Dark honey

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Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
79
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4
Location
Northumberland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
This year I took some late honey from newly established colonies - they didn't make any earlier. A large proportion of it was very dark, both the comb and the honey. And would not spin out. I have pressed it - but I wonder what it was that made it and the comb so very dark? It was new comb.
 
Heather most likely particularly if it wouldn’t spin out. Any in your locality?
 
I had assumed it was heather as we are on the edge of heather moors, and the honey has a strong scent, but it's the very dark colour of it and the wax that has me puzzled. And it was made long before ivy flowered.
 
made long before ivy flowered
Honeydew is dark.

If you had a hot dry spell, aphids would have multiplied astronomically; sugars ejected when feeding on leaves pick up fungal spores which turn the sugar black.

Tastes lovely, bit like sweet chestnut, which is your other dark option. Both have a flavour of slightly medicinal caramel.
 
It’s Heather the clue is in the fact you had to press it to extract. Honey Dew or Chesnut do not require pressing.
 
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