Free comb

[Bebe]

We were slow in sorting out one hive and the bees made free comb in the space in a super where we'd had fondant over winter. By the time we saw it it was full of honey so we left them to cap it. It was attached to the crown board so we moved it all up and supered below it.

We cleared the super and were able to take it off yesterday - with some difficulty as it detached from the crown board - and have some slabs of beautiful comb which would make excellent cut comb.

BUT........ it's likely to be from OSR given the amount that has been grown around here It's the first super to be capped so we haven't taken any other honey off the two main hives yet. I don't want to cut and package it to find it all crystallises when I could extract the honey instead at the moment.
Is there any other way to tell if it is from OSR?

 

[oliver90owner]

Cut your losses and stop worrying about it. Assume it is OSR and deal with it appropriately.

RAB

 

[Arfermo]

absolutely. Why risk problems?

 

[Bebe]

The main reason to risk it is because I have customers who like cut comb and I'd rather it was from the free comb without any foundation in it. With the weather as it is at the moment it might be the only honey we take off the hives.

I've cut some to keep as cut comb but thought I might freeze it and see if a test piece kept out granulates or not? If I've read correctly when searching the forum, freezing it means it will remain runny? If the test granulates then I could remove the ones in the freezer and extract the honey?

 

[Hombre]

When you defrost it, the granulation clock starts ticking again though.

Solidified it could be cut comb candy . . .

 

[Poly Hive]

There is absolutely noting wrong with selling granulated cut comb.

Clive de Bruyn lectured on this as far back as 1989 9ish if memory serves) and it still holds true today.

ALL of my cut comb is granulated and people love it. Witness the constant refilling of the pots of it on our Guest House breakfast tables.

Its our perception as a beekeeper that is skewed, the general public love it.

PH