 gms butter (4ozs) ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg yolk 2 ½ cups plain white flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp ground ginger 3 Tbsp MANUKA HONEY currants for eyes
	Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk well then slowly add the dry ingredients which have been sifted together. Soften the honey either by microwaving for 30 seconds on HIGH (100% power) or in a small saucepan using low heat. Add to the other ingredients, mix well then knead lightly. Divide dough into two. Roll dough out between two sheets of greaseproof paper and using a special gingerbread man cutter, cut out biscuits. Push two currants into the head to represent eyes. Lift onto lightly greased oven trays and bake in a moderate oven (180°C - 350°F) for 10-12 minutes. Cool on trays

	HONEY FUDGE SAUCE
	385ml can evaporated milk ½ cup VIPERS BUGLOSS HONEY ½ cup cocoa
	Mix evaporated milk, honey and cocoa in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth. Let it boil for three minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Serve hot or cold. Delicious sauce for icecream

	HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE
	Ό cup Dijon-style mustard 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed, Όcup KAMAHI HONEY 2 tablespoons white wine/vinegar 2 teaspoons olive oil Salt and Peper to tatse.
	Combine mustard and tarragon in medium bowl: mix well. Gradually blend in honey. Whisk in vinegar and oil, mixing well.Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with turkey or pork. Makes about ½ cup.

	MULLED WINE
	2 sticks cinnamon 2 cups fruit juice 1 litre red wine 1 cup brandy 2 tbsp VIPERS BUGLOSS HONEY pinch cloves pinch coriander a few mandarin segments
	Combine everything in a pot or casserole dish. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Sip and relax in front of the fire.

	QUICK BARBECUE SAUCE
	1/2 cup soy sauce 3/4 cup NODDING THISTLE HONEY 3/4 cup tomato sauce 2 cloves crushed garlic
	Mix all ingredients together. May marinate meat in this mix for 15 minutes but not really necessary. As the meat is grilling, baste with the mix regularly until cooked. Tastes great with kebabs too!!

	KIWIFRUIT MUFFINS
	Ό cup KAMAHI HONEY Όcup sugar 50 grams butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup milk 1½cup self-rasing flour pinch salt 3 Kiwifruit- peeled, cored and diced
	Melt honey, sugar and butter together in a microwave on HIGH (100%) for 60 seconds. Beat in the egg then the soda until frothy. Add remaining ingredients and mix to just dampen dry ingredients. Ύ fill lightly greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated 200°C (390°F) oven for 15-20 minutes or until just cooked. Serve hot or cold split and buttered.

	CHINESE PORK AND MUSHROOM
	1 Tbsp oil 2 Tbsp MANUKA HONEY 500gm boneless pork chops 500gm sliced mushrooms 3 spring onions sliced 1 stick sliced celery 2 medium green capsicums,sliced 1 "OXO" chicken stock cube ½ cup boiling water 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp chopped ginger
	Trim fat from Pork chops and slice into thin strips. Heat oil in wok or pan. Add pork and stir until it loses it's pink colour. Add vegetables and ginger and stir to cook through. Vegetables should still be crisp. Combine OXO cube and water. Add honey and cornstarch to stock. Pour over vegetables. Sir and cook until liquid in bottom of wok is thickened and vegetables and pork are nicely glazed. Serve with white rice.

	GINGER SPICED HONEY CAKE (Peynenburg Koek)
	400g Rye Flour 7g baking powder ½ Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda ½ Tsp Ground Ginger (or ½ Tbsp Chopped Crystallized Ginger) 3 Heaped Tsp Mixed Spices (Cinamon, Nutmeg, Mace, Cloves, Coriander, Cardamon) 75g Castor Sugar 250g KAMAHI HONEY 275ml water
	Lodge a basin over a saucedpan of hot water and melt the sugar with the honey. Dulute with water. Sift in remaining ingredients and stir well until mixture is smooth. Transfer to a greased cake tin and bake on 160°C for about 1½ hour

	THYME HONEY - GLAZED CORNED BEEF
	1.5 kg piece corned beef 2tbsps THYME HONEY 1 onion halved and not peeled 1 orange quartered 1 bay leaf a few sprigs of fresh thyme 4 whole allspice (optional) Place the corned beef in a large saucean and cover with water. Add thyme honey, onion, orange, bay leaf, thyme and allspice and bring slowly to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, Cook the corned beef for one hour. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables.
	6 baby whole onions 2 carrots peeled and cut into baton lengths, about the size of your index finger 2 parsnips cut and peeled into 1cm slices on the angle 2 baby swede peeled and cut into rounds about ½ cm thick. 1 tbsp extra thyme honey 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme Remove the saucepan from the heat and take out the orange, onion, bay leaf, thyme and allspice with a slotted spoon. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Remove the corned beef from the cooking water. Using a sharp knife cut a criss cross pattern on the fat. Spread with an extra tablespoon of thyme honey and place under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove the vegetables and toss these with the butter, another tablespoon of honey (optional) and the chopped fresh thyme. Serve the corned beef sliced with the winter vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes with a smidgen of grated onion or chopped chives in them.

