A unique healing delicacy is phacelia honey. Phacelia Can humans eat phacelia?

It is difficult to imagine one of nature's most useful and unique products than honey. It is clear that the criteria for identifying the usefulness and other properties of a product are inherent in any industry. Likewise, among beekeepers there are divisions into the best varieties of honey, medium and low-grade. The uniqueness of honey can also be explained by its rarity. Some of the most common varieties of honey in our regions include linden, buckwheat, clover, etc.

Phacelia honey is one of the rare varieties of honey

To get phacelia honey, bees need to try and collect nectar from phacelia flowers. This is one of the best. This plant has lilac inflorescences that attract bees with their nectar. By the way, phacelia produces a large amount of nectar, so a lot of bribes can be provided from this plant.

One hectare can bring from 500-1000 kg of honey.

Since the phacelia plant cannot grow in all areas, but only in the European part of Russia or in Western Siberia, phacelia honey can only be collected there. This plant is unique in that bees can collect nectar even after sunset, which allows them to extend the collection time.

With the right approach, beekeepers can ensure that phacelia blooms all summer long. To do this, you will need to sow the fields with it 4 times per season.

Appearance and taste of phacelia honey

It has a subtle aroma, while the taste is pleasant with a slight tartness. By the way, this type of honey has the same taste as linden honey. The color of phacelia honey is light, sometimes with a green tint.

Why is this type of honey valuable?

Phacelia honey is valued by beekeepers because it does not crystallize quickly. It is for this reason that many beekeepers stock up on it to feed bees in winter. After crystallization, honey does not turn into a very thick lump, but is a viscous and doughy mass.

Useful and medicinal properties of phacelia honey

Phacelia honey has dietary properties, therefore it is recommended to use it for liver and stomach diseases. Indications for its use are diarrhea, heartburn, gastritis, and inflammation in the intestines.

For stomach diseases, phacelia honey is mixed with walnut kernels, aloe juice and taken 3 times a day. If the stomach has low acidity, then Kalanchoe is mixed with honey, an alcohol extract of propolis is added to it, kept in a steam bath for 5 minutes and taken orally.

Phacelia honey has a beneficial effect on gastric mucosa, while healing small wounds and ulcers. Like many other types of honey, phacelia honey is used in the treatment of heart diseases.

Honey is included in the diet of those who have problems with gallstones and urolithiasis.

Phacelia honey can be consumed not only by sick people, but also by for the purpose of prevention and saturating the body with useful substances, microelements and vitamins. So, it contains: iron, calcium, vanadium, nickel, silver, manganese, zinc, chromium, cobalt, strontium.

Phacelia honey is considered a medicinal product. It contains about 400 useful components that have a positive effect on human health.

Origin

Phacelia honey is collected by bees from the excellent phacelia honey plant. This plant is considered an annual, so it is recommended to plant it every year, in early April. The plant has beautiful blue flowers that attract bees.

In early May, bees begin to actively collect nectar from this honey plant. There are high honey yields. Insects can collect about 10 mg of nectar from 1 plant. And from 1 hectare you can get about 2,000 kg of honey.

Phacelia honey has the following features:

  1. Taste. It is rich and pleasant. There are notes of almond, but most reminiscent of linden.
  2. The aroma is pleasant, more floral, and has certain notes of astringency.
  3. The first months after collection, the color of the substance remains transparent. After 2-3 months, it acquires a white tint. In some cases, it may be green.
  4. Crystallization does not occur immediately: it is observed after 7-9 months. These characteristics are due to the presence of high levels of fructose in honey.

Useful and healing properties

Phacelia honey is characterized by a large number of beneficial and medicinal properties. It is recommended to use it to treat the digestive system. It perfectly helps to get rid of fever, pain and is used to disinfect wounds. There are beneficial properties in the treatment of the liver. Certain medicinal properties allow you to get rid of diseases such as gastritis or heartburn.

Phacelia honey is often used to restore body tone. It is recommended to use it for those who have recently been ill and want to regain strength. It can be used to treat the cardiovascular system. There are medicinal properties for insomnia, stress or depression. The mineral components contained in the product help restore sleep and normalize the functioning of the central nervous system. It should be noted beneficial properties that allow you to normalize the functioning of the circulatory system (the number of platelets and improved lymph flow).

