Sunflower honey
Monofloral honey from sunflower nectar: bright yellow, crystallising quickly and often hard; the plant name adds no market value.
Sunflower honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), a crop largely grown for oil seed, mainly in Eastern and Southern Europe. The same plant gives sunflower oil. The honey is bright yellow with a medium colour.
International Honey Commission data (358 samples) give a mean colour of 52.4 mm Pfund, conductivity 0.34 mS/cm and water 17.8 g/100 g. Because of its high glucose content it crystallises quickly and often hard; with very small crystals it is described as refreshing like fondant. The aroma is weak to medium, the acidity strong and the aftertaste short. Sunflower pollen varies widely, from under 20 % to over 90 %.
The plant name adds no market value to this honey, so it is sold unlabelled or blended with multifloral honey, and output changes from year to year with agricultural policy. EU law sets no special limits for it. Miel de Provence (PGI) excludes honey from sunflower, rape and lucerne crops.
Why this matters to you: if a jar says sunflower honey, expect bright yellow honey that sets quickly; that is the glucose, not spoilage. The difference from creamed honey is only that it thickens by itself.
Facts
| Raw material | Nectar of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) |
|---|---|
| Taste | Bright yellow; weak to medium aroma, strong acidity |
| Duration | Quick, often hard crystallisation because of high glucose |
| Colour | Bright yellow; 35–70 mm Pfund (mean 52) |
| Moisture | Mean 17.8 g/100 g (358 samples) |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Sunflower honey → kind of → Blossom and honeydew honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Monofloral honey, Blossom and honeydew honey
- Similar and different
- Thistle honey, Langnese, Langnese Flotte Biene Spender, Breitsamer Klassische Sorten, Pasika 21, Apicoltura Casentinese Selezione Italiana, Sądecki Bartnik Miody świata, Honey Brothers Ukrainian Classics, Pasika 21 Honey Desserts, Apícola Danangie
- In other topics
- Honey plants, 🌻 Sunflower oil
- Which plants it comes from
- Sunflower
Frequently asked questions
What is sunflower honey made from?
From the nectar of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), a crop mainly grown for oil seed.
Why does it crystallise quickly?
Because of its high glucose content; crystallisation is quick and often hard.
What does it taste like?
A weak to medium aroma, strong acidity and a short aftertaste.
Is it true that sunflower honey is always sold under that name?
No, the plant name adds no market value, so it is often sold unlabelled or blended.
Is it allowed in Miel de Provence?
No, Miel de Provence excludes honey from sunflower, rape and lucerne crops.
What to read next
- Honey plants — Plants from which bees collect nectar and pollen: black locust, lime, buckwheat, sunflower, rapeseed, chestnut, heather, lavender.
- Langnese Flotte Biene Sonnenblumenhonig — Sunflower honey by Langnese in the Flotte Biene dispenser, bright yellow and finely creamed.
- Thistle honey — Thistle honey is a monofloral honey from the nectar of thistles – spiny plants of the daisy family such as Galactites tomentosa, yellow star-thistle and creeping thistle.
- Langnese — Langnese is a German honey brand from Bargteheide in northern Germany.
- Langnese Flotte Biene Spender — Langnese's dispenser range of 15 honeys, from acacia and linden blends to organic, Fairtrade and manuka.
Similar
Heather honey · Buckwheat honey · Lime (linden) honey · Chestnut honey · Rapeseed honey · Sulla honey
ℹ️ Honey is mostly sugars: about 82 g per 100 g. Do not give honey to babies under 1 year old because of the risk of infant botulism.
Sources
- Persano Oddo L., Piro R. (2004) Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets. Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1) S38-S81
- Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey (consolidated text, EUR-Lex)
- Application for registration of Miel de Provence, OJ C 261, 30.10.2003 (EUR-Lex)