Two young people were entering life with success. Graduated from university, a stable job – what made you decide to become beekeepers?

My husband, Mateusz, has been interested in beekeeping since childhood and has had his apiary since he was 14. He infected me with his passion. At first, it was just our hobby. When we came to the conclusion that we could earn a living this way, we gave up our full-time jobs and devoted ourselves exclusively to the apiary and our bees.

You produce honey in the Małopolska Region and are strongly connected to the region – does it matter where the honey is made? Does the origin matter when producing honey? 

We both come from the Małopolska Region. Mateusz is from Kraków, I’m from Sękowa. We know the region well and how to draw the best from it. In general, Polish honeys are very high-quality products, and each area has its uniquely characteristic honey. Our honey is mainly produced in the Małopolska Region, and our bees travel to different places where, depending on the season, lime trees, acacias, rapeseed, buckthorn and other honey-giving plants are in bloom. In the Małopolska Region, honeydew honey from coniferous honeydew stands out. In the mountain areas, bees can access unique honeydew not found in the lowlands. My husband, a forester by profession, can find such sites with access to honeydew. 

You mentioned that your bees travel. Do these little tourists enjoy such escapades around the Małopolska Region?

If the hives are adequately protected and transported when the temperature is relatively low, and the bees are not especially active, they do not get motion sickness. In the new location, they select the most honey-giving flowering plants, and fresh aromatic honey appears in the combs. Between 20–40 kg of honey is extracted annually from one hive. It is highly concentrated and rich in bee enzymes. In the world's warmer regions, honey production is much higher and more efficient. One colony will produce as much as 2–3 times more honey than in our climate zone but it will contain fewer beneficial components and enzymes. It is, so to speak, more 'diluted'.

You extract different types of honey; how do you know what type of honey you take out of the hive?

It depends on the flowering time and where we place the hives. We carefully check where we put them so that the bees have good access to the honey plant in question. Bees are pretty choosy. Even if they can access many flowers, they will always select the most honey-giving one, e.g., a rape flower, lime tree, acacia, etc. If we have any doubts, the honey goes to a laboratory where its composition is tested. 

What specifically affects the quality of honey?

The quality of honey depends on the diastase number, a parameter that determines the activity of enzymes contained in honey, which enter the honey from the bees' organisms. This value can be between 10 and 15 in acacia and rapeseed kinds of honey, while it can be between 28 and 30 in lime, buckwheat, and honeydew ones. If the number is lower, it may indicate that the honey has been heated above 40 degrees Celsius or has been adulterated with sucrose. What is essential is, of course, the region in which the honey is produced. Not as many chemicals and pesticides are used in farms whose parcels are widely spaced or separated (as in the Małopolska Region) as are used in agricultural areas where the cultivation of large acreages predominates. As a result, the quality of the honey is better. The ecologically clean regions are favourable to the bees, although the bees themselves, at an individual level, can filter out toxins and any unhealthy substances so that they don’t get into the honey.

Determining the diastase number under home conditions is challenging, so how can we ‘home-test’ whether we are buying good, valuable honey?

Crystallisation can be such an indicator. Rapeseed honey crystallises most quickly, taking on a creamy consistency even after just two weeks. On the other hand, honeydew honey takes much longer to crystallise – even up to 2 years. Honey blends of unknown origin aren’t worth buying. The best thing is to buy directly from a beekeeper from a local apiary. You can easily find such places all over Małopolska. It’s best to ask around among the locals.

So where can we buy good Małopolska honey, besides the local apiaries? 

In larger towns and cities, you can look for local shops selling organic food and always find good honey there. Local markets are also a good place. In Kraków, I particularly recommend the Parsley Market. There are also many online shops where we can buy honey and have it shipped straight to your door. I recommend https://malopolskiebazarek.pl/, https://www.polskasmakuje.pl/. All the goods there come directly from Polish farmers and are of outstanding quality. 

Is it true that honey does not spoil? 

It is a myth. In the unique microclimate of the Egyptian pyramids, it could last for centuries, but under normal conditions, it loses its properties over time. Therefore, honey should not be stored at excessively high temperatures. It is also necessary to limit its exposure to light. Sunlight causes bee enzymes to break down over time. 

Your apiary also produces certified organic honey. How does it differ from conventional honey? 

Organic honey can only be sourced in specific places (away from industry), and fortunately, there is no shortage of these in the Małopolska Region. The difference also lies in how the bees are bred. When it comes to bee diseases, they cannot be given synthetic medicines, only natural products. All kinds of diseases, mainly varroa (bee tick), are difficult to combat with these. It is necessary to know exactly what treatment can be administered, when and in what quantities. Insect mortality is relatively high. 

Are there places in Małopolska where, apart from buying honey, you can explore the secrets of beekeeping and learn more about the fascinating life of bees? 

If we want to interest the youngest in beekeeping, how honey is made, and its properties, it is worth visiting Apilandia – the Interactive Beekeeping Centre in Klecza Dolna. This place takes children as well as adults to the world of bees in a modern and attractive way. Thanks to interactive attractions, workshops, and visits to an educational apiary, everyone can find out how honey is made. In Kamianna and Stróża, you can visit beekeeping museums. What is more, in Kraków, in the Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University, there is the Beekeeper’s Academy, which organises interesting classes and workshops that are extremely popular.  

Do you think honey has a chance to become a culinary highlight of the region? Does it have a chance to prove itself as a culinary souvenir? 

Honeys typical of the region are very often treated as souvenirs. Honey is relatively easy to store and transport and does not require refrigeration. Honey is not only pleasing to the palate but in fancy jars it’s also pleasing to the eye. It is the perfect healthy and delicious gift and a souvenir of the journey at the same time. 

Is it true that bees have their holiday in Kraków? 

Yes, by all means. Every year at the beginning of September, Kraków Honey Harvest – the Beekeeping Festival – takes place at Wolnica Square. The Association of Kraków Beekeepers – an association of over 200 local beekeepers from around Małopolska – has held this event annually for almost 30 years. The event includes educational activities for children, young people and adults, promoting pro-ecological attitudes and knowledge about bees, bee products, their properties and their myriad practical uses. I would especially like to invite you to a spectacular bee parade and a competition for the best bee costume. 

In that case, see you at the Krakow Honey Harvest!

For more interesting information about the Morawski Apiary and Małopolska honey and its properties, be sure to take a look at:  https://miodymorawskich.pl/.