making soft set honey

[thurrock bees]

hi all and Merry Christmass.
Ive made some Soft Set Honey for a customer who asked for it, after much asking around for the best way, i followed their (they all done it the same way)advise, the honey looked wonderfull, with a nice snow white colour ( ho ho ) and tasted very nice and smooth.


However i can cross a problem, same as the other beek's,after a while the top of the honey started to crystalize, Has anyone came across the problem?? and have you managed to stop it??

Tb

p.s. i followed the recipie from thorne cat page 26

 

[RoofTops]

This doesn't help your basic problem but if you put the jars in polythene bags and then put them in the freezer it will more or less stop any further crystalisation. This is good for long-term storage. When you take them out to sell leave them in the bag until they have thawed out, to stop condensation ruining the label.

The same applies for runny honey. It will stay runny much longer in the freezer.

 

[Poly Hive]

Can you define what you mean by crystallise please?

PH

 

[Hombre]

is this link http://www.bee-hexagon.net/files/file/fileE/Honey/3HoneyTechnology.pdf of interest with regard to the original question?

I take PH's question to indicate that soft set honey is already crystallised and is searching for the further problem that the Thurrock Bees perceives.

I hope that this helps, but don't want to disrupt the dialogue that PH has initiated as I too am very curious too. Some might even say odd!

 

[thurrock bees]

Hi PH,
when the honey is jarred, the s/set honey has a creamy colour to it, However after a short while ( a few days) there appears to be a Bright write frosting on the top of the honey.
As mentioned above, i know that im not the only one with this problem and have been told that it is a visual problem ( dont look good) and that there is nothing worng with the honey.
Ive played around a little and found that the colder the room the faster it appears, the customers shop has air condation ( on even in the winter ) , im tryin to find away to stop and/or delay this ''frosting/crystaling'' .
Regards
TB

 

[m100]

However after a short while ( a few days) there appears to be a Bright write frosting on the top of the honey.

Fill your jars a bit higher and then the problem isn't visible on the shelf.

Then add a label to explain that the frosting problem is 'normal' for a natural product like honey.

 

[BKF Admin]

I once read that the frosting you are talking about is a guide to a natural set honey and is sort after by the public.
For show honey keeping the jars cool while setting should help to stop it.

 

[ian]

Hi

Thurrock: frosting normaly is found between glass and honey, as the honey sets it shrinks back from the jar. A white scum or film on the top of the honey can be caused by air bubbles stired in whilst processing.

For general use try to get less air mixed in and maybe allow a little longer even a days in the tank. This will give air/scum a chance to rise to the top and be removed. The longer period in the tank and the occasional stir will also give you a smoother texture and smaller crystal along with reduced frosting ie that found between jar and honey.

I may be wrong but am basing this on the fact you say the frosting is on top of the honey.


Regards Ian

 

[Finman]

.
I understand that clarification that honeys texture is quite coarse or hard an in cool place the mass shrinks and pull air in between crystals. That makes a white layes on surface. It may happen too like Ian says.

Basicly problem is that honey is too early canned and it hardens in the jar.
If honey crystallizes more before canning, it stays flexible .

My honey makes white surface normally under freezing point temperature.
In hard texture it may happen in 10C temp.

 

[RoofTops]

Yes, the frosting is caused by the set honey shrinking as it crystalises further. I think Finman's suggestion of bottling it later should help, but I've never come across a total cure. Another "solution", apart from freezing as I orginally suggested, it to use a wrap-around label or stick another label on the back which you can use to say something about the honey. This will cover up more of the honey and disguise the frosting! Also, only bottle it as required for sale. This is easier said than done as I find making set honey in the summer very difficult as the temperature in my store room is too high. I have read you can set honey in the refrigerator - it just takes several weeks but I haven't tried it yet. The optimum temperature you need is 14C.

 

[thurrock bees]

Hi Ian, the frosting only starts at the top and works it's way down the honey, so i believe that it is not the scum that you get on top of honey.

HI finman, i may try what you have suggested with leaving it in the buckets for a couple of days.

Hi Rooftops, thanks for you reply,i understand what you are saying concerning getting a larger label, however i dont like the idea as i would like to have my customers to return for more , the public might be put off by the sight of the frosting.

Any more ideas are welcome

TB

 

[Poly Hive]

All.

I refer you to the other thread where I have explained how to "cream/soft set" honey.

The white on the top is most likely as already suggested air causing foam wich means it is being bottled too fast.

I used to allow the soft set honey to cool in the buckets and scrape off the foam at that point. Also the cooling allows the air to rise.

Frosting down the side suggests strongly that the honey is not properly creamed and that you need more agitation to achieve that state. It needs through agitation, not achieved really by manual means ie just stirring.

Hope this helps,

PH

 

[Finman]

it just takes several weeks .

Sometimes my 350 kg have crystallized in a week in cold store. Of course it is rape honey.

Proplem has bee, that with first extraction I get my container half full and it is difficult to get air bubbles and small rubbish from surface away. That happens when I put greaseproof paper on the surface of honey. All rubbish attach onto the paper.


Now I am going to change my system. I put first honey into 100 kg containers and handle them with fine crystall system.

 

[Poly Hive]

See new thread, honey cleaning...

PH