Any honey may be used: Eucalyptus or Wildflower suits best, but these are simply varietal recommendations.

Melt the butter and honey in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium high heat. Add the almonds and stir constantly for about 5 to 6 minutes. The mixture will darken to a rich, golden brown caramel. Do not overcook or leave unattended, as the mixture will burn easily.

Remove the mixture from the flame and, still stirring, add the salt and stir the cream in slowly. The mixture will sputter and steam. Use a long handled spoon and keep face and hands away to scalding. Pour the sauce into a bowl and allow to cool.

Note: For easy cleanup, add about one inch of water to the pan and bring to simmer for about 5 minutes. The caramel will loosen and clean off easily.

To serve, spoon the Honey Almond Brickle over the Honey ice cream, or warm it for a hot sundae treat.

Alternatively, fold the Honey Almond Brickle sauce into the ice cream as you are packing it for the freezer. Be sure the sauce has cooled to room temperature or chill it briefly. Work quickly, drizzling the sauce over the ice cream as you pack it. Do not overmix. Place in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

Do not fold the brickle sauce into the ice cream while in the machine. The sauce will clump up and the butter may separate.

Combine honey, butter, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Cook over low heat at least 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and peel before serving. Cut each tortilla into six wedges. Deep-fry tortillas, smooth-side up, at 375°F about 30 seconds. Turn and deep-fry 30 seconds longer or until golden brown. Tortillas should puff as soon as they are put in hot oil. Remove from oil to paper towel-lined tray. Serve crisp tortilla with honey dip or spoon dip over chips.

Oven Method: Brush both sides of whole tortillas with vegetable oil. Cut into wedges before baking, if desired. Place on baking sheet and bake at 325°F about 12 minutes or until crisp and browned but not hard.

In a small bowl, combine honey, lemon juice and lemon peel; whisk until well blended. Remove
1/4 cup of mixture to food processor container; set aside. Add mango to honey-lemon mixture in
bowl; toss to coat. Store in refrigerator. Add onion, jalapenos, paprika, oil, garlic salt, cinnamon,
pepper and allspice to honey-lemon mixture in a food processor container. Process until very
finely chopped, scrape down sides when necessary. Spread mixture evenly over both sides of
chicken breasts. Spread oil in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Arrange chicken breasts in pan. Bake at
375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken to serving platter; top with
reserved mango.
Makes 4 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-inch loaf pans. In a bowl, cream together butter
and 1/2 cup honey. Mix in egg. In a medium bowl, blend together flour, ginger, baking soda and
cinnamon. In a small bowl, blend remaining 1 cup honey with boiling water. With mixer running,
add 1/3 dry mixture to creamed butter mixture. When dry mixture is incorporated completely, add
1/3 liquid mixture. Continue adding ingredients in batches, alternating the dry and liquid. Turn
batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out
clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Makes 2 loaves.

Place salmon on lightly greased baking sheet or broiler pan. Season with salt. In small bowl,
combine vinegar, honey and chili powder; mix well. Spread mixture evenly over fish. Roast at
400°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with fork.
Makes 4 servings.

Using a cheese grater, shred tofu and freeze in zippered bag or airtight container. Thaw tofu;
place in a strainer and press out excess liquid. In large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over
medium-high heat until hot; cook and stir onion, green pepper and garlic 3 to 5 minutes or until
vegetables are tender and begin to brown. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano and crushed
red pepper. Stir in tofu: cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato
sauce, honey and vinegar.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes 8 servings.

In 9×13-inch pan, combine all ingredients. Cover with foil and roast at 300°F oven for 3 to 3-1/2
hours. Shred meat using two forks, removing all bones and skin. Stir with sauce. Serve in crusty
rolls or warmed flour tortillas.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic. Cook and stir until lightly
browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, squash, chicken broth, honey and thyme. Bring
mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove
from heat and cool slightly. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor; process until smooth.
Return pureed soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat until hot and serve.
Makes 6 servings.

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot; cook and stir rice, onion and parsley
3 to 5 minutes, or until rice begins to brown. Stir in cinnamon, pepper and salt. Gradually add
vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until liquid
is absorbed and rice is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook green pepper halves in boiling water 5 to 7 minutes or until peppers are crisptender;
drain. Combine tomatoes, honey, and crushed red pepper in 13 x 9-inch baking pan; mix
well. Remove 1/4 cup sauce; set aside. Arrange pepper halves on sauce in baking pan.

