Clover Honey: Nutrition, Benefits & Uses

About Honey and Clover Honey

Honey is a sweet, viscous food substance made by honey bees and some other bees. Bees produce honey from the sugary secretions of plants (floral nectar) or from secretions of other insects (such as honeydew), by regurgitation, enzymatic activity, and water evaporation. Honey bees store honey in wax structures called honeycombs, whereas stingless bees store honey in pots made of wax and resin. The variety of honey produced by honey bees (the genus Apis) is the best-known, due to its worldwide commercial production and human consumption. Honey is collected from wild bee colonies, or from hives of domesticated bees, a practice known as beekeeping or apiculture (meliponiculture in the case of stingless bees). (Clover honey)

Honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, and has about the same relative sweetness as sucrose (table sugar). Fifteen millilitres (1 US tablespoon) of honey provides around 190 kilojoules (46 kilocalories) of food energy. It has attractive chemical properties for baking and a distinctive flavor when used as a sweetener. Most microorganisms do not grow in honey, so sealed honey does not spoil, even after thousands of years.French honey from different floral sources, with visible differences in color and texture

Honey use and production have a long and varied history as an ancient activity. Several cave paintings in Cuevas de la Araña in Spain depict humans foraging for honey at least 8,000 years ago. Large-scale meliponiculture has been practiced by the Mayans since pre-Columbian times.

How many times did you read the label of the honey when you put it in the shopping cart?

Of course, very few times. In fact, we are used to trusting the brands we trust, not the purity of honey.

While there are over 300 different types of honey produced or sold in the United States, if you notice, there is one that is the most widely available honey in the country.

And it is called Clover Honey – which we will discuss in detail today.

We will also try to answer frequently asked questions about the differences between alfalfa and the other types of honey available.

What is Clover honey?

Alfalfa honey is honey obtained only from bees that collect nectar from the flowers of clover honey. Its color is white to light amber and its taste is sweet, floral and light.

Raw honey, like alfalfa raw honey, is always better than processed honey.

Let’s look at the clover plant to learn more about its role in making this honey delicious.

A Brief about Clover Plant & its Popular Types

Alfalfa or Trifolium is a small annual perennial herb with trifoliate leaves, widely used as a fodder plant in many countries.

The importance of alfalfa is understood from the fact that it is one of the most cultivated pastures and is used in the feeding of cattle and other animals.

Another reason why it is loved by farmers is that it protects the soil from water erosion and wind. It also adds nutrients to your soil so less fertilizer is required.

Fun Fact: Honey and Clover is a popular Japanese manga series about the relationship between several art students living in the same apartment.

Interestingly, the relationship between clover and honey bees is also very close.

It is said that the bees pollinate the alfalfa very efficiently, resulting in increased yields of the crop, and on the other hand, the bees get their nectar from a very plentiful and readily available source.

This may be the reason why farmers who own alfalfa pastures love beekeepers so much.

Types of Clover

The most popular types of clover are:

1. White Clover (repent)

White clover is a short perennial herb used in turf-grass mixes and has a white head that is sometimes dyed pink.

2. Alsike Clover ( hybridum)

It is also called Swedish or Alsatian clover and has rosy-pink flowers.

3. Red Clover ( pratense)

Red clover is more of a biennial and has a purple flower.

Nutritional Value of Clover Honey

Like other types of honey, alfalfa honey consists mostly of natural sugars, but contains few vitamins and minerals.

One hundred grams of alfalfa honey contains 286 kilojoules of energy, 80 grams of Carbohydrates, 76 grams of sugar and contains no protein or fat.

Pro-Tip:  Tip#1: Pure honey never expires unless you keep it in the moisture. To prevent that, always close the lid tightly after you open it for use.

Clover Honey Health Benefits

Alfalfa honey has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory properties that can even help you regulate your blood pressure.

Its benefits for skin hydration and wound dressing are also well known.

Let’s look at each of these benefits in detail.

1. Rich In Antioxidants

Alfalfa and other types of honey are rich in antioxidants, compounds that kill harmful free radicals in your body.

Free radicals cause many health problems such as some cardiovascular, inflammatory diseases and even cancer.

2. Regulates Blood Pressure

Research says that regular intake of alfalfa honey can help regulate your blood pressure.

