# Low Glycemic Honey



## peterloringborst

Usually when people say Acacia they are referring to Robinia pseudoacacia which is native to the Eastern US and is very widespread in Europe. In Europe they all call it Acacia, which it's not.

Here in the states it's called Black Locust and it's one of the best honeys there is, albeit a little mild for my taste. True Acacia is an Australian plant which is widespread in Southern California. I never heard of anyone getting a honey crop from acacia in the west. 

Does that help?


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## Rohe Bee Ranch

Hmmmm...diabetic honey. Now that would really be a boost to the honey industry!


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## wolfpenfarm

Rohe Bee Ranch said:


> Hmmmm...diabetic honey. Now that would really be a boost to the honey industry!


Shoot i would love a low GI honey. Its awful tough to be diabetic like i am and not be able to eat much of the honey. If i had my way i wouldn't eat anything but honey for all my sweetener


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## kbfarms

I have a few black locust tress around my small farm. Growing up we used to call them honey locust. Those trees smell like heaven (what I image heaven to smell like ) when they are in bloom. 

I know some of my honey has those blooms. We give out quite a bit at Christmas time. Anyone we give to comes back and want more. 

Its very bad for taking over the area though and hard to kill off. It send out tons of ground sprouts, so if its in a place you don't like, it takes years to get rid of. In one spot, I finallly painted the cut sapling trunks with weed killer. That put most of it down, however last year I noticed more sprout again!!!!!l


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## brac

Anybody have a small jar of black locust, they would be willing to part with? My wife is a type 1 diabetic who has an insulin pump, she also has the real time blood glucose monitor, makes it very easy to see what effect a particular food has on her blood sugar.
Brac


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## kbfarms

We are out for this year, but send me a PM in spring to remind me. I'd be happy to send a jar. Can't say it will be pure black locust, but I'll pull a super off as soon as the blooms start coming off the trees. 

I'd like to know if its different also


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## HVH

I would do a little homework before giving a diabetic honey. The glycemic index numbers can be misleading. 
Tree honeys have a lower glycemic index as a general rule because they have a higher fructose to glucose ratio (same reason they crystalize more slowly). Black Locust honey is very tasty, takes forever to crystalize, and is high in fructose.


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## Oldbee

"I never heard of anyone getting a honey crop from acacia in the west."

"Two species of _Acacia_ in Texas, catsclaw [_Acacia Greggii_] and huajilla [_Acacia Berlandieri_], yield a large surplus of heavy white honey of fine quality. Huajilla honey is considered the best honey in the state." >> "Honey Plants North of America",-- J. Lovell.

_Acacia greggii_ >> *Use Wildlife:* Nectar-bees. http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACGR
_Acacia berlandieri_ >> http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACBE

Other plants: Maybe not all native. >> http://www.wildflower.org/plants/search.php?start=0&pagecount=10
Aca_cia constricta_, White-thorn Acacia >> Both native and non-native bees use the fragrant flowers as a source of nectar, an ingredient in desert honey made by European honeybees. >> http://msg.calsnet.arizona.edu/arboretum/plantwalk/plantdata.cfm?walk_number=14


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## brac

Here in the NE maple syrup season is coming right up, some research led me to looking at Birch syrup. Birch syrup is mostly fructose, I don't see any GI numbers for it, and it takes 100 gallons of sap to make 1 of syrup. I may make a small batch just to try it out, word is it is mostly made in Alaska.


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## Rohe Bee Ranch

wolfpenfarm said:


> Shoot i would love a low GI honey. Its awful tough to be diabetic like i am and not be able to eat much of the honey. If i had my way i wouldn't eat anything but honey for all my sweetener


I too feel your pain.


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