Eucalyptus honey

European eucalyptus honey comes from various Eucalyptus species introduced from Australia at the beginning of the twentieth century, Eucalyptus camaldulensis being one of the most important.

Within Europe, unifloral eucalyptus honey production is important in Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Outside Europe, the sheet says, large amounts of eucalyptus honey are produced in Australia and in countries where the trees were introduced, such as North and South Africa, Israel and Central and South America.

Eucalyptus camaldulensis pollen is over-represented, and Italian laboratories usually expect at least 90 percent specific pollen in authentic eucalyptus honey.

Colour is medium to dark, a normal honey colour with a dull greyish tone, averaging 54.2 ± 9.4 mm Pfund.

In sensory analysis the odour is medium to strong and described as warm and spoiled; sweetness is medium, acidity weak, bitterness absent, and the aftertaste medium.

Unifloral eucalyptus honey has slightly high diastase, invertase and glucose to water ratio, the latter because of low water rather than high glucose.

In samples collected by the International Honey Commission the highest electrical conductivity was about 0.6 mS/cm, and no sucrose value exceeded 5 g/100 g.

Mean electrical conductivity is 0.48 ± 0.06 mS/cm, fructose 39.1 ± 2.2 and glucose 33.0 ± 1.9 g/100 g, with a fructose to glucose ratio of 1.19 ± 0.09.

Eucalyptus honey crystallises at a moderate rate.

EU law lists eucalyptus honey among the exceptions to the general electrical conductivity limit for blossom honeys.

EU law allows red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) honey up to 10 g/100 g sucrose instead of the general 5 g/100 g.