Ivy Honey

[bpmurray]

I have a few supers full of ivy honey and I'm just wondering what to do with it. I tried heating a couple of frames to 40C but it was only partially successful - I had it in the cabinet for over a week to get about a pound of honey and I have no doubt that the HMF levels are out through the roof.

I thought I could heat it to 60C in the oven for 30 min, forcing the wax and honey to separate, and then sieve the honey - that seems to me to be the most practical solution. I even have an old cooking pot I was planning to use for wax, so that seems eminently suitable.

Do the experts here think that makes sense? Or is there a better solution?

 

[Beefriendly]

Stick it all in a bucket (ideally one with a honey gate at the bottom) and heat at 75-80C until all is melted, usually overnight. Allow to set, wax will set on top with runny honey underneath. Open tap, drain honey. Remove wax and clean up.
Your HMF levels will be higher than normal but nowhere near the legal maximum limits for this short high temperature heating

 

[Murox]

I reckon you have two choices.
A) Give it back to your bees.
B) Cut the comb out and heather press or scrape it down to the foundation and dump in a bucket. Bucket in warming cabinet at 40 degrees for a few days then coarse strain then fine strain...
Wax melts at just over 60 degrees and that also when it starts to "cook".

 

[oliver90owner]

First question is what do you expect to do with the honey?

 

[deemann1]

Last year I put it in heating cabinet for few days at 42 and then mashed it all up in a big bucket then left it in heating cabinet for another day with a coarse strainer, and then processed it with a fine strainer the following day ...
The up side €20 a plds

 

[bpmurray]

I think the high temp idea from beefriendly is the best solution - I'll try that. I doubt I can get €20/lb - that's what you may be able to demand in Dublin, but I doubt anyone will pay that outside.