Making soft set seed

[markb2603]

I’ve decided I’m going to give making my own soft set honey a go. I watched a very good Norfolk Honey Co. video (aren’t they all!) to get me familiar with the process. I have 2 questions arising from it though.

1. How do you get the crystallised honey for the initial seed? I’ve seen all sorts of recommendations to try, but is there one sure fire way to get it to go? Appreciate I could buy a jar of soft set and use that as my seed but I just want to do the end to end process myself out of interest.

2. What is the best honey to use for this process? I have a good few jars of blossom honey which is mainly bramble and clover or heather honey which is mainly heather and a small amount of Himalayan Balsam.

Thank you!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Any honey of your own that’s crystallised. Get your pestle and mortar out and grind a little right down till you can’t feel any graininess in your mouth then a little bit more. Use it to set a jar then use that to set a larger anount

 

[markb2603]

Thanks. Is there a way I can get some honey to crystallise though? I don’t have any that has crystallised at the moment or is it just a waiting game?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You can wait or buy a jar of OSR from a fellow beekeeper or use Gales Spreadable which doesn’t need grinding

 

[Curly green finger's]

I’ve got osr for sale

 

[Erichalfbee]

He’ll need only a jar though, Mark

 

[Mabee]

I

Any honey of your own that’s crystallised. Get your pestle and mortar out and grind a little right down till you can’t feel any graininess in your mouth then a little bit more. Use it to set a jar then use that to set a larger anount

I’m interested in doing this, looking ahead to next year as there is an oilseed rape field v nearby. But I have questions…

1. How much to grind for a 1lb jar?
2. Does this need adding to the jar by heating etc as you would a large bucket?
3. Will any crystallised honey work?

Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ah....I'm sure hard set OSR melted and set again sets to a small crystal but I might be wrong. Thankfully I have none anywhere near me.
You need a minimum of 10% to set honey. I just warm the honey slightly to around 30 degrees so that it's easy to stir and add the seed.
Yes any crystallised honey would work

 

[Mabee]

Ah....I'm sure hard set OSR melted and set again sets to a small crystal but I might be wrong. Thankfully I have none anywhere near me.
You need a minimum of 10% to set honey. I just warm the honey slightly to around 30 degrees so that it's easy to stir and add the seed.
Yes any crystallised honey would work

Thank you, i’ll give that a go, this is the first time i’ll have to deal with oilseed rape and it’s only a field or two away from my home apiary.

 

[Amari]

Thank you, i’ll give that a go, this is the first time i’ll have to deal with oilseed rape and it’s only a field or two away from my home apiary.

OSR ++ around here which quickly crystallises. Then warm and stir usually gives reliable ss
Summer honey (bramble etc) sets with coarse crystals so I always seed with ss but the resulting texture is often variable and unreliable. I only sell at the gate so folk have to take pot luck.

 

[Ian123]

I

I’m interested in doing this, looking ahead to next year as there is an oilseed rape field v nearby. But I have questions…

1. How much to grind for a 1lb jar?
2. Does this need adding to the jar by heating etc as you would a large bucket?
3. Will any crystallised honey work?

Thanks

If you have osr that is the seed, so eke out with other honeys or use on its own.

 

[Mabee]

Also found a good article on the Apiarist blog about creating soft set honey.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bu

Also found a good article on the Apiarist blog about creating soft set honey.

But don't use that high speed whizzer