RESEARCH ON THE QUALITY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF HONEY FOR THE PRODUCING OF HONEY DRINKS

Honey drinks made from honey usually take on the characteristics of the honey used, but they are not sweet. The fermentation process reduces the amount of sugar, resulting in a product with a bright aroma and a refined taste. Thanks to different varieties of honey, different strains of yeast and technological conditions, it is possible to obtain a unique drink, that is now widely consumed. This opens up opportunities for creativity and experimentation in the production of honey-based drinks. Therefore, the work analyzed the quality of different types of honey as raw materials for producing honey drinks, in order to expand their rangе. The organoleptic characteristics of honey include color, odor, taste, and consistency, which are determined by the processes of crystallization and fermentation. In addition to the botanical origin of honey, these characteristics depend on the amount and ratio of individual components of nectar (sugars, organic acids, minerals, proteins, amino acids), as well as on weather conditions, honey processing technology, and storage methods. The study analyzed different honey varieties that can be used to make honey drinks with a variety of sensory properties. All honey samples tested had unique odor, taste, and texture profiles that correlated with their varietie. Unlike polyfloral honey (floral, forest), which had an undefined composition and, as a result, properties, monofloral honey (acacia, buckwheat, linden) has a distinct aroma and color that correlate with the type of flowers from which the nectar was collected. It was confirmed that the varietal characteristics of the studied samples also affected the physicochemical indicators: mass fraction of moisture, mass fraction of sucrose, total acidity, diastase number. Samples of natural honey of different varieties used for the study met the requirements of the current DSTU 4497:2005 in terms of physicochemical quality indicators. Therefore, to preserve the natural sensory properties of honey drinks, it is advisable to use honey with a pronounced aromatic profile, for example, linden, acacia or buckwheat, which is in the perspective of our research.