About Field Honey
Finest quality honey harvested from our hives
HONEY MANAGEMENT
At Field Honey Farms we take a particular pride in getting our honey from hive to jar in the best possible condition. Once foraged by the bees and harvested from the hives, honey is being constantly evaluated as to its flower origins and quality. After being extracted from the comb, the honey will be checked further and stored in large tanks before entering the bottling process.
The honey can then be warmed gently in a thermostatically controlled environment to enable us to bottle or store away in smaller containers. It is important for us to look after the honey in this way so as to protect both the levels of Diastase Activity and H.M.F. (Hydroxymethylfurfuraldehyde). Excessive heat will lower the diastase activity and increase H.M.F. levels and also darken the colour whilst spoiling the taste.
SALISBURY PLAIN
The region known as Salisbury Plain is recognised by many as an area in which our military troops undertake training. However, it is also the largest area of unspoilt chalk grassland in Europe harbouring many rare species of flora and fauna. For this reason it is highly beneficial to honey bees offering them a plentiful supply of both nectar and pollen throughout both spring and summer.
Honey gathered in the height of summer is sourced from the wild flowers such as White Clover, Sainfoin and Yellow Melliot to create a lovely natural blend, the taste of which reminds many people of the honey they experienced in their childhood years.
DORSET HEATH
The Dorset Heath makes up part of the Lowland Heath found in pockets across the counties of Southern England. It comprises a mixture of heathland plant species and is very different from the remote moorlands found in Northern England and Scotland.
The bees are able to forage nectar in these areas from late June until early September, offering us two distinctive honey types. However, the sandy nature of the soil requires the need for regular rain throughout the summer months to help the plants maintain nectar secretion.
The honey collected in August is different from that which is collected in July. It comes from the Calluna Vulgaris (Ling Heather), which has a unique thixotropic texture (becoming fluid when stirred and returning to the semisolid state upon standing) trapping air bubbles within whilst displaying a strong, distinctive flavour.