The benefit of this substance is also evident in the fact that it helps to recover from various infections or diseases of the respiratory system (sore throat, bronchitis or pneumonia). Some reviews indicate that phacelia honey can be used in the treatment of tuberculosis, but you need to remember that this substance only enhances medications. Together with medications, you can achieve a positive result.

If you consume phacelia honey daily, you can significantly increase visual acuity and restore memory function. Regular use of this substance by men will help get rid of prostatitis and destroy all diseases of the genital organ. The description indicates that this product is ideal for use with diabetes, because it contains no sugar, but only fructose and glucose.

Use

Since the product contains a large number of microelements that can bring both benefit and harm, phacelia honey should be consumed with extreme caution, and only in the correct dosages. It is best to add honey to food (tea, coffee or milk). Please note that the temperature of the drink should be no more than 50°C, otherwise all the beneficial properties will be destroyed.

It is recommended to consume phacelia honey on an empty stomach, several hours before meals. The recommended dose of the product for an adult is 2-3 tbsp. l. per day. For children, the dosage is slightly less (about 1.5 tbsp per day).

Contraindications

Phacelia honey, despite the fact that it contains a large number of medicinal and beneficial properties, also has a number of contraindications. It should not be used by those people who individually cannot tolerate certain components contained in its composition.

Contraindications It is recommended to use this product with caution for those who suffer from allergic reactions or have problems with excess weight. Pregnant women need to monitor the reaction, because it can cause harm to both mother and baby (changes in the quality of milk or allergies).

Storage Features

All beneficial and medicinal properties of the substance can only be maintained for 12 months. It is recommended to store products in a room at room temperature. Choose only containers made from natural materials (glass or ceramics) for storage. Plastic containers negatively affect the quality of the product.

If you store honey from phacelia in wooden pots, then you need to put them in the refrigerator. Shelf life increases by 3-5 years. Containers must be tightly covered with a lid. This will allow the substance not to absorb extraneous aromas.

Beekeeping. Honey 2017. Honey extractor.

Apiary August 2016 Bribes from phacelia

Conclusion

Products from honey plants such as phacelia always have a positive effect on human health. But it is important to know the basic rules for its use. If you thoughtlessly introduce honey from this honey plant into your diet, you can harm your body.

Numerous beneficial properties of phacelia honey plant allow it to be used in various ways: as a natural fertilizer, a factor that protects soil from freezing, and animal feed. The use of this crop for decorative purposes is also popular: thanks to it, any garden bed turns into a floral carpet of delicate purple tones.

The versatility and unpretentiousness of the plant allow it to be cultivated in any conditions. Peat or fertile black soil, wet but unsuitable clay for gardening, sand - soils enriched with these elements are equally suitable for growing honey plants. Another important useful property of phacelia is its unpretentiousness to temperature changes, which allows it to develop in northern latitudes.

In addition to feeding bees, it is used in animal husbandry as livestock feed. It is a nutritious crop enriched with a number of microelements necessary to maintain animal health. It is called one of the most useful fodder plants, the properties of which surpass even the usual oats. After including it in the diet, animals gain weight faster and are less likely to be exposed to diseases.

The phacelia flower has a rich chemical composition. It contains fats, fiber, calcium, phosphorus and a number of other useful microelements, thanks to which it is considered an indispensable component of animal nutrition during the growth period. It is one of the popular natural sources of protein and amino acids necessary for the formation of a healthy animal body.

The plant is used as green fodder or silage. In the first case, it is recommended to include it in the animal’s diet in combination with other nutritional ingredients. For use in the warm season, it is planted together with oats and sweet clover. Most often it is used only in this direction, which is due to the thinness of the fibers and the juiciness of the stems, which facilitate the digestion process.

When deciding to prepare silage, you should remember that by the end of the warm season the nutritional value of the flower decreases and it becomes covered with many hard hairs. This makes it difficult for most livestock to digest (the exception being pigs). To make hay, the plant is sown in combination with sunflower or corn.

