What Is Sunflower Honey And Where Can I Get It?

When it comes to artesian honey there are many interesting varieties available. Beekeepers have made an art out of procuring their honey. One of these delicious varieties is Sunflower honey.

It’s monofloral honey meaning that the pollen or nectar used to make this honey was mainly a certain type of pollen and nectar. Mono floral honey has a distinct taste and smell that often relates to the flower type.

hb-0043-p01-1175354 — How good does sunflower honey look?

What is Sunflower Honey? Sunflower honey is from beehives located on sunflower plantations, it’s bright to dark yellow in appearance. Sunflower honey tastes very sweet giving an acrid kick that doesn’t last long and isn’t unpleasant. It’s very high in glucose crystalizing quickly. Sunflower honey is available online most of the year-round and prices start from $7 for 4 ounces.

What Are The Benefits Of Sunflower Honey?

You will find that sunflower honey is a beneficial resource to have on hand and is the Jack of all trades. Studies show that the sunflower is healthy not only for people but for bees as well. Sunflower pollen fights off fatal pathogens that would harm the bee causing colony numbers to dwindle.

Sunflower honey has benefits for people as it lessens symptoms of the flu, allergies, and even the common cold. It can soothe a sore throat instantly and is known for its healing effects on the respiratory system.

Sunflower honey is a superfood chocked full of antioxidants. Its antibacterial properties make it the perfect all-natural antiseptic. You can apply pure sunflower honey to a wound with its all-natural germ-fighting skills. The healing will start to heal immediately.

Another attribute is that sunflower honey is good for heart health. It’s an important tool against cardiovascular diseases and promotes circulation in the hands and feet. Some older people swear by it and use a recipe of red wine and sunflower honey as a homemade elixir.

One of the reasons sunflower honey is favored by beekeepers is the high yields that it brings. The bees demonstrate more activity when the sunflower season is at its peak. Scientists have even gone as far as to train honey bees to sniff out sunflower pollen for a boost in sunflower pollination.

Sunflower honey is pure. You will not find many pollutants in the honey because the sunflower retains the harmful toxins that it collects and keeps them in its stem. The sunflower produces clean pollen because of this. If there are any pollutants in sunflower honey it would be because some fields of sunflowers are sprayed with insecticide.

Where Can You Buy Sunflower Honey?

Many online stores offer sunflower honey, some even specialize in monofloral honey and are very informative. Typically you will pay anywhere from $7 to $30 depending on the quality and how many ounces are in a jar.

You won’t find actual pure sunflower honey in your grocery store chains but you might buy it locally from your farmers market. There is a range of options available online for sourcing sunflower honey.

It should also be noted that it is unwise to buy sunflower honey that has been sitting in direct sunlight in a display case. When it is stored in sunlight or put on display on a windowsill, the honey can lose some of its nutritional value. True sunflower honey will not look like regular honey you can buy in a store as its most natural form is crystallized.

Let take a look at your purchasing options online:

SUPPLIER	ORIGIN	Cost	NOTEWORTHY INFO
EPIC HONEY CO	Mexican Highlands	4 Ounce – $7.95 8 Ounce – $15.95 16 Ounce $19.95	Proceeds go to the American Honey Bee Protection Agency. Every $20 you spend with Epic Honey Company saves 5,000 bees.
MITICA	Italy	4.23 Ounce – $7.34	Mitica honey is available in quite a lot of online stores. They also have many other types of honey from around the world
RAW ARTISAN HONEY (UK Based)	North West Hungary	220g (7.75 Ounces) – 4.99GBP	They also stock a great range of infused honey.

Looking for more different and interesting honey varieties? We have done a ton of research for you. If you are interested the article is called, Honey Varieties You Should Discover.

In What Locations Are Sunflower Honey Produced?

The sunflower is native to the United States as the Indians were among the first to make the sunflower a domestic crop. Indians proclaimed that sunflowers were so plentiful that bison would graze on the flower, giving bison meat a nutty flavor.

