Spring Flow
Lexikon
The spring flow is the first substantial nectar flow of the year that is harvested from.
The spring flow is the first substantial nectar flow of the year that is harvested from. The range of forage is broader than often assumed: besides rapeseed and fruit blossom, dandelion, blackthorn, early-flowering meadow plants, and early bloomers of the forest also contribute to spring flow honey. Because fruit trees, dandelion, and rapeseed often bloom at the same time, spring flow honey is usually a blend. Which source is foraged in what proportion is decided by the bees, not the beekeeper.
It is true that spring flow honeys set quickly, and there is a clear reason: their high proportion of glucose. The Institut für Bienenkunde Celle explains that fructose stays liquid in honey, while glucose crystallizes out once its saturation concentration is exceeded. This is clearly the case with typical spring honeys from rapeseed, dandelion, and fruit blossom. How quickly this happens also depends on the water and glucose content as well as the storage temperature. Honeys with low glucose content, such as black locust or fir honey, stay liquid for a long time by contrast.
For work at the colony and in the extracting room, this means two things. First, spring flow honey should not be left standing too long. Second: whatever crystallizes quickly anyway should be brought to crystallization deliberately and under control by stirring the honey after sieving. This produces very fine crystals that cannot be felt on the tongue and a honey that is spreadable, instead of a coarse or rock-hard mass.
A common misunderstanding among customers: granulated honey is not a quality defect or a sign of adulteration, but the normal result of its sugar composition. Conversely, permanently liquid honey is not a mark of quality either, but often simply comes from a different botanical origin.