Where can you find honey in the Luberon?

An ideal location for beekeeping

How is honey made?

The bees that produce honey (Apis mellifera) are domestic bees, also known as honeybees. They belong to the Hymenoptera family of insects. They live in colonies of several thousand individuals, in hives. Tasks are divided among the bees according to their caste: workers, drones, and queens. Only worker bees collect pollen and produce this product. They can only collect nectar (the sweet substance secreted by plants and used as the raw material) from certain nectar-producing flowers.

Beekeeping in the Luberon is therefore the art of raising bees in order to harvest honey. Depending on the region of the world, honey varies in its origins, quality, and traceability. They are not all equal, so it is important to ensure their quality. Honey is ranked as the sixth product most at risk of food fraud, after olive oil, fish, organic foods, milk and cereals. To be sold under the name ‘honey’, no substance (other than honey) may be added. Honey is a finished product in the hive, meaning it is a ‘primary’ product (with no processing). Even its composition, such as the levels of fructose and glucose, sucrose, and water, is regulated.

Some honeys are produced mainly from a single variety of flower, known as ‘monofloral honey’, while others are referred to as polyfloral. Honey is made up, on average, of 80% sugars, 17% water, and 3% various other elements such as minerals, proteins and vitamins. There can be up to 20 different types of sugar in honey, but the most prevalent are fructose and glucose (each accounting for 30 to 35%).

Why does honey have a creamy texture?

Are you wondering why there are different textures in the world of beekeeping? Indeed, some honeys are creamy, others liquid, and still others quite firm. But none of this has anything to do with its quality. The primary reason for the difference in texture of honey lies in its glucose content. It is the glucose that crystallises. A honey that is particularly high in glucose is likely to crystallise more quickly and become creamy. The higher the glucose content in honey, the more quickly it will crystallise. Conversely, the higher the fructose content of the honey, the more slowly it will crystallise and the longer it will remain liquid. Furthermore, the texture of honey also depends on its storage conditions: in the refrigerator, it will crystallise more quickly than at room temperature.

All honeys are liquid when harvested, except for heather honeys. Some products from the Luberon, such as acacia honey, also remain liquid for quite a long time. Among the honeys rich in glucose and likely to become creamy, is lavender honey, a speciality of the Luberon. While liquid honey indicates a recent harvest, firm honey is a mark of quality thanks to its low water content. Crystallised honeys have a longer shelf life, making them a mark of quality. In a spoonful of honey, around 200 different nutrients help to boost your health. Whether liquid or creamy, all types of honey are true energy boosters and contain fewer calories than refined sugar.

The honey producers of the Luberon

These honey producers have been professional beekeepers for years and are based at the foot of the Luberon. Often organic, they raise hundreds of thousands of bees and have hives in every colour. In each hive, there are 50,000 to 80,000 bees and just one queen per hive, who lays 1,500 eggs a day.

In the Luberon, the range spans from mild, light honeys with subtle aromas (acacia, lime blossom) to fruity, full-bodied, amber honeys (heather, lavender, lavandin, thyme, rosemary, cedar). Rosemary is the first plant to bloom each year, in January or February; its blue flowers are beautiful and fragrant. Then, a little later, in May, it is thyme’s turn to bloom. Then, towards the end of June and beginning of July, the lavender comes into bloom, infusing the air around the fields with its fragrance. Among the many types of honey produced by beekeepers in the Luberon, here are four that are especially renowned for their quality when they come from the Luberon.

Here is the list of all honey producers:

How to choose your honey?

It was renowned as the finest of all honeys by the Romans. Finely granulated, pale in colour and with a balsamic fragrance, it is an excellent tonic, often recommended for those who are stressed or tired. It is rich in trace elements such as iron, calcium, copper and boron, and it stimulates the liver by increasing bile production and its elimination through the liver. As a result, it has a positive effect on the stomach, stimulates intestinal function, and promotes better digestion. It is a regular feature in kitchens, for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Lavender honey

The nectar of the lavender flower is used to produce a high-quality, aromatic honey that is highly prized. This honey is an emblematic product of the PACA region and the Luberon in France, as it is primarily produced in the Alpes de Haute Provence and Vaucluse. With its smooth texture, delicate flavour and wonderfully pleasant aroma, lavender honey is actually produced from the nectar of several species of this aromatic plant: true lavender, aspic lavender and lavandin. It is a natural product with antirheumatic, antispasmodic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It soothes coughs and helps to treat burns, bronchitis, sore throats, flu, infected wounds, and even high blood pressure. Lavender honey is also effective in combating insomnia.

Garrigue honey

Garrigue (from the Provençal ‘garriga’) is made up of Mediterranean plants, similar to the maquis. In addition to thyme, rosemary and lavender, this honey comes from a wide variety of flowers and nectar-producing plants: white heather, bramble, white clover, asphodel, savoury, oregano and bupleurum, emblematic plants of the Luberon.

Honey sellers of the Luberon

You will find Luberon honeys in most local grocery shops, boutiques and some bakeries, as well as at weekly markets and farmers’ markets throughout South Luberon.