National Honey Month

National Honey Month is upon us; a favourite here at Glassworks International, as honey is a product that we cater to with our wide variety of glass jars. As the summer rolls on and the heat turns up, the UK finally has the opportunity to embrace and indulge in some of the traditional pass-times, including beach trips, summer sports and the ever-beloved picnic in the park. What better to bring along to your picnic than the subject of National Honey Month this September?

Honey is one of the country’s most popular preserves, along with jams and chutneys. Honey is a flexible ingredient in cooking, as a glaze, a flavourer, a spread and as a side to many dishes. The traditional way to store honey is keep it in an airtight glass jar, which can be easily resealed to ensure its integrity is maintained. From there, it is safe to keep at room temperature out of direct sunlight, although being kept in a fridge won’t do any harm.

ADVANTAGES TO HONEY

One of the advantages to honey as an ingredient is that it is the only naturally occurring food that does not spoil. This is due to its high acid content that helps to prevent bacteria from multiplying. This doesn’t mean it can be left in a puddle on the kitchen worktop without issue, since it will attract all manner of pests that naturally eat it, but it does give you the freedom to store it in a way that suits you. The only real risk to keeping honey long term is if it becomes contaminated from other sources, or if it crystallises. Keep an eye out for mould or fermentation.

PRODUCING HONEY

Famously, honey is harvested by keeping bees. Maintaining a culture for the bees to thrive requires specialist knowledge and equipment, although it is continually adopted as a non-professional hobby by bee-keeping enthusiasts with great success. It is harvested from the hive that the bees are kept in. They naturally produce honey from the nectar of plants that they visit across their active months.

During the active season, bees will produce the honey to feed their young, and this can be extracted into glass jars from the hive and prepared for human consumption. To cultivate an environment for bees, it is recommended to grow large numbers of flowers and other plants in the vicinity to ensure that they have plenty of food. A diverse ecosystem will encourage other animals as well, although there are predators of the honeybee that it is important to watch out for, such as wasps and hornets.

THE BEST JARS TO USE FOR HONEY

At Glassworks International, our products are designed and developed to be used for all types of foods. Our jars come in sizes from individual portions at 30ml through to full litre sized containers. For honey and similar products like jam and chutney, we recommend making use of the jars that store between 150ml-300ml. The Panel Jar in particular is a popular one with a section across the middle ideal for applying labels. Our range of Orcio Jars, from 106ml to 370ml make a wonderful presentation piece to draw attention to a premium product.