When rice is cooked, remove from heat; stir in garbanzo beans, dried currants and reserved 1/4
cup sauce. Divide rice evenly among pepper halves in baking pan. Cover pan tightly with foil.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.

Elimina tutte le sfere raggruppandole per colori, finchè non raggiungi quella contenente l’arnia ed il miele. Ci sono anche sfere speciali da scoprire e molti livelli di gioco differenti.

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Combine onion, parsley, herbs, lemon peel and garlic; mix well. Combine honey and lemon juice;
mix well. Place boneless lamb on flat surface, meat side up, and season with salt and pepper.
Brush with honey mixture and sprinkle with herb mixture. Roll and tie. Rub roast with honey
mixture. Bake on roasting rack in oiled roasting pan at 350°F, allowing 20-25 minutes per pound
for medium-rare or to 145°F internal temperature; brush with honey mixture every 20 minutes.
When all of honey mixture is used, brush with pan drippings. Let roast stand 5 to 10 minutes
before carving. Add 1/2 cup water and deglaze pan, thicken if desired, and serve with lamb.
Makes 9 servings.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg;
set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light; beat in honey, egg and pumpkin.
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just blended; stir in walnuts. Spoon into 12 greased or
paper-lined 2-1/2 inch muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted
in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to wire rack. Serve warm or at room
temperature.
Makes 12 muffins.

Combine all ingredients (except chicken) and mix well. Marinate chicken in honey-lemon mixture
1 hour in shallow baking dish. Broil chicken 5 minutes, brush with pan drippings, turn and broil 5
minutes longer or until juices run clear. If desired, bring marinade to a boil; simmer 2 minutes.
Strain hot marinade over chicken.
Makes 4 servings.

Combine all ingredients except swordfish in small bowl; mix well. Place fish in shallow baking
dish; pour marinade over fish. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove fish from marinade. Grill
over medium-hot coals or broil fish about 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until fish turns
opaque and flakes easily when tested with fork.
Makes 4 servings.

Pan-fry or broil ham steaks until lightly browned and thoroughly heated. Remove ham from skillet
or broiler pan. Combine honey, water, spices; add to pan drippings and bring to a boil. Simmer 1
to 2 minutes. Brush over ham and serve with remaining sauce.
Makes 4 servings.

In a blender or food processor container, combine all ingredients; process until smooth. Serve
immediately. For variety, use 2 cups any fresh or frozen fruit or combination of fruits such as
sliced strawberries and bananas or sliced peaches and whole raspberries.
Makes 4 servings.

Cream butter, brown sugar, honey and lemon zest until smooth; beat in egg. Add dry ingredients in thirds, mixing well with each addition. Scrape dough onto plastic wrap; shape it into a log about 12 inches long. Chill an hour or so until firm, or up to 24 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients; reserve. Cut log into 1/4-inch slices; place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired, lightly pressing sugar into dough. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a rack. Cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen.

Per lanciare le uova, cliccate il pulsante sinistro sopra la cella dell’Ape Regina e tirate indietro il mouse, come fareste con arco e freccia. Più tirate, più l’uovo sarà scagliato lontano. Certo, potrebbe anche finire fuori dall’alveare. Prendete la mira con il puntatore del mouse. Le bombe fanno esplodere le cellette già sigillate con il miele, dimodochè potrete avere nuovo spazio per le uova.

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Potrebbe esser richiesta l’installazione del plugin Macromedia Shockwave, che sarà scaricato automaticamente dal sito della Adobe: è una delle tecnologie più innovative del web, quindi installatelo con tranquillità.

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Usa il mouse per prendere la mira. Muovi l’ape con i tasti “a” - “d” - “s” - “w” e raccogli i bonus. Ricorda che con i tasti da 1 a 4 puoi usare armi via via più potenti!

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E’ una fazione contro l’altra. Sposta i tuoi soldati dove è necessario, e decidi quale battaglia intraprendere. Avrai più possibilità in superiorità numerica, ma è molto importante anche saper attendere la nascita di nuovi rinforzi.

