The orange blossom and its sweet honey

The Valencian Community is one of the Autonomous Communities with the highest honey production in Spain, together with Castilla y León and Extremadura. In the Community of Valencia more than 4 million tons of honey are produced every year and between 40 and 50% of this is orange blossom honey. Orange blossom includes the flowers of the orange, lemon, mandarin and grapefruit trees. Orange blossom also has other uses, such as orange blossom water, which is widely used in confectionery.

Summary: Orange blossom is the blossom of orange and lemon trees. A flower with a very pleasant aroma and with many properties. It is also one of the favourite flowers of bees. You can also find orange blossom honey and other fantastic honeys from Spain in our shop in Las Rozas de Madrid.

Other interesting articles: The 5 best honeys in Spain.Raw unpasteurised honey.Where to buy quality raw honey?

1. Orange blossom plant care: orange trees, lemon trees and nectarines

Orange blossom plants are lemon, orange, mandarin and grapefruit trees, all of which produce flowers called orange blossom. The care of these trees requires mainly sunny areas, without strong winds and with a deep soil rich in organic matter.

2. Magical properties of the orange blossom flower

Orange blossom is highly valued in the confectionery, aromatherapy and natural cosmetics sectors. Orange blossom can be used whole or in the form of infusions. Its properties are as follows:

• Sedative
• Relaxing
• Helps digestion

3. Meaning of the orange blossom flower

The name orange blossom comes from the Arabic al-azahar, which means white flower.

Photo 1: Orange blossom seen through a magnifying glass.

4. Valencia, the orange blossom and its bees

Theoretically speaking, Valencia is a paradise for bees. Some 200 000 hectares of citrus trees are cultivated here. Citrus fruits are melliferous plants, i.e. plants whose flowers produce a large amount of nectar and pollen.

From a beekeeper’s point of view, Valencia is an area of important interest for the following reasons: Firstly, because there is so much food nearby, beekeepers do not have to travel to their hives in search of food. Therefore, beekeepers save on travel and labour costs. Secondly, orange blossom honey has a very characteristic and mild aroma, making it highly appreciated by consumers. It is also sold at a higher price, increasing the profitability of beekeeping. Thirdly, this large source of food favours the multiplication of the number of bees in the hive, increasing honey production.

According to the census carried out in 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, there are 1664 beekeepers in Valencia. Of these, just over 800 have more than 150 hives, with more than 350 000 hives in the Valencian Community. As a result, between 6 000 and 9 000 tonnes of honey are produced in the Community of Valencia each year.

a) Dangers facing bees

The flora of the Valencian Community makes it a paradise for both beekeepers and bees. However, experts claim that this production is much lower than it could be due to a number of factors.

Firstly, the bees are poisoned by the high amount of pesticides that beekeepers spray on the flowering citrus trees. If these pesticides were delayed by 15 days, millions of bees would not be killed. Secondly, the introduction of the pitted mandarin, because if the mandarin tree is not to produce seeds, it must not be pollinated. To achieve this, the best way would be to cover the mandarin tree with a protective netting in order to prevent the entry of any insects that pollinate the mandarin tree. However, the costs are much lower if the whole field is sprayed and any insects that might pollinate the mandarin tree are killed, the latter option is being used. Thirdly, it is the weather conditions, which are not always the most suitable for flowering and for bees, although this factor is difficult to change.

Another problem beekeepers face is theft. Theft, together with the problems mentioned above, has meant that in honey-producing regions such as Cartagena and Santomera in Murcia, they have had 60 % less orange blossom honey this year than in previous years.

5. Buying orange blossom

Orange blossom is widely used in natural medicine to treat stress, stomach problems and other ailments.

Orange blossom is used in cosmetic products and in the production of herbal teas.

It is also commonly available in herbalist shops.

Sources:

La Opinión de Murcia newspaper: http://www.laopiniondemurcia.es/