Popular natural component for soil fertility

Cultivation of honey plants helps enrich depleted soil with essential mineral elements. Under its influence, soils saturated with clay turn into lungs filled with air, which has a positive effect on productivity. The presence of this green space in the garden helps protect the soil from drought and destruction by wind. After the end of the summer season, it is recommended not to remove fallen plant stems from the soil surface. Its leaves and flowers will reliably protect the soil from freezing.

Phacelia flower is a popular green manure. Its periodic cultivation can significantly improve soil productivity and prepare it for the cultivation of main crops: potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The plant is multifunctional, including:

  • unpretentiousness - the most unfavorable climatic conditions and infertile soils are not an obstacle to its cultivation;
  • soil nutrition with nitrogen and potassium are the main factors for increasing the productivity of depleted soil;
  • a change in the structure of the soil due to a strong root system that penetrates the upper layers of the soil, making it lighter, looser and more fertile.

An important useful quality of phacelia honey plant is its ability to restore soil. It is often grown in cases of significant soil depletion and its inability to produce basic crops efficiently. The intensive growth of this planting makes it possible to grow up to 300 kg of greenery on 1 hectare of land, which is comparable to the mass of the main fertilizer. This factor, together with the ease of planting and growing, greatly facilitates the work of the gardener in caring for the site.

To achieve greater effect and obtain the maximum amount of useful substances, it is recommended to plant it in several stages. Thanks to this principle, it is possible to restore depleted soil to its former fertility within a year. For the first time, you need to apply it at the beginning of the season and mow it after the buds appear, then repeat this procedure several times before the onset of cold weather.

Use in the honey production process

Phacelia tansy is the most effective for collecting pollen. For comparison: from 1 hectare of this crop you can get more than 300 kg of honey, and from the same area of ​​planted buckwheat - up to 70 kg. This factor is associated not so much with the high honey-bearing qualities of the plant, but with its unpretentiousness, which allows it to withstand heat and cold, drought and excessive moisture without losing pollen content. Thanks to this, each flower has up to 5 mg of nectar.

The advantage of phacelia among other honey crops is the possibility of its flowering until the end of the warm season. For this reason, it is often used to improve the quality of late honey collections. Thanks to it, the number of barren plants that are unable to produce pollen is significantly reduced.

Phacelia tansy leaves its beneficial properties to its products. Honey from the pollen of this culture is rich in vitamins and microelements necessary to increase the body's resistance to viruses and infections, normalize metabolic processes, and streamline the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Along with linden, sweet clover and buckwheat honey, a product made from phacelia pollen is considered one of the most effective for treating various diseases. Its inclusion in the diet can improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and excretory system. It is a universal anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent.

Its use in folk medicine is due to its high carbohydrate content, which helps saturate the body with energy and support it during complex pathological processes. It is recommended to take honey from phacelia in the following cases:

  • postoperative period;
  • high mental stress and nervous tension;
  • rehabilitation after serious illnesses;
  • significant physical activity.

Phacelia is often used to increase the pollen content of other crops. It is known to be grown next to another honey-bearing flower - clover. Due to increased pollination by bees, proximity to phacelia increases its yield by at least 20%. Growing honey plants with alfalfa gives similar results.

Sanitizing properties of phacelia

The plant is a natural soil purifier from harmful components. Planting it allows you to normalize the acid-base balance of the soil without special procedures, which actively contributes to solving the problem of intensive weed growth and insufficient yield of main crops.

The sanitizing components contained in phacelia have a positive effect on the state of soil microflora. It is a preventive measure for the development of a significant part of fungal infections: root rot, powdery mildew, rhizoctonia, etc. To prevent the occurrence of these diseases, it is recommended to plant flowers along the perimeter of the area with the main garden crops.

Phacelia honey plant is a natural source of improving soil quality. The sanitizing properties of this plant help remove harmful microorganisms from the soil and prevent diseases of agricultural crops. This crop has gained particular popularity due to its high honey production rates.

14.11.2016 0

Phacelia honey is often compared in its taste characteristics to linden honey, but it is also valuable for a number of other reasons, for example, due to its slow crystallization, which makes it possible to easily use it for winter feeding of bees. Due to its high value, this variety is one of the favorites of beekeepers - they even call phacelia the queen of honey plants. Let’s figure out why honey collected from this particular plant is so good.

