How to store surplus honey

[Stung]

This is the first year that I have a surplus of honey. Right now it is in a pale. How should I store it. Leave in pale, bottle it, freeze it etc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It will keep in your bucket.
You can jar it and if it crystallises all you have to do is warm the jar.

 

[For want of a better word]

5 gallon (23 liter) plastic ( food safe) buckets are popular here.. with good fitting snap on lids... each marked with date/apiary/ hive number/ super number and weight.
Keep at room temperature... probably will crystalise over time, but can be re warmed to golden liquid ( slowly and not too hot!) for bottling.

Yeghes da

 

[deanrpwaacs]

10lb plastic bags in buckets . To jar the honey , just snip the corner and fill .

 

[Black Comb]

Where do you all keep your filled buckets?

 

[masterBK]

5 gallon buckets full of honey may be a little too heavy for some to lift. I use 12 litre buckets holding 30lbs of honey. I have over a hundred all of the same type so don't have to worry about finding specific lids for specific buckets. In addition to apiary and date taken off bees I also record colour of honey (light, medium or dark although all dark kept for shows), water content and flower type if known (eg borage, heather or OSR)

 

[REDWOOD]

Food grade plastic buckets, sealed and stored in a warm place until needed.

 

[oliver90owner]

I mostly use 10 litre plastic buckets and they will hold about 14kg of honey (which is about 30lb in old units). A 12 litre bucket will clearly be easier to pour if needed to be filtered, but is a peculiar size. Most standard sizes are 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, 16, 20 and 25 litres. Need to think about melting, if using larger buckets. The l*dl jam maker will accomodate some 15 litre buckets - I need to remove the bucket handles on mine.

I know of one commercial beekeeper who stores it in 20 or 25 litre buckets under his house.

Just remember honey is hygroscopic and need food grade containers. Not all plastic buckets are food grade.

 

[Fatbee]

I use 5 litre buckets because I'm relatively small scale and they fit perfectly in my warming draw. They hold about 16lbs when full. I always find it fascinating to see what the consistency is like after several months of storage and granulation. Just shows how varied honey is as the season progresses.

 

[psafloyd]

5 gallon (23 liter) plastic ( food safe) buckets are popular here.. with good fitting snap on lids... each marked with date/apiary/ hive number/ super number and weight.
Keep at room temperature... probably will crystalise over time, but can be re warmed to golden liquid ( slowly and not too hot!) for bottling.

Yeghes da

I am no eight stone weakling, but I found large 60lb buckets very hard to lift (safely).

I imagine the vast majority of women, the infirm or those with a back or arm injury would struggle to move them.

It's not just moving them from one spot to another, but lifting them above the waist (on to a counter, into a car) can be problematic for those mentioned.

So, I stick to 30lb buckets as they are easy to move about –-at least for me.

 

[Barbarian]

I use re-cycled food grade 5 litre plastic buckets.

My buckets have an internal flat bottom. I find the flat bottom makes it easier to clean out the last of the honey.

NO !!! ..... I'm not from Yorkshire

 

[midnight sun]

Plastic food grade bucket to store and then bung it in the deep freezer. -18 c slows the crystalizing process right down to zero in a year. Then just warm it up to use or bottle. Stops fermentation if water content too high as well. Try it and see.

 

[Swarm]

How big is your freezer?

 

[midnight sun]

How big is your freezer?

Quite large....bought it as a 'spare' for the wife to use....she can get a loaf of bread in next to the honey if she tries!

 

[psafloyd]

I use re-cycled food grade 5 litre plastic buckets.

My buckets have an internal flat bottom. I find the flat bottom makes it easier to clean out the last of the honey.

NO !!! ..... I'm not from Yorkshire

By Crom, with the name Barbarian, you must be a Scot...