We must remember that there are several different types of honey, depending on the type of flower being pollinated or its purity, such as royal jelly.
To make honey, the first step is to collect nectar from flowers. Worker bees fly over the flowers to extract the nectar.
Once the nectar is extracted, the bees ingest it and store it in their abdomen, called the honey crop. When the bees do this, they modify the pH by mixing it with their enzymes.
Then the bees return to the hive where the production process continues. In the hive, the bees pass the nectar to younger bees, which extract and break down the nectar through various enzymatic digestion processes with compounds richer in glucose and fructose.
This is what gives honey its sweet taste and high calorie content.
The bees chew this nectar for approximately half an hour until the nectar's humidity drops to 20%. This is how the nectar becomes honey.
Once it is deposited in the hive, they proceed to remove excess moisture. To do this, the bees use their wings to fan the cells and prevent excess moisture from the collected nectar. In this way, they manage to extract up to 80% of the excess water.
The bees then seal the cells with wax to better preserve the honey. This ensures that the honey remains in good condition for a long time.
Finally, after some time has passed, the nectar mixes with enzymes and wax, achieving honey's characteristic flavor. After collecting the honey, beekeepers let it rest for a few days to remove any remaining wax.
Once the honey has rested, it is filtered and packaged.