Glossary
A very light-colored, mild honey produced by bees foraging on canola (rapeseed, Brassica napus) blossoms. Canola honey is one of the fastest-crystallizing honeys in the world due to its very high glucose content, often solidifying within days to weeks of extraction into a firm, opaque white solid.
Canola is one of the most important oilseed crops worldwide, grown on tens of millions of acres across Canada, Europe, and parts of the northern United States. The bright yellow canola fields produce enormous quantities of nectar, making canola honey one of the most common varietal honeys in Canadian beekeeping.
The honey has a very mild, neutral sweetness without the assertive flavors of darker varietals. Its light color (nearly white when crystallized) and gentle taste make it popular as a table honey and baking ingredient. However, its extremely rapid crystallization means it is almost always encountered in solid form.
Canola honey's glucose-to-fructose ratio is among the highest of any common honey variety, driving crystallization that can occur within days of extraction. This can actually be a problem for beekeepers: if canola honey crystallizes inside the comb faster than the bees can cap it, the granulated honey becomes impossible to extract by centrifuge.
Experienced canola honey producers extract immediately after the canola flow ends, sometimes within days of the bees bringing in the nectar. The rapid crystallization makes canola honey an ideal base for creamed honey, as the naturally fine crystal structure produces an exceptionally smooth product.
Canola honey has an extremely high glucose content relative to fructose. Glucose is the sugar that drives crystallization, and at canola honey's glucose levels, crystal formation begins almost immediately after extraction.
Yes. This is a real concern for canola honey producers. If the honey granulates inside uncapped cells before extraction, it becomes extremely difficult to remove. Prompt extraction after the flow ends is essential.
Canola honey has a very mild, clean sweetness with minimal floral character. It is one of the most neutral-tasting honeys, making it versatile for cooking and baking where you want sweetness without strong honey flavor.
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