According to Wiki, rapeseed (Rapsflower) is a member of the Brassicacae (mustard) family. Of interest the name is from the Latin for turnip (rāpa or rāpum). From rapeseed comes vegetable oil.
In the 1800s rapeseed oil was used as a lubricant for steam engines- apparently it didn't taste very good (bitter). That all changed when new varieties were cultivated that yielded a product with lower amounts of glucosinolates. This heralded the production of rapeseed for human and animal consumption.
It is now a major crop for the production of animal feed, vegetable oil and biodisel. It is credited for being the third leading source of vegetable oil worldwide (after soybean and oil palm).
Of interest, 'Canola'- from 'Canadian Oilseed,Low-Acid) was used by the Manitoba government to label the new low-acid variety of rapeseed during its experimental stages. Canola now refers to the low erucic acid and low glucosinolate variety of rapeseed oil.
Rapeseed honey is one that quickly crystallizes and must be harvested very quickly. If it crystallizes in the hive, it can't be extracted. A web discussion comment from John Russell on just how quickly you need to harvest brings the point home:
"When Canola blooms up here, I'm taking the honey off as fast as it comes in. I'm literally going through the supers frame to frame and cherry picking. Lots and lots of yield...its a very heavy flow. Last year we had a very cold summer, and staggered planting of Canola everywhere because of insane rain in the spring. The Canola flow lasted all summer, with some blooming somewhere. It was crystallizing in the frames in August, and many beekeepers got caught with 1000's of pounds of crystallized frames. Makes for very expensive feed eh? Just take it off fast, and have lots of pails."
Of note in North America, most rapeseed honey is from genetically modified rapeseed crops (to resist herbicides)- so if you have a thing about GM foods, you might want to avoid Rapeseed honey from Canada or the US. European rapeseed honey is not in this category. Personally I'm not against GM foods- but consider each crop and genetic modification individually. Given the way honey is produced, I'm even less concerned with honey from GM crops, but I can appreciate others who may think differently.
The Breitsamer Rapsflower Blossom honey I have is a creamy, opaque color and thick. It folds on a toothpick in sheets and has a wet looking quality to it.
It is sweet and slightly granular and creamy beyond belief. It has a mild honey taste, very simple and delicate, and an aftertaste of strong sweetness. it would be perfect in baking and in tea- anywhere a creamy, sweetness might be needed.
Nice posts recently...pretty pictures!
ReplyDeleteIt is good! Just bought some at World Market in Seattle.
ReplyDeleteIt is delicious!
ReplyDeleteJust got some for Christmas...It is delicious
ReplyDeleteOh! (in an EWE sort of way) was my first reaction. Leather came to mind, not that I know what leather tastes like. Plum... skin. (Blech.) Raisins! This honey tastes like raisins to me. Unfortunately, I don't like raisins.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right about the texture of this honey. It's fantastically smooth, so I'll probably use it to seed my own to make creamed honey.
Is this German bran of honey GM? I just got this at a Tuesday store for the first time i had no idea i was buying canola (raps flower) honey... it tastes good i hope i do not get allergies!
ReplyDelete@LangeL Breitsamer is a German honey and, as such, unlikely to be GM.
Deleteit's the only one I use :)
ReplyDeleteand it's brother....''mountain flower''
This is my favorite honey! I enjoy it's creamy and smooth texture and delicate taste. Thank you for the interesting read!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if this honey is pasturized?? I just found out I'm pregnant but still would love to be able to eat this honey :-/
ReplyDeleteI dug a little and found a marketing piece from Breitsamer called "The Wonderful World of Honey." In it (page 15; https://issuu.com/breitsamer-honig-honey-miel/docs/imagebrosch_re_english_20120507) they state that they cold extract and do not heat their honey; it is an unprocessed, raw product." So- I'd say this honey is not pasteurized.
DeleteHaving said this, while it is not recommended to feed unpasteurized honey to infants less than a year because of the possibility of naturally occurring botulism spores (which are destroyed i pasteurization), I'm not sure if these restrictions also apply to pregnant women; I've never seen any honey-related restrictions directed at pregnant women- so you might want to discuss this with your doctor to see if you can enjoy this honey even if it is unpasteurized.
I hope this is helpful and congratulations on your pregnancy!
Thanks,for finding out exactly what I was looking to this site to find.As long as it's not heated or srained it's true Raw honey.The grocery store by me is charging close to 11.00 for the big jar.waymore expensive then the other places but it's cheaper then health food store.Il go back and get last to because it was a special purchase.I wonder if the golden flavor is also not filtered the creamy one I could eat by the spoon it's the best
DeleteIf it is pasteurized it will say on the bottle.It is German after all.
DeleteI just bought Raspberry honey at Big Lots at a good price. Has a great flavor and is good in coffee & tea. I'm also thinking about using it medicinally on a skin condition I have. Has anyone else used it for their ailments?
ReplyDeleteManuka Honey is the best for that
DeleteI just bought Raspberry honey at Big Lots at a good price. Has a great flavor and is good in coffee & tea. I'm also thinking about using it medicinally on a skin condition I have. Has anyone else used it for their ailments?
ReplyDeleteGood stuff! I don't use any processed sugar, this rapsflower honey is one of my favorites! Nice texture and flavor.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite honey! I enjoy it's creamy and smooth texture and delicate taste. Thank you for the interesting read!
ReplyDeleteI just bought it at the World Market this Christmas and love the flavor and texture. So in order not to crystalize, do I need to store it in the freezer or refrigerator?
ReplyDeleteI understand that honey does not crystallize in the freezer so you might try storing it there. I usually store at room temperature and if crystallization happens, just warm up the honey under hot water.
ReplyDeleteIts delicious! A tablespoon every day is my healthy treat!
ReplyDeleteI love the taste..just ordered some from Amazon because I can’t find it around here. Need to do some research on canola though, a new study suggests that it could be more harmful than helpful — particularly for the brain. Share on Pinterest Researchers found that a diet rich in canola oil worsened memory in mouse models of Alzheimer's
ReplyDelete