Chef Grey Poupon

How Honey is Made

Diverting away from one of my favorite topics (mustard), the introduction of Grey Poupon Savory Honey Mustard begs the question—how is honey made? Taking a trip back to science class is deliciously enlightening.

Honey, of course, is produced by honey bees and is derived from the nectar of flowers. The bees produce the honey as a food source to sustain them as their source of energy. In each hive there are three kinds of bees: the queen bee, 50,000-70,000 worker bees and 2,000 drones. Needless to say, the worker bees are the busiest. It is their job to raise the larvae and to collect the nectar. In a lifespan that averages only three to six weeks, the worker bees each collect about one teaspoon of nectar. It takes four pounds of nectar—two million flowers—to make one pound of honey!

So how is the honey actually made? The worker bee sucks the sweet nectar out of the flower with its tongue. The nectar is enriched by enzymes in the bee’s stomach and is then deposited into the honeycomb cells. The bees take turns ingesting and depositing the nectar, each adding more enzymes, until it is fully ripened and left in the honeycomb one final time. The bees then use their wings to create a draft over the honeycomb to aid in the evaporation of any excess water and then they cover the honey with a thin layer of beeswax until it is ready to be eaten.

All of that from the nectar of a flower!