Country estates with groves of lime trees are a great resource in damp summers when the trees secrete nectar profusely! At one site near Errol, the welcoming hosts were delighted when I wrote to them twenty years ago, looking for bee sites. At another site on farmland the bees fly to surrounding villages for these flowers. Lime honey usually has a greenish, brownish tinge and has an amazing citrusy flavour, despite the plant being unrelated to the various citrus fruit trees, Tilia europea and other Tilia species and is also called linden trees in some parts of the world. This is one site where a difficult decision has to made in July. Should the hives stay for the chance of some lime or should I run for the hills in the hope of getting bell heather honey, another fickle honey crop.
Lime honey is its pure state granulates slowly. This honey may be still liquid or soft set and you can return it to the liquid state by gentle warming. Don’t overdo it though or you will spoil its flavour and is other properties. Honeys such as lime honey are perfectly fine to eat in the granulated state.
French: Tilleul
Spanish: Tilo
German: Linden
Polish: Lipa
