Honey guide
How is honey made? From blossom to jar
The journey from nectar to finished honey is an astonishing one – carried out by thousands of bees. This is how honey is made, step by step.
1. Collecting nectar and honeydew
Bees collect sugary nectar from flowers or honeydew from leaves and carry it back to the hive in their honey stomach.
2. Transformation in the hive
In the hive, the bees pass the nectar on from mouth to mouth, enriching it with enzymes from their own bodies. In this way the thin nectar gradually becomes honey.
3. Ripening and drying
The honey is stored in the honeycombs. The beating of the bees' wings evaporates water until the water content falls below about 18 percent. Then the bees seal the cells with a wax cap.
4. Harvest at the beekeeper's
The beekeeper removes only the capped, ripe combs, gently extracts the honey, sieves it and fills it into jars – at SUMMSTOFF regionally and traceably.
Frequently asked questions
How much work goes into a jar of honey?
For a single jar of honey, bees fly many thousands of kilometres in total and visit millions of flowers. A jar is the joint work of an entire colony.
What is the difference between blossom honey and forest honey?
Blossom honey is made from flower nectar and is usually light and mild. Forest honey is made from honeydew and is darker and stronger.
Why does every honey taste different?
Taste, colour and consistency depend on the forage source and the region – that is, on which plants the bees visited.