OSR

[deemann1]

The farmers seem to have gone mad planting osr this year its everywhere ill be moving a couple of apiaries..
What do use do with your osr honey ? The irish are not too keen on soft set . I must have around 500 pounds of it sitting in buckets . Do any of you mix it in with runny honey at 5 to 1 or anything like that or would that make my runny honey crystallize quickly

 

[Ian123]

It’ll set your normal runny honey even in diluted form……lucky you I wish ours would start growing more again.

 

[JamezF]

Probably it's a bit late now (I'm guessing it's already solid at this time of year), but my recollection is that if you can keep it below about 10°C or above 25°C then crystallisation will slow down. If I don't have too much at once then I keep some in our airing cupboard and it lasts a fair while before starting to go solid. Not sure there'd be room for 500lbs of it though

If you can get it into jars (as "normal" honey) then perhaps a bit of marketing bushllit on the label would help. Call it "Early Season Rapeseed Honey" or something similar (rapeseed oil used to be very trendy with the chefs, so borrow from that) and say that it is "made from such a high proportion of nectar from fields of golden rapeseed flowers worked almost exclusively by the honeybees during April (or whenever) and extracted as soon as the flowering finishes that it may crystallise more rapidly than other honeys, but gentle warming will melt any crystals if required. Tastes particularly good on toast."

Or something like that. Then stick an extra few Euros on top of the price because it's now a "speciality honey"

James

 

[Cuckmere couple]

we dont have any trouble with our OSR honey....jar it early or warm it to jar and it sets in the jar but people do seem to look out for set honey which is frosting as our OSR tends to do

 

[drex]

Frosting puts my customers off. I leave it to set in buckets, then warm, seed and stir regularly. Once it is nearly soft set I then jar. Rarely do I get frosting this way. The extra steps are worth it. Unusually no OSR in sensible range for last two years

 

[deemann1]

Probably it's a bit late now (I'm guessing it's already solid at this time of year), but my recollection is that if you can keep it below about 10°C or above 25°C then crystallisation will slow down. If I don't have too much at once then I keep some in our airing cupboard and it lasts a fair while before starting to go solid. Not sure there'd be room for 500lbs of it though

If you can get it into jars (as "normal" honey) then perhaps a bit of marketing bushllit on the label would help. Call it "Early Season Rapeseed Honey" or something similar (rapeseed oil used to be very trendy with the chefs, so borrow from that) and say that it is "made from such a high proportion of nectar from fields of golden rapeseed flowers worked almost exclusively by the honeybees during April (or whenever) and extracted as soon as the flowering finishes that it may crystallise more rapidly than other honeys, but gentle warming will melt any crystals if required. Tastes particularly good on toast."

Or something like that. Then stick an extra few Euros on top of the price because it's now a "speciality honey"

James

sounds great .
I just hate the stuff nothing but a nuisance

 

[Sanntos]

Nevertheless, in a blind test most customers would choose the stuff

 

[Erichalfbee]

In The States one year I came across a market stall selling set OSR in blocks wrapped like butter. He was doing a roaring trade

 

[Ian123]

Nevertheless, in a blind test most customers would choose the stuff

Very true if you offer a taste test people love the sweet bland OSR

 

[Finman]

OSR honey is very good when mixed with other honey sorts. Since 40 years ago it has been 40% out of my yield. As pure it is like sugar.
Nowadays summers are hot and osr suffers from drought. And lots of new insects.

 

[Wingy]

In The States one year I came across a market stall selling set OSR in blocks wrapped like butter. He was doing a roaring trade

Did similar a couple of years ago. Let it set in plastic trays and cut into 1” cubes. Had the texture of a creamy fudge but very sweet. Daughter was selling it at school as honey sweets

 

[Erichalfbee]

Did similar a couple of years ago. Let it set in plastic trays and cut into 1” cubes. Had the texture of a creamy fudge but very sweet. Daughter was selling it at school as honey sweets

What a great idea.
I need to buy some OSR this season to try it.
I might be searching for half a bucket later in the year

 

[Wingy]

What a great idea.
I need to buy some OSR this season to try it.
I might be searching for half a bucket later in the year

I’m hoping for a good result this season from the OSR, have got 3 farms to place my hives and have picked out my colonies to go. Will be doing early combine (12 colonies into 6) and placing 2 double brood colonies on each site. Will bank the other 6 Q’s with a few bees in Nucs to build up for late season. Hope spring weather is better than last year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Will be doing early combine (12 colonies into 6) and placing 2 double brood colonies on each site

Most people thin their colonies out for the OSR as they tend to go off like a bomb, even splitting them as they quickly reach swarming point.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i have never combined colonies for a flow and then presumably split again or leave as is....does combining work in this way?

presume in this scenario you move the combined colony and at night to ensure flyers stay together?

 

[Wingy]

With OSR being an early crop weather can be a bit unpredictable early spring. By combining 2 colonies you get an instant large work force - yes they can & do build up very quick weather permitting so I use clipped queens and give plenty of space up to 4 supers (MD) over Langstroth brood & regular inspections