¿Qué es la miel de Manuka?

Crema de Miel de Manuka
Honey can also be “creamed” to artificially control the formation of crystals, this process is called homogenizing; to make the honey uniform throughout in structure and composition and to reduce the honey to small particles of uniform size and distribute it evenly. When honey is creamed, the honey is also aerated. The creaming process creates a honey with uniform minute crystals – less than 25 microns (0.025 mm) – so fine that the honey remains smooth and spreadable indefinitely. The honey skimming process involves thoroughly mixing “seed honey,” which contains only very fine crystals, with liquid honey that “blocks” the formation of larger crystals. The mixing process is temperature controlled to produce the finest granular honey. After some time it undergoes natural crystallization. The proper crystallization temperature is 16-18° C. At higher temperatures the crystallization process is slower and the crystals reach a larger size. By heating honey to a temperature of 40° C – 65° C and holding it for several days, honey passes from the crystallized state to the liquid. Honey cream machines have a special mechanical mixer that allows one to carry out the recrystallization process, after which honey acquires an ideal “spread” consistency, similar to chocolate creams for children. This process involves cyclic aeration and intensive mixing of honey over several days until the correct consistency is achieved. Aeration takes place during mixing. Mixing is carried out several times a day for a period of about 10-15 minutes. For example, one can add crystallized honey to the liquid honey at the beginning. “Creaming” is aimed at producing many small nuclei of crystallization and preventing the growth of pre-existing honey crystals. It is a mechanical “grinding of honey”-crystals. This honey stored at a constant temperature retains this consistency for many months. Centrifuging with increased heat provides a higher yield of extracted honey. Through this process, the larger pieces of wax are removed and then poured to avoid impurities and the small pieces of wax that remain in the honey after centrifugation. Pressure filtration is an industrial filtration process, apparently similar to pouring, that is used by many producers but is counterproductive for honey because it changes the state of the product and removes some of its nutrients. During pressure filtration, honey is heated and then pumped through tiny microfilters that expel it at high speeds, putting it directly into the containers in which it is marketed, much like soft drinks. In the case of honey, the heat to which it is exposed causes changes in its natural state and some of the nutritional elements are eliminated or trapped in the fine meshes used, producing a honey with a smooth, refined and creamy appearance, but losing some of its properties. The other current honey processing system is pasteurization. During this thermal process, honey is exposed to high temperatures, leading to loss of nutrients and destruction of enzymes during the heating process. In the case of honey, it is especially important to ensure that the natural state of the product does not change, that there are no changes in diastase, an important enzyme in it and sensitive to heat, therefore this process most changes its natural properties.

Las 8 etapas de producción de la crema de miel de Manuka:
Step 1 is to use an extraction method between 40° C – 65° C to extract the honey from the honeycombs
El paso 2 consiste en recoger la miel en grandes panales
La tercera etapa consiste en filtrar la miel para eliminar la cera y los residuos de las abejas.
El paso 4 consiste en filtrar la miel a 200 micras (0,2 mm) para eliminar aún más
Step 5 is to increase the temperature to 40° C – 65° C to create an even more fluid honey (HMF increases!)
Paso 6: airear / remover la miel durante un máximo de 3 días a 2 semanas.
El paso 7 consiste en mezclar la miel durante 10 a 15 minutos varias veces al día y volver a enfriarla a 12-15°C
El paso 8 es rellenar los tarros con la crema de miel de manuka