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Guidala semplicemente con le frecce della tastiera, ma attento all’indicatore di salute… Silvana è pur sempre una bambina!

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Usa il mouse per guidare l’apetta in giro per giardini. Fermati sui fiori per raccogliere il polline (giallo) ed il nettare (blu). Torna all’aveare per riempire il favo di nettare, e spargi il polline ed i semi il più possibile durante il volo!

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Puoi anche entrare nelle casette per scaricare il miele raccolto e… per trovare bonus.

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Due to the natural presence of botulinum endospores in honey, children under one year of age should not be given honey. The more developed digestive systems of older children and adults generally destroy the spores. Infants, however, can contract botulism from honey.

Honey produced from the flowers of rhododendrons, mountain laurels, sheep laurel and azaleas may cause Honey Intoxication. Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, excessive perspiration, nausea and vomiting. Less commonly, low blood pressure, shock, heart rhythm irregularities and convulsions may occur, with rare cases resulting in death. Honey Intoxication is more likely when using “natural” unprocessed honey and honey from farmers who may have a small number of hives. Commercial processing, with pooling of honey from numerous sources generally dilutes any toxins.

Toxic honey may also result when bees are in close proximity to tutu bushes (Coriaria arborea) and the vine hopper insect (Scolypopa australis). Both are found throughout New Zealand. Bees gather honeydew produced by the vine hopper insects feeding on the tutu plant. This introduces the poison tutin into honey. Only a few areas in New Zealand (Coromandel Peninsula, Eastern Bay of Plenty and the Marlborough Sound) frequently produce toxic honey. Symptoms of tutin poisoning include vomiting, delirium, giddiness, increased excitability, stupor, coma and violent convulsions. As little as one teaspoon of toxic honey may produce severe effects in humans. In order to reduce the risk of tutin poisoning, humans should not eat honey taken from feral hives in the risk areas of New Zealand. Since December 2001, New Zealand beekeepers have been required to reduce the risk of producing toxic honey by closely monitoring tutu, vine hopper, and foraging conditions within 3 km of their apiary.

Honey is the main ingredient in the alcoholic beverage mead, which is also known as “honey wine” or “honey beer” (although it is neither wine nor beer). It is also used as an adjunct in beer. Beer brewed with more than 30% honey as a source of sugar by weight, or mead brewed with malt (with or without hops), is known as braggot.

Ethical concerns
Some vegetarians and vegans avoid using honey because it is an animal product, instead choosing sweetening alternatives such as sugar, agave nectar, rice syrup, dried fruit or stevia. Bees are often killed and hurt due to the human manipulation of beekeeping for industrial production.

Medicinal uses and health effects of honey
For at least 2700 years, honey has been used to treat a variety of ailments through topical application, but only recently have the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of honey been chemically explained. As an antimicrobial agent honey may have the potential for treating a variety of ailments. One New Zealand researcher says a particular type of honey may be useful in treating MRSA. Antibacterial properties of honey are the result of the low water activity causing osmosis, hydrogen peroxide effect, and high acidity.

Osmotic effect
Honey is primarily a saturated mixture of two monosaccharides. This mixture has a low water activity; most of the water molecules are associated with the sugars and few remain available for microorganisms, so it is a poor environment for their growth.

Anti-oxidants
A study found that certain anti-oxidants and vitamins are found in honey in concentrations similar to those in some fruits and vegetables.

Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide in honey is activated by dilution. However, unlike medical hydrogen peroxide, commonly 3% by volume, it is present in a concentration of only 1 mmol/l in honey. Iron in honey oxidizes the oxygen free radicals released by the hydrogen peroxide.

glucose + H₂O + O₂ → gluconic acid + H₂O₂

When used topically (as, for example, a wound dressing), hydrogen peroxide is produced by dilution with body fluids. As a result, hydrogen peroxide is released slowly and acts as an antiseptic.

In diabetic ulcers
Topical honey has been used successfully in a comprehensive treatment of diabetic ulcers when the patient cannot use other topical antibiotics.

Acidity
The pH of honey is commonly between 3.2 and 4.5. This relatively acidic pH level prevents the growth of many bacteria.

