Three Heather honeys with a lot of character that are part of the French grands crus.
White Heather Corsican honey (Erica Arborea)
White Heather is a dark green needle-like evergreen shrub; its white flowers appear at the end of winter in clusters of bells of 2 to 4 mm. Fairly slow growing, it can reach 2 m in height. This heather prefers acidic, well-drained soil in an open sunny position.
Our Corsican White Heather honey is harvested in Haute-Corse throughout the spring on vast expanses of maquis, from the sea to the mountains. Its delicate taste of caramel and cocoa makes it a gourmet and coveted honey.
It is a PDO honey, subject to very precise specifications which highlight respect for bees and the traceability of honey.
Heather Calluna honey (Calluna vulgaris)
Heather Calluna tolerates temperatures ranging from 10 to 20°C. She does not like very cold temperatures: if they are below seasonal norms, there will be no nectar production.
It is a species that prefers partial shade. It will therefore be found under tree cover that is not completely closed. It prefers sandy, well-drained soils and its growth increases with humidity.
It takes 100 to 200 rainy days a year for this heath. It is the rains in June that determine the length of the flower stalks, and therefore the quantity of flowers: the more abundant the rains, the longer it will be.
The buds are sensitive to the rain because they are oriented upwards, on the contrary those of Ash Heather withstand storms very well in full bloom.
Flowering is from July to October with a peak in mid-September to the end of October. However, the flower buds are visible before this period and the flowers persist long after. The flower stalks start by blooming from below, then the flowering “goes up”.
The production of nectar is not automatic when there is flowering, it requires temperatures above 14°C, good atmospheric humidity and good sanitary conditions.
Our Heather Calluna honey is harvested in France in the Ariège Pyrenees Natural Park, from mid-August to mid-September. It secretes intensely floral and caramelized flavors. Its gelatinous texture makes it even more interesting.
Ash Heather honey (Erica Cinerea)
Ash Heather has an ecotype very close to calluna.
It flowers from May to October, bees usually start foraging in late June, when there is a surge of nectar. For this, you need a lot of water beforehand from February to April, 30 to 40 mm in one or more times. Bell heath tolerates very poor and very acidic environments better than calluna.
Our Ash Heather honey is harvested in France, in the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park, from August. It is a floral and complex creamy honey, with woody flavors and smoky touches.