The Indians grew the sunflower to what it looks like a modern-day, with its singular crown of hundreds of individual flowers.

Some scientists claim that the sunflower was domesticated before corn in what is currently Arizona and New Mexico US. from about 3,000 B.C.

Most of the sunflower honey that is consumed is produced in France, Spain, and Bulgaria. The Spaniards introduced the sunflower seed to Europe during the 1500s. By the 19th century, farmers in Russia had over 2 million acres devoted to nothing but sunflowers.

By the end of the 19th century, the Russian sunflower seed had been introduced to the US. In the Republic of Moldova located in Romania, the main crop is sunflowers.

Bulgaria is the sunflower honey leading producer. Their honey has become a popular food source there. In the Ruse region in Northeastern Bulgaria, they have elevated yields in sunflower honey because the sunflower frequently grows all around the area.

Even though in France the manufacture of sunflower honey has been on the decline since the ’90s, there are still some beekeepers that make sunflower honey in all 22 regions of France. The Celts influenced the Greeks which in turn influenced France in the craft of beekeeping.

Is Sunflower Honey Seasonal Or All Year Round?

Unfortunately sunflower honey is seasonal food but you can buy it all year round online if you don’t mind what the country of origin is. Sunflower honey is harvested in the fall for the most part in September.

The month of July is the pinnacle for honey bees since this is when sunflowers are in their prime and the bees can collect the most pollen and nectar from the flower.

If hybrid sunflowers are planted they will not produce any nectar for the bees and they will not make any honey.

Sunflower season lasts around 2 to 3 weeks. In Orlando Florida, sunflower season can be twice a year, happening in the winter and spring months.

Does Sunflower Honey Crystallize In The Winter?

The crystallization of sunflower honey has to be the most unique part given that it has a faster crystallization time than other honey, at about 20 days. This is because sunflower honey contains a high level of glucose and a low level of fructose. They are both sugars our bodies use as fuel.

If sunflower honey is harvested in the autumn it has 20 days until crystallization, because of this sunflower honey will be crystallized by the winter months. When sunflower honey is already crystallized it will be called set honey or raw granulated sunflower honey.

If you place a piece of crystallized honey beneath your tongue, your sublingual glands will absorb all the nutrients. Meaning crystallized sunflower honey is absorbed rapidly by your body when consumed.

Also due to this crystallization, bacteria find it hard to grow on crystallized honey. Its antimicrobial properties are unmatched. You can even use crystallized sunflower honey years after you’ve purchased it, pure honey doesn’t really have an expiration date.

How To Decrystallize Sunflower Honey?

Lastly, if you don’t care to use your sunflower honey in a crystallized form you can always liquefy the honey by placing the glass jar containing the honey in a double boiler on low. No plastic container should be used to heat up the honey in this fashion as it will cause the plastic to melt and also leave plastic toxins in the honey.

The easiest way to decrystallize sunflower honey is by submerging a jar in hot water until the honey reaches 35 degrees Celsius which is 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You should let the honey stand for 20 minutes, they say this method works best for honey in a glass jar.

Furthermore, you should always store your sunflower honey at room temperature. Always avoid overheating your sunflower honey as this will damage any beneficial effects it will have. Overheating the honey causes a chemical breakdown making the honey no longer smell or taste like it once had.

The Wrap Up

If you want honey that is rich in taste and texture then sunflower honey is for you. Sunflower honey is loaded with many benefits that also pack a powerful flavor punch. It’s great to add to your dessert dish as a sweetener and makes a good compliment to morning toast. It’s available most of the year-round. So, try it, you’ll see that it does not disappoint.

Maybe you’re like us and enjoy tasting honey from different origins and regions or maybe you’re just realizing that there is more to honey than what you see on the supermarket shelves.

We have done the research for you on a whole range of varieties of honey for you. Below is a list of different types of honey from different floral origins and regions. If you are interested check them out, Honey Varieties You Should Discover.