However, if you have diabetes, taking honey may not be your first choice.

Instead, some bitter teas, such as Cerasee tea, can help you get moderate blood pressure.

3. Strongest Antibacterial Among All Kinds of Honey

A study was conducted to know the antioxidant capacities of various commonly consumed honeys.

It was concluded that alfalfa honey has the strongest antibacterial activity.

4. Cost-Effective Dressing For Diabetic Wounds

The effectiveness of honey in healing wounds has been known since ancient times.

Nowadays, when diabetes is so common, the need to treat diabetes-related wounds has led us to consider cost-effective methods.

And one such way is to treat it with honey.

According to a published research journal, alfalfa honey has proven to be the most cost-effective dressing for treating diabetic foot ulcers.

5. As a Healthy Alternative of Sugar

Alfalfa honey has proven to be a healthy alternative to sugar intake, thanks to the phenolic acid and flavonoids it contains.

Among the many benefits associated with flavonoids are a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease (according to cardiologists), stroke and asthma.

Like other antioxidants, the flavinoids in alfalfa honey inhibit the growth of free radicals and metallic ions.

6. Reduces Hairfall And Scalp Infections

The antibacterial and antifungal properties of honey work well in removing dandruff, as does oolong tea.

A study was conducted to know the effects of raw honey in the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Patients were asked to gently rub diluted raw honey on the lesions and wait for 3 hours.

Quite significantly, each patient saw a marked improvement, the itching subsided, and the scaling disappeared.

7. Good For Sleeping Disorders

Another benefit you can get by regularly taking alfalfa honey is to help with sleep disorders. A teaspoon of alfalfa honey before bed is usually what the doctor recommends.

Most of the time you wake up in the middle of the night starving.

Why?

Because when we eat dinner early, the glycogen stored by our liver is consumed by our body when we say night. This triggers the alarm to say:

“Hey, I need more energy.”

What honey does is fill our livers with glycogen so we don’t get triggered by a midnight glycogen deficiency.

In addition, honey slightly raises the level of insulin, which indirectly puts your body to sleep.

8. Honey is A Natural Moisturizer For Dry And Dull Skin

The use of honey in the cosmetic industry is well known. Its moisturizing nature rejuvenates the skin, smoothes wrinkles, treats subclinical acne and regulates pH.

Honey-based cosmetics include cleansers, sunscreens, lip balms, beauty creams, tonics, shampoos, conditioners.

An Amazing Fact About Honey

While excavating the Egyptian pyramids, archaeologists found honey pots in one of the ancient tombs believed to be around 3000 years old and surprisingly still edible.

How to Harvest Clover Honey

Honey harvesting is an interesting and exciting thing to do.

It takes about 4-6 months for the honey boxes to be ready, from the moment the bee colony enters the hives.

On the harvest day, the beekeeper must wear protective clothing to prevent the bee sting of the harvester.

The first thing to do is to put some smoke in the hive box as it calms the bees and keeps them from going crazy.

Then remove the individual frames, shake them well to remove the bees, put them in another box and cover them completely with a towel as it takes some time to get them to the removal point from the farm.

When the frames reach the honeycomb or exit point, make sure there are no bees attached to the frames.

Then use a hot knife to remove the candle from the frame.

Be sure to put a bucket with a strainer at the top so that the honey that comes out with the wax is automatically filtered out.

Once you’ve finished removing the wax from the frames, place them inside the extractor, which is a rotating drum.

What will happen is that the frames rotate at a rate that will allow all the honey to go down and be collected through a hole.

Watch this mouthwatering honey harvesting process in the video below.

Expert Tip: Tip 2: To use an empty honey jar, clean it with a cleaner brush to remove any honey residue.

Clover Honey vs. Other Types of Honey

Clover Honey is not the only type of honey available. Normally many others are also available.

What is the difference?

Clover vs Wild Flower Honey

Which is better: Alfalfa or Wildflower honey?

The main difference lies in the taste of both of these types. In general, clover honey has a milder flavor than a wildflower.

This is one of the reasons why you can find more alfalfa honey than wildflower honey in every supermarket.

The rule of thumb with honey is that the lighter the color, the clearer the taste.

