Honey is a mixture of many substances. Its composition depends upon the species of flowers from which the nectar is collected. Nectar from the same species of flowers can also vary according to the soil and climate. The honeybee adds enzymes from its hypopharyngeal gland at the time of nectar collection and during transfer in the hive. The main enzyme used is known as invertase, which breaks sugars down into glucose and fructose. Water is evaporated from the nectar, usually down to about 17 or 18%.

An average honey will contain approximately 17% water, 38% glucose, 31% fructose, 1% sucrose, 9% other sugars and about 4% organic acids and other substances.

The ratio of glucose to fructose is an important determinant of how quickly honey will set or crystallise. Honeys with a high glucose content set very rapidly (like oil seed rape honey), where high fructose content will allow the honey to stay liquid for a long time (like acacia honey).

When the bees have reduced the moisture content to a suitable level they will cap the honey with wax. Honey can be eaten in this form, like honeycomb, and can be cut from the frames into small portions and placed in clear plastic boxes. Extra thin unwired foundation is normally provided in the frames. The bees can be induced to build comb in small wooden framed squares known as “sections” which hold about a pound of honey and command a high price.

Most honey is harvested by uncapping the combs and extracting the honey by spinning the frames in an extractor. The honey can then be filtered and run into bottles or tubs for bottling later. If the honey crystallizes in the tubs it can be warmed until soft, stirred and bottled as creamed honey, or warmed until clear and then bottled.

A honey extractor

Inside a honey extractor

Important forage crops in the southwest for pollen or nectar include gorse, willow, blackthorn, cherry, pear, apple, dandelion, sycamore, brassicas, horse chestnut, hawthorn, oil seed rape, raspberry, blackberry, white clover, lime, rosebay willow-herb, bell heather, ling heather, ivy as well as numerous other garden plants.