About the plant

This type of honey is extracted by bees from the flowers of the honey phacelia, a short plant from the waterfolia family, which is characterized by its bluish inflorescences. This summer honey plant is rightfully considered one of the best honey plants - it produces a lot of nectar, is undemanding to the soil, blooms for a long time, and tolerates frost well.

The plant is usually planted on purpose, up to four times a year, starting in early spring. The plant grows naturally most often in Siberia and the Caucasus in Russia, as well as in the Carpathians and Western Ukraine.

Characteristics of honey

Honey of this variety has the following distinctive characteristics:

  1. The taste is subtle, pleasant, slightly tart.
  2. The aroma is weak, delicate, floral.
  3. The viscosity is quite strong, the honey is thick, and after crystallization it begins to resemble dough in consistency.
  4. The color is transparent, when hardening it acquires a slightly white tint. Sometimes it may be light green or light blue in tone, this is also normal.
  5. The average calorie content is 304 kcal per 100 grams. That is, one standard glass will contain about 1000 kcal, and a teaspoon - a little more than 35 kcal.
  6. The harvesting period is most often all summer, when sowing was done in stages, but the main part falls on the period between the harvesting of linden and sunflower.
  7. Crystallization is slow, sedimentation occurs before winter.

Compound

This product contains:

  • fructose/glucose/disaccharides (80% of the composition);
  • vitamins (groups B, E, K and PP);
  • acids (ascorbic and folic);
  • various trace elements including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iron.

This is only part of the components that make up the bee product. According to some estimates, there are at least three hundred of them, due to which such a wide range of positive properties are achieved that they affect the human body.

Beneficial features

Due to its rich composition, honey of this variety has a number of positive effects. Let's look at what beneficial properties phacelia honey plants have:

  1. Calming effect. For depression, insomnia and mild neurosis, this honey helps to relax and stimulate the restoration of the nervous system. It is very often prescribed along with various soothing herbal preparations.
  2. Effect on skin. In its pure form, phacelia honey is used to correct various skin defects. For example, age-related skin changes, pigment spots, microcracks, acne, and so on. To do this, it is recommended to carry out regular procedures using phacelia honey. It’s not for nothing that spa treatments are often combined with honey massage.
  3. Beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract. If problems arise with the stomach, for example, ulcers or gastritis develop against the background of low acidity, this bee product allows you to normalize this very acidity, provide an anti-inflammatory effect, normalize the state of the microflora and relieve pain. It also has a mild laxative effect. To achieve the best healing result, it is recommended to take honey with aloe or Kalanchoe juice, as well as chopped walnuts.
  4. Treatment of colds. Due to its anti-inflammatory, expectorant and analgesic effect, the drug is excellent for pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis, sore throat and other problems of the upper respiratory tract. To achieve the most positive result, it is strongly recommended to combine honey with milk or warm herbal teas.
  5. Quick saturation of the body. After serious illnesses, with mental and nervous stress, during rehabilitation in the postoperative period and in other situations when the body needs to be well and quickly saturated to recover, this honey will come in handy. The fact is that its composition is saturated with carbohydrates, which quickly and easily enter the blood and are reactively distributed throughout the body.

Please note that although honey obtained from phacelia is useful for many diseases, this does not mean that it allows you to do without basic therapy. Do not rely solely on the properties of this bee product; if you are sick, be sure to consult a doctor so that he can prescribe the main course of treatment. However, this does not prevent the use of phacelia honey as a supporting agent - if there are no contraindications to it.

Contraindications

Although phacelia is very good as a honey plant and its honey is one of the most useful varieties, this does not mean that it does not have contraindications that must be taken into account before use. These include:

  • diabetes. Although fructose predominates in phacelia honey, it is still necessary to limit the consumption of carbohydrates with this disease. The consumption of honey is permissible, but only in limited quantities and after preliminary consultation with an endocrinologist;
  • individual intolerance. It occurs in all types of honey due to the presence of a large number of active substances among the components. If there have previously been cases of an allergic or other negative reaction to this product, you should refrain from using it;
  • pregnancy/breastfeeding period. Due to the presence of phytoestrogens in the composition, it is recommended to avoid consuming honey for women who are in the process of hormonal changes.

