Organic honey from Otepää Nature Park – origin and properties
The nectar is harvested from meadow and forest plants in spring and summer in the Otepää Landscape Protection Area. In Otepää’s natural environment with its diverse vegetation, bees can collect nectar from a wide variety of plants. In this landscape with its rich natural habitats, wetter areas alternate with drier ones, and there are meadows, forests, and clearings. As a result, many different plant species grow there, creating a richer bouquet of nectar that develops into honey in the hive. Most of the forage plants are recognized medicinal plants, such as dandelion, raspberry, meadowsweet, fireweed, and others. Organic Wild Honey is produced honestly and purely in an organic harvesting area. It is traceable, unfiltered raw honey, with each batch having its own unique memory.
Origin: Otepää Nature Park Season: spring–summer
Properties:
- Plants: Willow, coltsfoot, maple, dandelion, clover, ground elder, nettle, raspberry, blueberry, meadowsweet, fireweed, and other flowering plants
- Color: Spring honey is golden, while summer honey has a darker hue
- Taste: Varies depending on the plants. Spring honey is more floral and sweeter. Summer honey has a more distinctive character, not very intense, but with different nuances
- Aroma: Pleasantly sweet, natural aroma; depending on the plants, it may contain various stronger nuances
- Texture: Spring honey is softer, with smaller crystals, and crystallizes more quickly. Summer honey crystallizes over a longer period but ultimately remains soft enough for a spoon to be easily inserted at any time.
- Use: At least 1 spoonful every day for restorative nourishment and a quick source of pure energy; if desired, add 1–2 spoonfuls to coffee or tea.
- 1 jar contains: 250 g of honey
- Storage conditions: according to the instructions on the product label
- Best before: batch-specific, marked on each jar
Organic honey differs from “conventional honey” primarily in terms of the selected harvesting area. Organic bee colonies are placed so that there are no “conventional fields” within a 3 km flight radius where they could come into contact with plant protection products. There are also requirements concerning honey traceability, beeswax, hive materials, treatments, supplementary feeding, record-keeping, etc. Inspectors from the Agriculture and Food Board carry out inspections 2–3 times a year.
The quality of the honey is tested annually at the Tartu Veterinary and Food Laboratory. The testing determines the diastase number, which indicates the content of biologically active enzymes in the honey. The diastase number of fresh and wholesome honey should be above 20 units. The diastase number of Organic Wild Honey has averaged 35–45 units, which is almost twice as high as the average measured in honeys sold in Estonia.
