Raw chestnut honey
Harvested in July, very dark and bitter.
Our chestnut honey is the honey our bees make from the flowers of the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), the tree that gives us chestnuts. We harvest it in July, in high summer. It is very dark, bitter and astringent, and it crystallises slowly, so it stays runny for a long time. It is a honey for lovers of strong flavours.
Fact sheet
- Plant
- Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)
- Origin
- Hives moved with the bloom
- Harvest
- July
- Colour
- Very dark
- Crystallisation
- Slow
- Intensity
- 5/5
- Analysis
- Periodic control analysis
- Food registration no.
- RSI 23.04338/CAT
- Babies
- Not suitable for babies under 12 months.
Harvested in July
In high summer, when the chestnut trees flower.
Bitter and astringent
Very dark, with a taste that does not go unnoticed.
Never above 40 °C
Extracted without heating and unpasteurised.
What chestnut honey is like
- Colour: Very dark, almost black.
- Aroma: Intense and woody.
- Taste: Bitter and astringent, with a flavour that lingers.
- Pairing: Mature or blue cheeses, grilled meats, mushrooms and chestnut desserts.
Flavour intensity
Where it comes from
The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is the tree that gives us chestnuts. It grows in cool, damp mid-mountain woods and flowers in summer, with long cream-coloured catkins.
In July we move our hives to the chestnut woods that are in bloom that year. Because we practise transhumance, the area can change from one season to the next; what does not change is the flower that gives the honey its name.
The dominant flower is what makes it chestnut honey, and we check it with control analyses. It is one of the darkest honeys we make, with a bitter, astringent taste you notice straight away. It is not a honey for sweetening but for standing up to strong flavours, and it crystallises slowly.
Who makes it
We are Glòria Simón and Jordi Entreserra, beekeepers since 1987. Jordi looks after the hives and Glòria jars the honey by hand at our workshop in Casavells. Read our story →
How to use it
It is a honey with plenty of character, better for pairing than for sweetening.
- With cheese: over a mature or blue cheese.
- With meat: to glaze pork, duck or game. Add it at the end, off the heat.
- In autumn: with roast chestnuts, sweet potatoes or sautéed mushrooms, added at the end.
- In desserts: over Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream.
- In herbal teas: stir it in once the water is no longer boiling.
Crystallisation and storage
Chestnut honey crystallises slowly: it usually stays runny for a long time.
All raw honey crystallises sooner or later: it is mostly fructose and glucose with very little water, and glucose tends to form crystals. It is a natural change and does not mean the honey has gone off.
If you prefer it runny, stand the jar in a bain-marie of warm water, never above 40 °C, and stir it now and then until it loosens.
Keep it somewhere cool and dry, with the lid tightly closed and away from direct light. It does not need to go in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Why is chestnut honey so dark and bitter?
It comes from the chestnut flower (Castanea sativa). Its honey is one of the darkest we harvest, with a bitter, astringent taste, quite unlike a pale honey such as rosemary. It is not burnt and it has not gone off: this is simply the character of chestnut honey.
Where does your chestnut honey come from?
From our hives, which we move to chestnut woods in bloom every summer. The area can change from year to year because we practise transhumance: what makes it chestnut honey is that the chestnut flower dominates, which we check with control analyses. We harvest it in July and jar it by hand in Casavells.
What are the properties of chestnut honey?
It is a very dark honey with an intense aroma and a bitter, astringent taste. It crystallises slowly, so it usually stays runny for a long time. It comes from the flowers of the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and we harvest it in July. It is raw: we extract it without heating and never warm it above 40 °C.
Why does chestnut honey take so long to crystallise?
Every honey crystallises at its own pace, depending on its balance of glucose and fructose: the more fructose, the longer it takes. Chestnut honey is one of the slow ones and can stay runny for a long time. If it does crystallise, warm the jar in a bain-marie, never above 40 °C.
How do you eat chestnut honey?
Over mature or blue cheeses, to glaze meat at the end of cooking, with roast chestnuts or mushrooms, or over Greek yoghurt. In herbal teas, add it once the water is no longer boiling. Because it is bitter, it shines more as a pairing than as a sweetener.
Is there anyone who should not eat chestnut honey?
Honey must not be given to babies under 12 months. It is not suitable either if you are allergic to pollen or to other bee products. It is a sugary food: if you need to watch your sugar, count it like any other sugar. It is no substitute for your doctor's advice.
Available in 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg, from €4.50. View product page →