It’s worth mentioning here that the commercial vendors of these honeys add some chemicals to make them taste the same every time you buy them.

Otherwise, you will confuse it as stale or impure.

Clover Honey vs Raw Honey

What is the difference between raw and alfalfa honey?

First, clover honey can be both raw and regular.

Now, if the clover honey is raw, it means that it has reached you without any processing.

On the other hand, Normal Alfalfa honey is pasteurized and may also contain some added sugar and preservatives.

So it’s ridiculous for someone to say whether it’s alfalfa or regular honey. Because a comparison between Raw Alfalfa honey and Normal Alfalfa honey is just what’s appropriate.

Raw Honey vs Regular Honey

Raw honey is filtered for impurities before it is bottled, while regular honey goes through several processes such as adding additional nutrients or sugar.

Clover Honey vs Manuka Honey

The obvious difference lies in the bees’ access to certain trees to collect nectar.

Clover trees in the case of clover honey and Manuka trees in the case of Manuka honey.

The other main difference lies in the benefits.

The antibacterial property of Manuka honey is distinguished from the others thanks to its Methylglyoxal content.

In summary, let’s try to conclude which is the best type of honey.

This is a somewhat subjective question because every honey is packed with benefits with minimal side effects. While alfalfa and wildflower honey is very common in the United States, very few are popular worldwide.

Manuka honey is considered a honey full of health benefits that no other honey has.

Clover Honey Side-Effects

Although honey is an excellent natural gift with enormous benefits, it may not be suitable for a group of people.

• Nausea, dizziness or fainting
• excessive sweating
• Gaining weight
• dangerous for diabetics
• It will make you gain weight. Therefore, if you are already struggling to lose a few pounds, honey may not be a good choice for you.
• It is not only bad but also dangerous for people with diabetes
• There have been reports of allergic reactions, particularly in people who are allergic to bees or pollen.

How to Detect Fake Clover Honey?

Most of the time, you buy something that looks and even tastes like honey but isn’t real honey.

So how do you know that the honey you buy is natural and not just sugar syrup? The following points explain.

1. Check Ingredients

The first thing to do is to check the ingredients on the label. The real one will say ‘pure honey’ while the other will say corn syrup or something.

2. Price Factor

Check the price. Pure honey is not cheap to buy compared to the added ingredients.

3. Check the Dripping

Turn the honey pot upside down and see how it drips. Another way is to dip a stick into it and lift it. If the honey stuck to this stick drips sooner, it’s not real.

4. Water Test

Pour some honey into water with an average temperature of 21°C. Fake honey dissolves faster, while real honey collapses layer by layer.

Another water test is to add 1-2 tablespoons of honey to a small jar filled with water and shake well by tightening the lid. If it is pure, there will be no watery bubbles in the foam and will not disappear quickly.

If your so-called honey passes all the tests above, your honey is real.

And the only way to tell if it’s clover honey is to see its color. It ranges from white to light amber in color. Therefore, if your honey is in this range, it is likely to be clover honey.

Did you know: Our honey bees must visit more than two million flower blossoms and fly more than 55,000 miles to make just one pound of honey—the amount of a jar of Bloom Honey!

How can Clover Honey be a part of your meals?

• Use tea, coffee, etc. instead of sugar to avoid excess calories.
• Used in cooking – Only half or maximum 2/3 the amount of sugar you use in your recipe.
• It is consumed for breakfast, like drizzling a few drops of clover honey on granola.
• The salad can be garnished with clover honey along with mustard.
• It can be mixed with yogurt to get a delicious taste.
• It can be spread on toast instead of jam or marmalade.
• Pouring clover honey on popcorn can make it tastier, tastier than the ones in the movie theater.
• It can be used with soy and hot sauce to make stir-fries even tastier.

Solution

Widely harvested throughout the United States, alfalfa honey is the most popular and healthy honey.

What does clover honey do?

Studies show that clover honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties that help regulate blood pressure, are good for skin health, and are excellent sugar substitutes.

How does clover honey taste?

Unlike Wildflower honey, which is somewhat potent, clover honey is lighter in color and lighter in flavor – an ideal piece for your breakfast as well as just before bed.

If you are a clover honey lover, let us know your thoughts about this honey in the comment section below.

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