It is also not recommended to consume this product in excessively large quantities for people suffering from problems with extra pounds, since its high nutritional value will only hinder weight stabilization. And even if there are no problems, moderate consumption is recommended. Honey is a product that is very valuable in small quantities, but in too large quantities it may not have a very positive effect on the human body.

Video: Phacelia honey plant.

Storage rules

This honey must be stored for a year at room temperature, after this period it will slowly begin to lose its valuable properties - a number of vitamins disappear, the amount of glucose and fructose decreases by one fifth, and so on. If possible, it is best to store it in wooden barrels made of alder or linden at a temperature somewhere around 5-10 degrees.

Phacelia is a plant of the Borage family. The plant is unpretentious and frost-resistant, growing quickly even on poor soils. Phacelia can be sown at any time of the year to a depth of 1.5 - 3 cm, the seeds germinate in different weather conditions. The most favorable period is considered to be the first half of summer, and the best place for growing is open spaces with access to sunlight. The plant is rarely found in the wild in Russia.

General information


There are about 80 species of phacelia, but most often only a few are cultivated:

  • campanulate;
  • twisted;
  • Tansyfolia.

Phacelia is grown as:

  • green manure;
  • honey plant;
  • ornamental plant;
  • fodder grass.

Beneficial features


Properties Description
Ornamental plant Phacelia is a beautiful plant with blue or lilac flowers. The most beautiful types of seeds are sold in small bags. They are suitable for decorating a vegetable garden or personal plot.
Green manure Phacelia helps improve soil fertility. Because of this property, it is planted to improve growth with other plants, or grown in the soil a year before planting fruit crops. Most often, this grass is planted to increase the yield of potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes. To do this you can:
  • plant it between rows of fruit crops;
  • plant fruit crops in holes made in an area sown with phacelia.

To fertilize the soil, grass is grown up to 4 times in one season. After flowering, the soil is plowed and reseeded. The result is loose and fertile soil, on which a large harvest ripens next season.

The plant suppresses most weeds and prevents the spread of pathogens. In addition, phacelia neutralizes acidic soil, after which many weeds stop growing on it.

The specific aroma of phacelia flowers attracts insects that destroy pests.

Similar beneficial effects can be obtained by treating plantings with chemicals against pests and weeds. The use of phacelia instead of chemicals allows you to obtain safe and environmentally friendly products.
Honey plant Phacelia is one of the best honey plants. The plant is loved by bees, and honey is highly valued for its taste and medicinal properties.
Forage plant Phacelia is suitable as feed for farm animals. It is nutritionally superior to many feed mixtures. Animals that feed on phacelia quickly gain weight.

Another option for using phacelia in the garden is to plant it to smooth out temperature changes near the soil. To do this, phacelia is first grown, and then plants that are poorly adapted to low temperatures and bright light are planted in its inter-row spaces. This method allows you to plant seedlings of zucchini, cabbage and pumpkin earlier.

Phacelia honey


Phacelia is a famous honey plant. Phacelia honey is one of the best beekeeping products along with linden honey. It has a light or light green tint. After crystallization, the color changes to milky and then to dark yellow or brown. This honey does not crystallize in honeycombs, so it is suitable for feeding bees in winter.

The aroma of the product is delicate, the taste is very sweet, tart and rich.

In addition to honey, this honey plant is used by bees to collect bright blue pollen.

The benefits of honey

Phacelia is the only honey plant that bees do not leave even after sunset. Honey collection begins in the spring, when other plants have not yet bloomed, and continues until mid-autumn. Honey has many medicinal properties. Phacelia is often planted as a honey plant to obtain this unusual beekeeping product.

Phacelia honey is used for the following purposes:

  • prevention of colds;
  • normalization of sleep;
  • treatment of stomach ulcers;
  • supplying the body with microelements;
  • memory improvement;
  • strengthening the nervous system;
  • treatment of impotence;
  • treatment of inflammatory processes of the stomach and intestines;
  • increased hemoglobin in the blood;
  • treatment of cholelithiasis;
  • relief from nausea;
  • improvement of lymph flow.

Main properties of the product:

  • antibacterial;
  • antipyretic;
  • painkiller.

Microelements that make up phacelia honey.