Just wondering what the very light honey might be?

[Curly green finger's]

And do not use your pollen analysis as a testament either. The analysis tells you the plants that the bees visited.

How can one be more specific with honey then? Fence of a field full of one variety, I've heard story's that this happens??
when beekeepers say they have borage honey for example because the bees are on the edge of borage fields?
Could I say that the honey I've extracted from the hives on the vetch fields is vetch honey... Considering I've watched for weeks the girls foraging on it a lot?

 

[pargyle]

How can one be more specific with honey then? Fence of a field full of one variety, I've heard story's that this happens??
when beekeepers say they have borage honey for example because the bees are on the edge of borage fields?
Could I say that the honey I've extracted from the hives on the vetch fields is vetch honey... Considering I've watched for weeks the girls foraging on it a lot?

That's the difficulty isn't it ?... you can be pretty certain that if you site a hive alongside three fields of Borage in flower that they will be foraging on that crop to the exclusivity of anything else - it's a high value crop to them, the same as OSR is, But you need to have an empty super before you start and only have the supers on the crop for the time it is flowering and then take the supers off before it dries up. Same again with heather honey ...

You can't be certain that all they have foraged on is Vetch because there will be other crops around and Vetch is not really a good enough nectar source to encourage them to feast almost exclusively on that crop ...

It may have a high percentage of vetch in it but ... you can't be certain ... although I am sure some less scrupulous beekeepers claim all sorts of honey when all the bees have had is a sniff of the crop ... You have only to look at the number of jars of Manuka honey in the shops to know that !

 

[Curly green finger's]

That's the difficulty isn't it ?... you can be pretty certain that if you site a hive alongside three fields of Borage in flower that they will be foraging on that crop to the exclusivity of anything else - it's a high value crop to them, the same as OSR is, But you need to have an empty super before you start and only have the supers on the crop for the time it is flowering and then take the supers off before it dries up. Same again with heather honey ...

You can't be certain that all they have foraged on is Vetch because there will be other crops around and Vetch is not really a good enough nectar source to encourage them to feast almost exclusively on that crop ...

It may have a high percentage of vetch in it but ... you can't be certain ... although I am sure some less scrupulous beekeepers claim all sorts of honey when all the bees have had is a sniff of the crop ... You have only to look at the number of jars of Manuka honey in the shops to know that !

Aye that's it, we'll the vetch is still flowering as some of the fields are being left for the insects not just bees I've seen hundreds of bumbles and all sorts foraging on it..
Doesn't a honey only have to be 45% to be called a specific honey??
I thought I read that on here some time ago? Unless otherwise stated on the jar?

The flows have slowed here on the Clee somewhat a bit peed really as its been so good, but I think the dry weather hasn't helped.

The dark honey I've extracted is from near the summit and the highest farm on the hill.
Its never been so dark they are in 14x12s up there and have had minimal inspections Only really for me to take eggs/ larvae from to graft as they are black bees they expand a bit later perhaps use to the area after 3 years or so.
There was 3 colonys but I have now 12 some are only on single brood with 3/4 supers on.

Plans for this next season are to use more 14x12s and convert alot of standard nats.
The more hives I have the less I want to inspect each one.
Which will free me up to concentrate on rearing more.
I've had some good feedback from the few I've sold( "queen's) but still much improvement, I feel proud to of grafted for the first time this season.
Good night, more extracting tomorrow at work using the new Hungarian 12 frame extractor, there like a big tumble drier and I should be putting clothes in there instead of frames.

 

[rolande]

@Curly green finger's :

14x12s up there and have had minimal inspections Only really for me to take eggs/ larvae from to graft

Get *those* queens in smaller boxes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How can one be more specific with honey then? Fence of a field full of one variety, I've heard story's that this happens??
when beekeepers say they have borage honey for example because the bees are on the edge of borage fields?
Could I say that the honey I've extracted from the hives on the vetch fields is vetch honey... Considering I've watched for weeks the girls foraging on it a lot?

I’m not talking about your vetch but honey in general. It’s all about pollen grain size and over representation in a sample.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

its a wee bit green in colour.

Where do you get your jars from? many manufacturers use a proportion of recycled glass in their products which gives it a greenish tinge - often not apparent until the jar is filled.

 

[enrico]

This is a jar of guaranteed pure lime and it tastes neither minty or medicinal. It came from my 500 lb harvest nearly ten years ago. It is still as clear and runny as the day it was extracted! It has a slight green tinge and is light and heavenly to eat!
This is my last jar in a 2oz pot! Kept for the memory!

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is a jar of guaranteed pure lime and it tastes neither minty or medicinal. It came from my 500 lb harvest nearly ten years ago. It is still as clear and runny as the day it was extracted! It has a slight green tinge and is light and heavenly to eat!
This is my last jar in a 2oz pot! Kept for the memory!

I can vouch for the taste too. Enrico sent me a jar and I agree it was neither green nor medicinal.
Maybe smoke and thymol are common aromatics in honey

 

[Curly green finger's]

This is a jar of guaranteed pure lime and it tastes neither minty or medicinal. It came from my 500 lb harvest nearly ten years ago. It is still as clear and runny as the day it was extracted! It has a slight green tinge and is light and heavenly to eat!
This is my last jar in a 2oz pot! Kept for the memory!View attachment 27473

Interesting very interesting it looks like summer honey to me. Golden yellow much the same as some of the honey I've extracted.

 

[enrico]

Interesting very interesting it looks like summer honey to me. Golden yellow much the same as some of the honey I've extracted.

To be fair it does have a slight green tinge which hasn't come out well in the photo

 

[Curly green finger's]

To be fair it does have a slight green tinge which hasn't come out well in the photo

I took this photo Eric in natural light which is the lime type honey it's very clear and looks like it would take an age to crystalize.
Water content is 18.5 % I'm jarring 6 different types this be one of them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

View attachment 27484
I took this photo Eric in natural light which is the lime type honey it's very clear and looks like it would take an age to crystalize.
Water content is 18.5 % I'm jarring 6 different types this be one of them.

Bog standard floral honey - not a hint of green in that

 

[enrico]

I honestly think that once in your beekeeping lifetime, unless you put your bees on a specific crop, will you ever be able to identify what makes up any jar! You may think you can but..... I have an acre of borage down the road.....I wouldnt bet most of my honey is made of it!