The appellation High Mountain refers to honey harvested at around 1800 meters.
Comptoir Du Miel’s Haute-Montagne honey is harvested in the Haute-Ariège region. where the flora is preserved from from all sources of pollution at altitudes of between 1800 and 2000 meters.
It’s in Ariège that most high-mountain honeys are harvested. Thanks in particular to a milder climate than in the Alps.
The beekeeper moves his hives to a sufficiently high altitude, as soon as the weather in June permits. A whole organization is then put in place:
Check that the temperature allows it: In fact, nights that are too cold would not be beneficial for the harvest!
Too much drought would make it impossible for the rare flowers found in the high mountains (clover, rhododendron, raspberry) to produce honey.
The honey supers must then be collected to extract the spring honey, and the hives transhipped to the mountain pastures. Finally, the honey supers must be replaced on the hives. In short, as you can see, high-mountain honey is a rare and limited harvest!
The main flower of high-mountain honey is rhododendron. But you’ll also find white clover and raspberry: what makes a Haute-Montagne honey so special.
Fortunately, in some years rhododendrons flower for a long time. We saw them bloom for 5 weeks! This gives the bees plenty of time to collect the precious nectar that will be their main source of nourishment. The raspberry bushes and white clover will complete their supply all summer long.
Finally, you have to wait patiently for them to feed and bring back the abundant nectar.
As you can see, the high-mountain harvest is never abundant. You really have to appreciate it when it’s there.
The taste, flavour and preservation of Haute-Montagne honey:
With its mild, suave flavour, thanks mainly to the presence of rhododendron this year, it will obviously appeal to lovers of honeys such as acaciarhododendron or rosemary honeys. Its crystallization is very fine and pleasant. Its conservation is excellent, with very low HMF and humidity levels.
The benefits of high mountain honey :
Like rhododendron honey, and because it is predominantly rhododendron, high mountain honey is antioxidant. It contains a high concentration of trace elements, giving it restorative and anti-rheumatic properties. It is also used in apitherapy to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy.
An excellent restorative, it is also highly prized for slowing down the cell-ageing process. It is also reputed to regulate blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels!
Did you know?
Haute-Montagne honey is harvested at the end of the summer when all the flowers have disappeared. Did you know that just one spoonful of honey a day is enough to feed a man?
Did you know that honey contains living enzymes?
