Everyone knows what honey is and everyone has tried it at least once. And this is not surprising, because there are a lot of varieties of this product and you can buy it anywhere: in the markets, in stores, in large supermarkets or directly from manufacturers. Since it retains its properties well and is easily transported, those who do not live in places close to its production can also enjoy such sweetness. A special place among these useful sweets is taken by mountain honey and in this article we will find out why.
Description and features of elite honey
Any honey is healthy and tasty for humans. But still the mountain product has its advantages and strengths over other varieties.
Origin
Mountain honey is the most eco-friendly version of this product, as it is harvested high in the mountains, where the level of environmental pollution is minimal. In addition, a huge number of different flowers grow in such a place (for example, thyme, honeysuckle, sage, oregano, clover), which makes the taste of honey unique from times to times. From the nearest regions of production of such honey - this is the Crimea, Kyrgyzstan, Altai and the Caucasus.
There are many types and varieties of honey. Each has its own beneficial properties. Find out what is useful and why they use rapeseed, phacelia, acacia, sweet clover, chestnut, hawthorn, lime, buckwheat, sainfoin, may honey.
Varieties
Mountain honey itself is also of various kinds:
- Wild - the rarest species, as it is produced exclusively by wild bees, without human participation. Very good and long stored without crystallizing. It has a specific tart flavor.
- Caucasian and Montenegrin - got their names because of the collection regions. Produced high in the mountains, the composition has a high concentration of pure and rare herbs. Caucasian has high healing qualities, and Montenegrin has a particularly good effect on the nervous system.
- Chestnut - also refers to the mountain, and the main part of it consists of chestnut nectar. It has a dark color and a tart taste. Especially effective in the treatment of diseases of the circulatory system.
Colour
The color range is very large: from light yellow to rich amber. If the color is white, has a pink or green tint, then it is diluted with something and it cannot be considered as high-quality. 
Aroma
The smell is determined by the flowers from which the product was collected, but regardless of this, the aroma must always be bright and saturated. A product without a clear smell, with one dominant note - 100% poor quality and should not be purchased.
Taste
Taste (like flavor) is very dependent on the composition. Nevertheless, good honey should have a pronounced sweet taste with tart and bitter notes.
Learn how to melt honey, so that it does not lose its beneficial properties.
Collection period
The collection period usually falls on May-June.
Crystallization time
Mountain honey is distinguished by rapid crystallization and from the volatile one almost immediately becomes solid with crystalline inclusions. 
Did you know? A bee needs to fly around 100 thousand flowers to make 100 grams of ready honey.
Calorie and chemical composition
Places and sources of collection can significantly change the composition, but it will always have approximately the same structure:
- glucose and fructose - 85%
- water - 17-19%;
- proteins, enzymes, amino acids and dextrins - 1.5%;
- water-soluble vitamins and acids - 1.3%;
- minerals - 1.2%.
Trace elements:
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- sulfur;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- chlorine.
- vitamin C;
- vitamin E;
- vitamin PP;
- B vitamins.
Honey can be prepared by yourself. Check out the recipe for pumpkin honey with sugar.
Medicinal properties and application in traditional medicine
Mountain honey has many beneficial qualities that have a beneficial effect on the human body. In addition to using the product for prophylactic purposes and for general strengthening of the body, it is also very effective in many diseases and is capable of:
- to deal with colds and viral ailments of varying complexity;
- eliminate diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
- normalize the nervous system, get rid of insomnia;
- facilitate the flow of diabetes, as it is a natural and useful sugar substitute;
- cure diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- fight gastric diseases.
Did you know? Honey helps to remove alcohol from the body, so the product is an effective remedy for hangovers.
Application in home cosmetology
In addition to the inside, tasty and healthy sweetness is also often used externally in the form of masks, creams, tonics, baths, wraps and massages, but before doing any procedure based on this ingredient it is important to clearly know your skin type and Are you allergic to bee products?
Mask for oily skin
For the recovery of oily skin, you need to take beaten egg white, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of oatmeal. Mix everything thoroughly and apply on face for 20 minutes. After that, rinse with clean warm water.
Mask for normal skin
For this type of skin, honey can be used in its pure form (warming up on a steam bath), provided that the skin is not damaged. The product is applied to clean skin with soft movements, it is necessary to wash off in 15-20 minutes. For the whitening effect, you can add grated green apple to the mask in a 1: 1 ratio.