LOW FAT COMB HONEY MUFFINS - With Apple and Cinnamon

This is a little known trick for the use of comb honey. The beeswax in this recipe replaces the butter or other fats normaly used in making muffins. The beeswax provides the flavour carrying characteristics of the fats but as we do not have the appropriate enzymes to digest beeswax, it does not provide any calorific input! This recipe will also work for other muffin mixtures. 200gms comb honey 160gms flour 2 eggs 1 apple finely chopped 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon Method: Place the comb honey and eggs in a food processor, blend together until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Sieve the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and add to the mixture. Combine lightly with a wooden spoon (Important!! Do not beat or mix vigorously!!). Add the chopped apple and mix lightly to combine. Place mixture into well greased muffing tins (½ full). Bake for 20 minutes at 185° Celsius (365°F). Notes: Makes 12 muffins. If using a convection/fan oven drop the temperature back to 170° Celsius (340°F) If using mini muffin tins they will take approximately 12 minutes.

ΜΕΛΙ ΚΗΡΗΘΡΑΣ

Comb Honey is the most natural form of honey. The honey comb is made from beeswax, which in turn is made from nectar gathered by honeybees. Presented as the bees created it, Honey Comb is pure and unprocessed. As one of the premium suppliers of this quality form of honey, New Zealand exports approximately 250 tonnes per annum in various forms. Usage/Benefits Honey Comb has many uses. These include use as a spread on toast or bread, a snack on its own, in cooking, crushed over breakfast fruits such as kiwifruit, grapefruit etc. or as a gourmet treat. When used as a spread, the comb is eaten along with the bread and almost passes unnoticed, but has a certain delicate flavour of its own. The wax comb is perfectly edible. Sealed in the Honey Comb by the bees, Honey Comb has better retention of flavour and aroma to that of extracted and processed honeys. The fresh bouquet is sealed in. Many mono floral honey types exhibit their best characteristics in Honey Comb form - a unique gourmet treat. New Zealand honey is free from many problems associated with honey from other parts of the World such as pollution fallout and chemical residues. Honey comb from New Zealand is therefore among the purest honeys in the World. Many honeys have a natural tendency to crystallise. In Honey Comb this sometimes shows up as a certain sugary consistency. While this condition is uncommon, it is perfectly natural and the nutritional value of the product is unchanged. Production Processing Honey Comb is seasonal and as such supplies can be limited by poor production seasons. With special storage facilities however Airborne is able to offer high quality product throughout the year within the limits of average production. The crop is produced in the Southern Hemisphere Summer around December - January and the first production of new season's product becomes available around March - April. There are no chemicals or drugs used in the production of Airborne's Honey comb. "Fumigation", unlike most other countries, is carried out by freezing to -18°C rather than using chemical fumigants. Airborne produces mostly "cut comb". This is cut from the original frames of Honey Comb produced in the beehive. After passing inspection, this is then placed in the final container ready for consumption. Honey Comb is produced in frames that are specially prepared for the purpose. The sheet of "foundation" wax that is placed in the middle of the frame to guide the bees is made from pure beeswax and only "Thin Super" foundation is used. This is approx. 2/3 the weight of foundation used in normal beekeeping management and greatly reduces the amount of wax in the centre of the product. Most of the Honey Comb produced is clover (Trifolium repens), but other honey types are sometimes available. These include Vipers Bugloss, Manuka and Honeydew. Polyflora lines are also available. Packaging A range of Honey Comb sizes and presentations is available. In cut comb this includes 100 gm round, 150 gm square, 200 gm round and 340 gm square sizes. A 1 kg catering size and full frames direct from the hive (averaging around 2.8 kilos net) can also be supplied. These can be used for further cutting for cut comb, chunk honey or the frames may be used for display purposes such as catering in hotels etc. 100 Gram Cut Comb 150 Gram Cut Comb 340 Gram Cut Comb Buyers own labels can be economically arranged for volumes as low as 10,000 units. Display outers are also available. Storage/Distribution Things to Consider for storage and distribution of Honey Comb are : The product is Fragile. The product must be kept upright at all times. It should always be displayed on the flat. Temperature range should be between 20°C and 30°C Crystallization of honey occurs most rapidly at 14°C - this temperature therefore should be avoided. Sending product by mail order and courier will often result in some damage to the product's appearance, a result of being inverted in transit. Honey Comb is successfully transported in pallet quantities all over the World. Delivery times from placement of order vary due to : Development time for labels for order. Size of order Shipping availability, shipping time. Availability of product. Standing orders are filled first. It is therefore advantageous to place an order prior to the season to ensure supplies are allocated for your order.

