Mashed comb honey

[Bob Bee]

Having read Scuttlefishes thread on thick heather honey in supers, it reminds me to ask a question.
I have always used the debris from the bottom of the extractor, collapsed combs and the unextractable honey frames etc. and had jars of "mash" which when fine enough makes a fabulous spread on toast and in sandwiches. The smell and flavour is intoxicating (smells like beehives !!) .
I've come across a few sellers (Davis in Kingsdown is one) who jar and sell theirs as Mashed Comb honey.
Does anybody here do this and what's the preferred method for mashing and what percentage of mash to runny honey honey do people prefer to make it marketable.

 

[ian]

Hi

Seen this done a lot with cappings from the uncapping tray, may sound a bit better than mash or extractor tank scrapings.........As to what percentage, enough to make it spreadable, its judge by eye. Have also had hayfever sufferers asking for cappings as the thought is it will contain more pollen.

I have always done a lot of comb honey and found that chunk honey in a jar covers a multiple of sins. Those bits that don't make the grade for boxes or those bits that are uncapped and general off cuts can all go in. When jars are filled they look quite good, any that are a bit rough get eaten by me.


Ian

 

[Tom Bick]

Not exactly the same Bob but I once filled a jar with honey and cappings and that went down well especially on toast. The cappings did tent to float to the top but was no great problem.

Its nice that our thoughts can start to think towards honey again I now have a lovely walk ahead of me with early blossom appearing and leaf buds starting to open just lovely.

 

[victor meldrew]

Problem with chunk honey is having the correct honey for back filling , most uk honey crystallises too quickly, thus making the product practically unsaleable ? Yes, one can pasteurise the honey but that is a different ball game ! Countries which mono crop Acacia have a distinct advantage!
VM


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[victor meldrew]

Not exactly the same Bob but I once filled a jar with honey and cappings and that wend down well especially on toast. The cappings did tent to float to the top but was no great problem.

Its nice that our thoughts can start to think towards honey again I now have a lovely walk ahead of me with early blossom appearing and leaf buds starting to open just lovely.

Just back from a walk to the paper shop and was pleased to see honey bees (probably mine) working two huge clumps of heather in the front garden of a bungalow down the lane one bunch being white the other purple, have no idea of the variety!
VM


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[ian]

Hi

VM yes you are right about chunk honey crystalising, but if you bottle as needed and store in a warm enviroment i find my general floral/summer honey works fine.

Ian

 

[Finman]

Having read Scuttlefishes thread on thick heather honey in supers, it reminds me to ask a question.
.

The combs are as valuable as honey inside. It is douple accident if you mash the combs.

I have told many procedures how to clean combs from honey crystalls.

The most siple wway is to clean them with swarm or with false swarm.

- You put 4 honey frames into the box and the rest foundatuions. Afte a week clystallized combs are full of brood and foundations are drawn.

- it is not big job to clean 3 hioney boxes and save the honey.

Uncap the frames and spray warm water on honey. Bees suck liquid form honey off and cells are full sugar granules.

Then you fill cells with water. That dilute so much granules that bees can clean almost all cells. So you have saved expencive honey and combs. It it is flow going, bees cap again the cells.

- When you add boxes to the hive, give 2 crystallized frames between brood frames. Bees clean frames quite quickly.

 

[Bob Bee]

Not exactly the same Bob but I once filled a jar with honey and cappings and that went down well especially on toast. The cappings did tent to float to the top but was no great problem.

Its nice that our thoughts can start to think towards honey again I now have a lovely walk ahead of me with early blossom appearing and leaf buds starting to open just lovely.

Sounds similar, there's no black or even particularly dark pieces in the stuff I'm looking at, so it probably is mostly capping's and occasional comb debris.

Just spreadable so that there's no floating, Its on my list of things to achieve this year ( crop permitting ).
Nothing to do with chunk honey.

 

[Bob Bee]

Hi

Seen this done a lot with cappings from the uncapping tray, may sound a bit better than mash or extractor tank scrapings.........As to what percentage, enough to make it spreadable, its judge by eye. Have also had hayfever sufferers asking for cappings as the thought is it will contain more pollen.

I have always done a lot of comb honey and found that chunk honey in a jar covers a multiple of sins. Those bits that don't make the grade for boxes or those bits that are uncapped and general off cuts can all go in. When jars are filled they look quite good, any that are a bit rough get eaten by me.


Ian

thanks Ian.