Clover is a well-known honey plant that can be found almost everywhere. Today, there are more than 300 varieties of clover. The plant is not the most common, but in certain areas of the planet, it is quite common. However, despite the wide variety of species, bees do not collect pollen from all plants, so not much honey is produced, which leads to a shortage on the market. Of course, you will not be able to find pure honey that bees have collected only from clover, as it is impossible to make bees land only on these flowers, so there will always be impurities from other herbs in its composition, which, however, does not have a negative.
Components of clover honey
Before discussing the composition of this type of honey, it is worth mentioning that pure clover honey is very difficult to obtain.
Even achieving the highest possible clover nectar content in honey is difficult, as bees do not only visit these plants.
It is impossible to find a whole field of clover; as a rule, clover grows in small patches.
In addition, during the flowering of this honey plant, other honey plants bloom, which may exceed the honey productivity of clover honey.
The composition of clover honey also depends on weather conditions, the variety of clover, and the amount of nectar from other herbs.
The more nectar from other plants there is in the honey, the lower the quality and value of the clover honey will be.
Main components of clover honey
In general, the components of clover honey are similar to those of other types of honey.
• Protein, peptides, and enzymes;
• Preservatives and essential oils;
• Carbohydrates, mainly sucrose and fructose;
• Vitamins B, C, E, and K;
• Water;
• Micro and macro elements, including iodine, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium, which are necessary for proper information transfer in the nervous system;
• Malt sugar, dextrose, melicitose;
• Tannic acids (tannins) – help maintain digestive processes;
• Phytoestrogens and salicylic acid, which make this honey well suited as a skin cleanser;
• Antioxidants and anticoagulants.
The quality of clover honey
After extraction, the honey is almost transparent with a golden amber hue and is not cloudy. This quality will depend on the nectar content of other honey plants, which can change the color of the sweet product.
The taste of this type of honey is pleasant with a slight hint of caramel and toffee. There is also an aftertaste with fruity notes.
Clover honey has a unique pleasant smell with a floral aroma. After extraction, this honey has a fairly viscous structure.
The crystallization process lasts about 2 months. Crystallized honey acquires a light cream color and a grainy texture with small sucrose crystals.
The calorie content of this type of honey is 310 kcal per 100 grams of product.
The importance of clover for bees
Clover honey is ideal for bees during winter. The long crystallization process allows the product to remain in the combs in a non-solid state for a long time.
The rich composition of this honey helps bees boost their immunity against various parasites and also helps them fight various diseases.
Clover pollen is also rich in protein, which is necessary in the spring for feeding the brood and ensuring the full development of bees into adults.
The crop itself provides a good source of food for bees, even when the honey harvest is poor and there are no other honey plants. And besides, it grows everywhere. As they say, it’s better than nothing.
Contraindications
If you are allergic, honey is contraindicated for you.
If you have diabetes, you may consume this product in strictly limited quantities, as determined by your doctor.
Not recommended for children under 3 years of age.
When dieting, honey should be consumed in moderation.
If you have increased blood clotting, frequent consumption of this product may be harmful.
If you experience itching, nausea, diarrhea, or swelling after consuming clover honey, these are the first signs of an allergic reaction. You should stop consuming this product and consult a specialist. If the allergy is confirmed by a doctor, you should completely refrain from consuming this honey.
Storage features
Once you have decided to stock up on clover honey, you will be faced with its high price. This means that such a valuable product deserves your special attention, and you need to follow the rules for storing it so that it does not spoil. If you have purchased fresh honey, it is best to transfer it to a glass container (jar), then close it with an airtight lid and store it away from sunlight. The optimal storage temperature for this product is +10 degrees Celsius. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the container is completely clean, without any foreign odors or substances.
Honey has a shelf life of 1 year, after which the product begins to lose some of its beneficial properties, and its taste also changes. After a year of storage, honey does not become harmful or dangerous, but it will no longer be as beneficial and healing as it was originally. It is better not to stock up on large quantities, but to buy it as needed. During storage, it is necessary to control the humidity of the room; if it is too high, fermentation processes may start. It is also better to give preference to products that are already supplied in glass jars, so you can be sure that all the beneficial properties are preserved.
Varieties of white clover
White clover
A perennial meadow plant that grows in open areas with good light. This honey plant has long creeping shoots up to 40 cm high.
It is widespread, but prefers to grow on moist calcareous soils. It can be found in abandoned fields, meadows, and pastures.
It can grow on heavily compacted soils, so it can also be found along roads and sidewalks.
It differs from other types of clover in its cold resistance, growing even in countries with cold climates up to the Arctic Circle, but only until the onset of severe frosts, which this honey plant cannot tolerate.
Clover begins to bloom in late spring – early summer and blooms almost all summer until November.
White clover flowers actively secrete nectar, but only under favorable conditions. The main conditions for the flowering of this honey plant and its abundant secretion of nectar are a temperature above 25 degrees Celsius, optimal soil moisture and low air humidity, as well as good lighting.
In rainy and cloudy weather, white clover does not secrete nectar. Clover can grow in one place for up to 10 years.
The honey yield of this plant can reach 130 kg per hectare, but only under favorable conditions. On average, this figure is approximately 65 kg per hectare during the season.
In addition to nectar, these little workers also collect pollen from clover, returning to the hive with brown pollen baskets.
White clover pollen is rich in nutrients and is excellent for protein feed for bees in the spring.
Due to its high content of micro- and macroelements, it is also actively used in apitherapy.
Red clover
This is a perennial forest-meadow plant with a bushy stem up to 60 cm high. It also grows everywhere, but prefers moderately moist soils, which is why it is found in forests.
It blooms from June to September. It differs from other species in its deep and curved tubes, which prevent the collection of pollen and nectar from red clover.
It was previously believed that this honey plant could only be pollinated by bumblebees. However, bees also pollinate it, and the deep flower tubes shorten in the sun.
Some bee breeds have a longer proboscis than the clover’s flower tube, which allows them to collect nectar and pollen without shortening the flower tube. However, they prefer to collect nectar rather than pollen.
Pollen from red clover is chocolate (brown) in color, and the Central Russian breed of bees loves to collect it, while, for example, the long-tongued Caucasian mountain breed of bees collects more nectar from red clover than pollen.
Red clover honey productivity can reach 200 kg under favorable conditions.
This honey plant can produce nectar even in dry areas, provided that the second half of summer brings warm rains and clear weather.
Pink Clover
A perennial meadow plant with a bushy, ascending stem up to 80 cm high. This species is widespread and similar in characteristics to white clover, but more heat-loving.
Pink clover is undemanding in terms of growing conditions, but grows best on loam. Therefore, it differs from white clover in its stable yield and active secretion of nectar and pollen.
It blooms from June to September. The honey productivity of this species is more stable and does not vary greatly, ranging from 100 to 120 kg per hectare of crops under favorable conditions.
Unlike red clover, pink clover does not have deep flower tubes, so pollen and nectar are constantly available to bees.
Honey and pollen from pink clover are actively used in apitherapy together with white clover products, as they have a wide range of beneficial properties for the human body.