Το φυτό Rewarewa

Rewarewa

Rewarewa or New Zealand Honeysuckle (Knightia excelsa) is a member of the Protea family (Proteaceae) and is found throughout the North Island of New Zealand and in the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island. A tree growing up to 30 metres high, conical in shape, and with a trunk up to 1 metre in diameter, Rewarewa flowers from October to December with a complicated flower structure adapted to bird pollination. This stucture's purpose is to prevent cross pollination. Pollen Representation Thepollen grains of Rewarewa are large (around 40 - 50 microns) and as with many bird pollinated plants, the pollen bearing anthers are separated from the nectaries by some distance. Few pollen grains therefore find their way into the nectar and this produces a honey with a low pollen representation. Moar (1985) suggested that this honey type requires at least 10% pollen to classify as a monofloral honey. This also corresponds to a low total pollen content with a normal range for this figure of 40,000 to 120,000 total pollen grains per 10gms of honey. It is possible in years of very good production to get levels of over 60% Rewarewa pollen. However this only occurs very rarely, and must also accompany good hive management practises for targetting mononfloral honeys. The most common other pollen type found in Rewarewa honey is Kamahi which flowers in a similar time period. Colour Rewarewa honey is an amber colour averaging 92.9 mm (Pfund Scale) with a standard deviation of 9.5mm. This is within 10 mm colour of the average colour of manuka honey and the two can be confused on this basis. Rewarewa has a definite redish brown tint to its colour. While manuka is a more expensive honey than rewarewa, as well as being an over represented pollen, it is far more likely that Rewarewa honey is misidentified as manuka than the other way round. Sugar Profile Rewarewa is a slow crystallising honey but does crystallise naturally. They crystals tend to be large. We have few sugar analyses for Rewarea at present but from initial data, Glucose is around 28.5%, Fructose 36% and Sucrose <>Flavour Rewarewa honey has a delightful smooth malty flavour.

το φυτό TAWARI

TAWARI

Tawari (Ixerba brexioides) is an endemic New Zealand tree (found nowhere else in the World). "Tawari" is a Maori name where an "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "art". The tree grows up to around 15 metres (50 feet) in height and when flowering is a beautiful sight with perfectly formed flowers in very symetrical bunches contrasting against a dark green backdrop of similarly arranged leaves. The flowers were highly prized by the Maori people who used them for necklaces and adornment during festive occassions. The honey is a light colour with a beautiful taste reminiscent of butterscotch. FLOWERING Tawari flowers from October to the end of December but this varies according to location and altitude - usually the more South the latitude and the higher the altitude, the later the flowering. The nectar is copious and very watery producing a prolific honey crop under ideal conditions - but often with a high final moisture content Tawari is a predominantly bird pollinated flower with the flower size and structure arranged to deposit pollen from the widely spread anthers on a bird collecting nectar from the centrally located nectaries. Consequently the honey is usually under represented in pollen. Levels as low as 20% Tawari pollen may indicate a good quality Tawari honey (but under ideal conditions we have recorded levels as high as 71%) and levels of more than 30% are routinely achievable. Total pollen levels are also correspondingly low with an average from our database of 57,000 pollen grains per 10 grams of honey. Colour Tawari is a light coloured honey with an average of 23 mm (Pfund Scale). Other honey floral sources flowering alongside Tawari include Manuka and Rewarewa - both of which are substantially darker (84mm and 93mm respectivley) and can have a marked impact on the colour of Tawari honey. The structure of the flower is laid out in 5s. i.e. five petals, 5 anthers, 5 nectaries, even the pollen grains have have a 5 sided shape. Sugar Profile Tawari is a higher fructose honey. We have few sugar analyses for Tawari at present but from initial data, Glucose is around 30%, Fructose 43% and Sucrose < href="http://www.airborne.co.nz/manufacturing.html#Crystallisation">slow crystallizing honey but in fact Tawari has a more pronounced tendency to crystallize than indicated by the ratios. Just another example that the immense variability of honey often produces results that are not always immediately explainable.