Sage Honey

Sage honey is a prized monofloral variety due to its low moisture content and extremely slow crystallization rate. There are many species of sage that honey bees can use in the making of sage honey, but the most popular ones are Black Button Sage, White Sage, and Purple Sage.

The type of sage that is most prominent in the honey will determine the colour, aroma, and taste profile of the harvested honey. Black Button and White Sage are common in the state of California, and the honey made from Black Button or White Sage will be light in colour with either a pure golden glow or a greenish-yellow tinge. Purple Sage is more common in the state of Texas, and the Purple Sage produces a darker honey that looks almost black.

Chefs and bakers commonly give sage honey preference in their recipes out of respect for this variety’s long shelf life and mellow flavour.

In order to produce sage honey, farmers must allow their crops to blossom. By doing this, the honey bees will be able to gather the nectar from the sage blossoms and later converting that into honey.

Typically, sage is produced for its leaves, which is the part of the plant used for seasonings. In order to supply the market for sage leaves, farmers harvest the plants before the flowers have had a chance to bloom. This means that producing sage honey isn’t a secondary market/benefit from pollinating their original product, like other monofloral varieties such as Buckwheat honey, Chestnut honey, Macadamia honey, Rapeseed honey etc.

The moment the honey bee collects the sage nectar, it is mixed with an enzyme within the bees mouth. The enzyme itself is known as invertase or the “bee enzyme” which is secreted from the bee’s glands. When the honey bees return to the hive, they will pass the sage nectar they have collected between themselves further mixing the nectar with the “bee enzyme”.

This will reduce the water content converting the nectar into honey. They will then deposit the sage honey into wax cells, but at this point, the water content may be too high. To reduce the water content, the honey bees will fan their wings above the wax cell, this, in turn, will evaporate some of the water.

Once they’ve finished the process, the honey will have a water content roughly below 20%. It will then be capped, and the honey bees will repeat the process all over again.

One of the ways that honey farmers know they are going to get a yield of quality sage honey is by taking note of the scent in the air around their colonies. Typically, bees seek to cool the air temperature inside the hive during the hottest part of the day.

They gather on the exterior surfaces in what is called “bee beards”. Together they beat their wings to displace hot air inside the hive and cool the interior. When the colony is making sage honey, the aroma of sage permeates the area around the colony as they perform this activity.

Healing Wounds and Burns	There has been positive effects of using raw honey on wounds & burns reported.
Reducing The Duration of Diarrhoea	According the NCBI consumption of raw honey has been shown to reduce the severity & duration of diarrhoea.
Preventing Acid Reflux	Research has shown that with honey lining the oesophagus and stomach, it actually can reduce the upward flow of undigested food and stomach acid.
Fighting Infections	Scientists in 2010 reported that honey through its protein (defensin-1) has the ability to kill bacteria.
Relieving cold and cough symptoms	Its been proven that honey may prove beneficial in relieving cold and cough symptoms. The World Health Organisation actually recommend honey as a natural cough remedy.
Rich In Antioxidants	High quality raw honey contains many helpful antioxidants. These include phenolic compounds like flavonoids and organic acids.
Can Lower Triglycerides	Triglycerides are associated with insulin resistance and are a major driver of type 2 diabetes. Multiple studies have linked regular honey consumption with lower triglyceride levels, especially when it is used to replace sugar.

This is based on raw honey, filtered or pasturised honey will break down and diminish these benefits.

You should avoid sage honey if you have any allergies that may make you sensitive to either honey or sage. If you have an allergy to bees and you are unsure if you will react to honey, you should consult with your doctor.

Furthermore, raw honey of any kind, including sage honey, should never be given to a child under a year old. This is because raw honey can cause a rare but serious disease (Infant Botulism) caused by a specific type of bacteria.