Nutraceutical effects
According to recent findings, honey may have some significant nutraceutical effects (or positive long-term health effects resulting from honey’s consumption). In addition to its primary carbohydrate content, honey often contains polyphenols, which can act as antioxidants. Antioxidants in honey have even been implicated in reducing the damage done to the colon in colitis. Furthermore, some studies suggest that honey may be effective in increasing the populations of probiotic bacteria in the gut, which may help strengthen the immune system, improve digestion, lower cholesterol and prevent colon cancer. Such claims are consistent with its use in many traditions of folk medicine.

Other medical applications
Some studies suggest that the topical use of honey may reduce odors, swelling, and scarring when used to treat wounds; it may also prevent the dressing from sticking to the healing wound.

Honey has been shown to be an effective treatment for conjunctivitis in rats.

Honey (especially when combined with lemon) is often taken orally by pharyngitis and laryngitis sufferers, in order to soothe them.

Though widely believed to alleviate allergies, local honey has been shown to be no more effective than placebos in controlled studies. This may be due to the fact that most seasonal allergies are caused by tree and grass pollens, which honeybees do not collect.

Energy 300 kcal 1270 kJ
Carbohydrates 82.4 g
- Sugars 82.12 g
- Dietary fiber 0.2 g
Fat 0 g
Protein 0.3 g
Water 17.10 g

Riboflavin (Vit. B2) .038 mg 3%
Niacin (Vit. B3) .121 mg 1%
Pantothenic acid (B5) .068 mg 1%
Vitamin B6 .024 mg 2%
Folate (Vit. B9) 2 μg 1%
Vitamin C 0.5 mg 1%
Calcium 6 mg 1%
Iron .42 mg 3%
Magnesium 2 mg 1%
Phosphorus 4 mg 1%
Potassium 52 mg 1%
Sodium 4 mg 0%
Zinc .22 mg 2%

Honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds. With respect to carbohydrates, honey is mainly fructose (about 38.5%) and glucose (about 31.0%). The remaining carbohydrates include maltose, sucrose, and other complex carbohydrates.

Honey contains trace amounts of several vitamins and minerals. As with all nutritive sweeteners, honey is mostly sugars and is not a significant source of vitamins or minerals.

Honey also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants, including chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin.

The specific composition of any batch of honey will depend largely on the mix of flowers available to the bees that produced the honey.

Honey has a density of about 1.4 kg/liter (40% denser than water).

Typical honey analysis
• Fructose: 38%
• Glucose: 31%
• Sucrose: 1%
• Water: 17%
• Other sugars: 9% (maltose, melezitose)
• Ash: 0.17%

Biblical Period
The Old Testament contains many references to honey as a symbol for all that is pleasant and desirable. For example, the book of Exodus famously describes the Promised Land as a ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ (33:3). There, however, the Hebrew devash refers to the sweet syrup produced from the juice of the date. In contrast, bees’ honey is referred to explicitly in The Book of Judges when Samson found a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of a lion (14:8). Matthew 3:4 John the Baptist lived for a long period of time in the wilderness on a diet consisting of locusts and wild honey. The word “honey” appears 61 times in the King James Version of the Bible.
In Jewish tradition, honey is also a symbol for the new year – Rosh Hashana. At the traditional meal for that holiday, apple slices are dipped into honey and eaten to bring a sweet new year. New Year’s greetings for Rosh Hashana very often show honey and an apple, symbolizing the feast. In may congregations, small, plastic straws of honey are given out to usher in the new year.

Asian region
Honey plays an important role in the festival of Modhu Purnima, celebrated by Buddhists in India and Bangladesh. The day commemorates Buddha’s making peace among his disciples by retreating into the wilderness. The story goes that while he was there, a monkey brought him honey to eat. On Modhu Purnima, Buddhists remember this act by giving honey to monks. The monkey’s gift is frequently depicted in Buddhist art.

Mediterranean region
During the Roman Empire, honey was used instead of gold to pay taxes. Even earlier, in the accounts of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, one hundred pots of honey were equivalent in value to an ass or an ox.
In some parts of Greece, it was formerly the custom for a bride to dip her fingers in honey and make the sign of the cross before entering her new home. This was meant to ensure sweetness in her married life, especially in her relationship with her mother-in-law.
In ancient history, the Ancient Egyptian and Middle-Eastern peoples also used honey for embalming the dead.[19] However, only rich and powerful people had the luxury of this type of funeral. Scythians, and later the other Central Asian nomadic people, for many months drove a wagon with a deceased ruler around the country in their last rites mourning procession, carrying the body in a casket filled with honey.
After his death in battle, the head of Vlad III Ţepeş (of later Dracula fame) was cut off and presented to the Sultan of Turkey, preserved in a jar of honey.