Mask for dry skin 
To prepare the mask, you need to take 1 teaspoon of liquid honey, 1 tablespoon of cream and 1 egg yolk. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed and applied to the skin for 20 minutes. Since this type of skin is thin and easily injured, it is necessary to apply the product very gently and gently. Wash off with warm water.
Applying any mask you need to remember that after applying the product to the face, you need to lie down and relax. Walking or doing something with a mask on your face is not only not useful, but also harmful to your skin.
Hand mask
Especially effective during the winter cold or when the skin on the hands became dry and sensitive. For cooking you need to take 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of mashed oatmeal and 1 egg yolk. Apply the mixture on your hands and hold for 30 minutes, then remove the residue and rinse your hands with water. If necessary, lubricate the cream.
Body care
There are a huge number of recipes for body care with the help of honey, having realized that you will get a wonderful result without going to expensive beauty salons.
The following vitamin bath recipe is very popular: heat 1 liter of milk, add 1 cup of honey and 2 tablespoons of rose oil to it. Add this mixture to the main water and take a bath as usual. Before this procedure it is recommended to completely clean the body of dead skin particles with a salt or coffee scrub.
Important! The heat lowers the beneficial properties of honey. Heating this product to temperatures above +50 degrees completely destroys all the qualities for which it is so appreciated.
How to distinguish real honey from a fake
Of course, only high-quality real honey has all the properties that are beneficial to humans. Therefore, it is important to buy the product from trusted vendors who have a permanent customer base and work for the future, and not for seasonal revenue.
If you have not once bought a variety of bee products, then you most likely know the main rules when choosing them. But an inexperienced buyer will not be able to quickly determine by eye an imitation, because besides the ductility, which is considered the main indicator of naturalness, there are many other factors.
The best ways to check honey for naturalness.
Therefore, there are several simple ways that will certainly determine the quality:
- Iodine: A teaspoon of honey needs to be dissolved in a little water. Poor quality honey forms a precipitate, and adding a few drops of iodine turns blue.
- Vinegar: put a little vinegar in a spoonful of honey, if the product is of high quality, there will be no reaction. Otherwise, there may be foam and it will be obvious that you have fake.
- Newspaper: put some honey on a piece of newsprint. If the drop has spread, then water is mixed into the product.
Storage conditions
When you have purchased a good and really high-quality product, it is worth worrying about how to preserve all its medicinal properties.
Storage conditions have their own rules and features, observing which, you will provide yourself with a useful delicacy for a long time:
- Temperature: it is better not to store at room temperature, since it is constantly changing, and excessive heating destroys the structure. Low temperatures, on the contrary, are not dangerous, therefore the conditions from -6 to +20 degrees (preferably in the refrigerator) without sudden and constant temperature fluctuations are considered optimal.
- Dishes: the best option is a can of dark glass with a tight lid. But also enameled or ceramic ware will do. In extreme cases, you can use food grade plastic, but it is better to avoid it. Any container selected should be perfectly clean. It is desirable to wash, not with liquid detergents, but with simple soap, which is washed off with plenty of running water.
- Humidity: since the product absorbs moisture well, it should be stored in a room with minimal humidity, aside from close proximity of the liquid. Having absorbed the excess water, it becomes liquid and begins to deteriorate rapidly.
- Shine: exposure to direct sunlight destroys beneficial properties, so the container with the product must stand in a dark place;
- Foreign odors: it easily absorbs odors, so it should not be placed next to strongly smelling products and even more so with chemicals (paint, gasoline, etc.).
Important! Only high-quality honey that is properly stored and used can have all the healing properties. Violation of at least one of these factors makes the product less or completely useless.With proper storage, the product retains all its qualities for years, and some beekeepers claim that for centuries. This is proved by the fact that during the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen an amphora with honey was found. Its chemical and taste qualities practically did not change during all this time.
Contraindications and harm
Like any, even the most useful product, mountain honey has its own contraindications and rules of use, which must be followed:
- Do not use honey if allergic reactions to any bee products are observed;
- carefully and carefully you need to use it for people with allergies to pollen;
- You should not use this product to children, as they still have a liver that is not ripe for such food. Starting to introduce honey into the diet of a child is gradually, starting with very small doses, constantly watching the reaction of the body.
We advise you to find out how white honey is useful.
With moderate use and not having an individual intolerance to the product, honey can be consumed by everyone, enjoying its taste and healing properties. 
The beneficial effect on the human body, the possibility of using it in cooking, cosmetology and home medicine, make mountain honey an important element of proper and balanced nutrition. After all, it is not only a sweet and useful additive to food, but also a very effective remedy for the prevention and treatment of many diseases in an absolutely natural and safe way!
