First honey harvest.

[Webby]

Hi all, harvested my first honey last Saturday from one of my two hives. Ended up with twenty three 12oz jars and twenty six 8oz. Had a stall at a local fete yesterday and sold the lot. Had a few people buy a jar and came back for more after they'd popped the lid and tasted it. Really pleased and enjoyed talking to people about bees and beekeeping. The girls are already filling the frames again. Looks like a good flow on at the moment and this rain that's coming this week will help I think. Lots of chestnut out here and more clover than I ever remember seeing. Only got my first bees last June and loving it.

 

[colinc]

Congratulations.
I didn't get much honey last year due to increasing colonies but this year I harvested 55lb of OSR honey at the end of May and today took another 45lb off.

I need to look into the selling options, before my wife gives it all away.


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[Webby]

Congratulations.
I didn't get much honey last year due to increasing colonies but this year I harvested 55lb of OSR honey at the end of May and today took another 45lb off.

I need to look into the selling options, before my wife gives it all away.


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Thanks. Wow you've done well. No Osr near me this year so didn't have any of that. I've asked at three places just to test the water and all three said they'd take it. Hoping to supply the butchers in the village when I get some more.

 

[Beefriendly]

Hi all, harvested my first honey last Saturday from one of my two hives.

The very best harvest is the first...and it will taste better then anyone elses honey in the world. No exception.

 

[Webby]

The very best harvest is the first...and it will taste better then anyone elses honey in the world. No exception.

It does seem to!

 

[Zante]

Can't wait to harvest my first!
I put a second super on last sunday, but yesterday I was travelling from the UK, so I couldn't go and visit the hives. I expect the second super will be full by the time I get to the apiary next weekend.

I don't have extracting equipment yet, but fortunately I still have supers to add, I just need to sort out some of the frames.

 

[enrico]

The one thing I regret is never saving one jar from every harvest, just to see how the colour and consistency changes from year to year. Something you don't think about when you start. I would have had thirty five different jars by now!
E

 

[colinc]

The 12lbs we got last year, when a nuc turned into 3 full colonies due to inept swarm control, was amazing but didn't a keep any.
Set honey from the OSR in May this year is good too. Latest crop is quite nutty flavoured which was a pleasant surprise but I expect that I will need to extract again in late August.


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[psafloyd]

Hi all, harvested my first honey last Saturday from one of my two hives. Ended up with twenty three 12oz jars and twenty six 8oz. Had a stall at a local fete yesterday and sold the lot. Had a few people buy a jar and came back for more after they'd popped the lid and tasted it. Really pleased and enjoyed talking to people about bees and beekeeping. The girls are already filling the frames again. Looks like a good flow on at the moment and this rain that's coming this week will help I think. Lots of chestnut out here and more clover than I ever remember seeing. Only got my first bees last June and loving it.

Two things, Webby.

1) Don't sell it all.

2) Don't sell it too cheaply.

If you sell it all, it's probably –-but not always –-too cheap.

Otherwise, congratulations and best of luck with the chestnut. That makes for lovely honey when there's a lot about.

 

[Webby]

Two things, Webby.

1) Don't sell it all.

2) Don't sell it too cheaply.

If you sell it all, it's probably –-but not always –-too cheap.

Otherwise, congratulations and best of luck with the chestnut. That makes for lovely honey when there's a lot about.

Thanks. Kept a couple for myself. £5 for 12oz and £3:50 for 8oz. It'll sell for a little more in the shops but that's about right for round here at a fete I think. Can't wait for the next !

 

[Zante]

The one thing I regret is never saving one jar from every harvest, just to see how the colour and consistency changes from year to year. Something you don't think about when you start. I would have had thirty five different jars by now!
E

Interesting... I think I'll try that.

 

[Webby]

Thanks for all your replies. I might save a tiny jar of each from now on just as a comparison to future harvests.
Sam

 

[enrico]

The other thing to remember is that you always have to keep enough honey for yourself for a bad year with no harvest. I use a jar a week so at the end of a good season I need 100 jars for my own use for the next two years. I only sell surplus. And some kept by for presents of course!
E

 

[philipm]

I always give some away to my neighbours as it is their gardens that some of the pollen came from . Its always good to keep them happy you never know when a swarm may end up in their garden.

 

[ladaok]

Thanks. Kept a couple for myself. £5 for 12oz and £3:50 for 8oz. It'll sell for a little more in the shops but that's about right for round here at a fete I think. Can't wait for the next !

Holy cow ! in $ NZ, that's about $29.40 / kilo

Factory honey in the shop here is $ 21 > 26 (This is multiflora, & not manuka with any activity value )

If I sell bulk to a processor. maybe $10.5 > 12 a kilo

would you be interested in fogging a coupe of 300 k drums off ?

 

[manek]

Another first harvest about to come off here too. Clearer board will go on this afternoon and i hope to pull off the top super (which is full of capped cells) and extract by the end of the week. Exciting times!

 

[Roola]

Two things, Webby.

1) Don't sell it all.

2) Don't sell it too cheaply.

If you sell it all, it's probably –-but not always –-too cheap.

Otherwise, congratulations and best of luck with the chestnut. That makes for lovely honey when there's a lot about.

when does the chestnut come out? I have quite a few sweet chestnut trees near one of my apairies.

 

[enrico]

End of July and August, beware, it is a very strong honey in taste and colour especially if that is the majority of the forage
E

 

[Roola]

End of July and August, beware, it is a very strong honey in taste and colour especially if that is the majority of the forage
E

I think i've had it in previous years and not known what it was... It was always a little flow during august of a dark reddy coloured honey... this may be it. It did have a distinctive flavour but it was nice when mixed in with honey from earlier summer.

 

[beeno]

Pure chestnut honey is very bitter.