Western culture
In Western culture, bears are depicted as eating honey, even though most bears actually eat a wide variety of foods, and bears seen at beehives are usually more interested in bee larvae than honey. Honey is sometimes sold in a bear-shaped jar. Teddy bears are associated with honey, possibly because of the influence of Winnie-the-Pooh.
“Honey,” along with variations like “honey bun” and “honeypot” and the abbreviation “hon,” has become a term of endearment in most of the English-speaking world. In some places it is used for loved ones; in others, such as the American South, it is used when addressing casual acquaintances or even strangers.

Islamic tradition
The Qur’an mentions rivers of honey in paradise.
“And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees and in (men’s) habitations…there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for mankind. Verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought”.
There is entire Sora in Qur’an called (the Bees) alnahl. According to the hadith of Bukhari, Muhammad liked honey and other sweet things. Prophet Mohammed strongly recommend honey for healing purposes.

• Comb honey. Honey sold still in the original bees’ wax comb. Comb honey was once packaged by installing a wooden framework in special honey supers, but this labor intensive method is being replaced by plastic rings or cartridges. With the new approach, a clear cover is usually fitted onto the cartridge after removal from the hive so customers can see the product.
• Certified Organic Honey. According to the USDA, organic honey is quite rare to find due to the fact that most beekeepers “routinely use sulfa compounds and antibiotics to control bee diseases, carbolic acid to remove honey from the hive and calcium cyanide to kill colonies before extracting the honey, not to mention that conventional honeybees gather nectar from plants that have been sprayed with pesticides”.
• Raw honey. Honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining without adding heat above 120 degrees fahrenheit. Raw honey contains some pollen and may contain small particles of wax. Local raw honey is sought after by allergy sufferers as the pollen impurities are thought to lessen the sensitivity to hay fever (see Medical Applications below).
• Chunk honey. Honey packed in widemouth containers consisting of one or more pieces of comb honey surrounded by extracted liquid honey.
• Strained honey or filtered honey. Honey which has been passed through a mesh material to remove particulate material (pieces of wax, propolis, other defects) without removing pollen. Preferred by the health food trade - it may have a cloudy appearance due to the included pollen, and it also tends to crystallize more quickly than ultrafiltered honey.

• Ultrafiltered honey. Honey processed by very fine filtration under high pressure to remove all extraneous solids and pollen grains. The process typically heats honey to 150-170 degrees to more easily pass through the fine filter. Ultrafiltered honey is very clear and has a longer shelf life, because it crystallizes more slowly due to the high temperatures breaking down any sugar seed crystals, making it preferred by the supermarket trade. Ultrafiltration eliminates nutrionally valuable enzymes, such as diastase and invertase.
• Heat-Treated honey. Heat-treatment after extraction reduces the moisture level and destroys yeast cells. Heating liquefies crystals in the honey, too. Heat-exposure does also result in product deterioration, as it increases the level of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and reduces enzyme (e.g. diastase) activity. The heat does also affect sensory qualities and reduces the freshness. Heat processing can darken the natural honey color (browning), too.
• Ultrasonicated honey. Ultrasonication is a non-thermal processing alternative for honey. When honey is exposed to ultrasonication, most of the yeast cells are destroyed. Yeast cells that survive sonication generally lose their ability to grow. This reduces the rate of honey fermentation substantially. Ultrasonication does also eliminate existing crystals and inhibit further crystallization in honey. Ultrasonically aided liquefaction can work at substantially lower temperatures of approx. 35 °C and can reduce liquefaction time to less than 30 seconds.

Polyfloral
Polyfloral honey is derived from the nectar of many types of flowers.

Monofloral
Different monofloral honeys have a distinctive flavor and colour due to differences between their principal nectar sources. Beekeepers keep monofloral beehives in an area where the bees have access to only one type of flower, because of that flower’s properties. In practice, because of the difficulties in containing bees, a small proportion of any honey will be from additional nectar from other flower types.

