Organic Beechwood honey, which is not mass-produced commercially, originates from the mountain-based rainforests of New Zealand's South Island. This silky-smooth honey is free of chemicals residues banned by Asure Quality in New Zealand and checked for over 250 different chemicals. According to Asure Quality and Ecocert Canada's standards, all our organic honeys are pesticides, antibiotics and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) free. Source Ecocert Canada (https//www.ecocertcanada.com/glossary): It is prohibited to use any synthetic substances or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in New Zealand.
The sweet, aromatic sap is carefully and ethically sourced from the Beechwood trees and is collected by the bees for harvesting. Once the sap is transported to the hive that has been made from environmentally friendly material, the process begins of naturally turning the sap into luscious honey. The eco-conscious apiarist extracts the Honeydew Honey from the beeswax at very low temperatures, which preserves the levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Depending on when during the year the honey is harvested, either in the spring or autumn, the resulting end product colours and taste can be quite different. Variety in honey is always interesting to the palate! Unlike the denser and more viscous Manuka honey, in contrast, Beechwood honey is naturally quite liquid and flowing in texture.
The broad naturally occurring mineral profile includes Calcium (Ca), Zinc (Zn), Magnesium (Mg), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Selenium (Se), Chromium (Cr) and Sodium (Na).
Oligosaccharides
Another feature of New Zealand's superior Organic Beechwood honey is the naturally occurring presence of Oligosaccharides (complex carbohydrates) present in significantly greater levels than in your average floral commercial honeys. Oligosaccharides are more commonly known as "functional foods".
In general, Beechwood non-floral honeys are normally low in glucose and they are also lower in fructose than floral honeys. These low glucose and fructose levels are supplemented by higher levels of more complex sugars, such as maltose and melezitose (melicitose). This has the effect of reducing the tendency of the natural sugars becoming crystallized. Likewise, Beechwood honey is very slow crystallizing and in fact, some Beechwood honeys never actually crystallize.
High in Antioxidants, Organic New Zealand Beechwood honey is known to have much higher levels of antioxidants than most floral honeys. In a study at Lincoln University (NZ), Beechwood Forest (Honeydew) honey had the highest levels of polyphenolics, which are one of the most significant classes of antioxidant compounds. Additionally, using the ABTS and ORAC testing methods for antioxidant calculations, Beechwood Forest non-floral honey consistently ranked near the top of 10 monofloral honey varieties tested.
The results of these three tests indicate that New Zealand Organic Beechwood non-floral honey has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all known New Zealand honeys. Most interestingly, another high-ranking honey was Manuka honey.