Honeydew Honey
Instead of taking nectar, bees can take honeydew, the sweet secretions of aphids or other plant sap-sucking insects. Bees collecting this resource have to be fed protein supplements, as honeydew lacks the protein-rich pollen accompaniment gathered from flowers.

Germany’s Black Forest is a well known source of honeydew-based honeys. Honeydew honey is popular in some areas, but in many areas beekeepers have difficulty selling the stronger flavored product.
Honeydew honey has a much larger proportion of indigestibles than light floral honeys, which can cause dysentery, resulting in the death of colonies in areas with cold winters. Good beekeeping management requires the removal of honeydew prior to winter in colder areas.

Nectar is high in both water content and natural yeasts which, unchecked, would cause the sugars in the nectar to ferment. After the final regurgitation, the honeycomb is left unsealed. Bees inside the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances evaporation of much of the water from the nectar. The reduction in water content, which raises the sugar concentration, prevents fermentation. Ripe honey, as removed from the hive by the beekeeper, has a long shelf life and will not ferment.

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L’atto conclusivo delle nostre fatiche di apicoltori è la “smielatura” ossia l’estrazione del miele dai telaini. Prima dell’avvento delle odierne tecniche apistiche essa veniva effettuata mediante spremitura dei favi e ulteriore filtraggio; oggi, in apicoltura razionale, tale metodo è da evitarsi sia per la poca praticità, che per “l’economia” del lavoro delle api: la distruzione dei favi implica un notevole lavoro di “ricostruzione” che porta via tempo e risorse all’alveare. Con l’avvento dell’apicoltura moderna i favi (”telaini”) vengono solo svuotati, per esser restituiti alle api quasi intatti.

Andiamo a vedere come si effettua una moderna smielatura e le attrezzature necessarie (premettendo che in apicoltura gli attrezzi base sono quasi sempre identici sia per il grosso produttore che per l’hobbista).

• La prima operazione da effettuare è l’asportazione dei mielari dai rispettivi nidi, per tale operazione solitamente ci si avvale di un utilissimo strumento (quasi sempre sottovalutato): “l’Apiscampo”. E’ un diaframma orizzontale con un’apertura al centro, larga da un lato e stretta o ramificata in tante piccole uscite dall’altro. Viene posto sotto il melario da asportare, con l’apertura più grande in alto: così facendo le api, nel giro di una nottata, lasciano il melario ed il prelievo di quest’ultimo è facilitato.

• Una volta prelevati, i melari vengono trasportati nel laboratorio di smielatura. I telaini vengono disopercolati, vengono cioè tolti i “tappi” di cera con i quali erano stati sigillati (opercoli). Per tale operazione ci si può avvalere sia di un coltello seghettato per asportare lo strato di cera esterno, sia di una speciale forchetta per andare sulle parti inaccessibili al coltello. Gli opercoli vengono raccolti in una vasca con griglia (dove il miele residuo filtrando si raccoglierà sul fondo) chiamata banco disopercolatore; i telaini una volta pronti vengono posti nello smielatore.

• Gli smielatori sono semplicemente delle centrifughe: tangenziali (in questo tipo di smelatori la smelatura avviene per facce, una volta smelata la prima facciata bisogna girare il telaino manualmente per far si che venga smelato dall’altro lato) o radiali (in cui per smielare entrambe le facce basta invertire il senso di rotazione senza girare i telaini). Il miele che fuoriesce dai favi si raccoglie sul fondo dello smielatore, da qui elettricamente (con una pompa) o manualmente passa al “maturatore”.

• Prima di versarlo nel maturatore, il miele viene filtrato onde eliminare qualsiasi corpo estraneo: vi sono vari tipi di filtri, ma il più efficace è quello con un sacco a velo, attraverso il quale il miele subisce una doppia filtrazione. Il miele deve restare qualche giorno (anche 10-15) nel maturatore: in tale tempo eventuali corpuscoli, schiuma etc. decantano rendendo il prodotto ancora più limpido. E’ importante sottolineare che dentro il maturatore il miele non perde umidità anzi, in particolari condizioni addirittura la acquisisce. Una volta maturo (decantato) esso può essere invasettato e se conservato bene manterrà a lungo la fragranza e gli aromi che possiede appena smielato.