Pros and cons of storing in buckets vs jarring

[elainemary]

Recent extraction post is making me think about pros and cons of jarring up honey (and warming if crystallises several weeks down the line) vs storing in buckets then warming.

To date have jarred rather than stored in buckets, as doesn’t seem to hang around beyond November. This season, as getting better at beekeeping, I will have a lot more surplus honey, so wondering whether to store in buckets, or stick to what I’ve been doing.

What do you do and why?

 

[user 819]

I store in 30lb buckets and liquefy as and when needed, buckets for me is more convenient and less initial effort and time. I find it easier to store buckets then 100's of jars, in time jars set so still would have to liquefy again.

 

[enrico]

Depends so much on amounts. Mine is sold in weeks so no problems. If it was hanging around I would use buckets!

 

[Erichalfbee]

30lb buckets and jar as required. Fed up having to melt honey in jars

 

[Curly green finger's]

Buckets for me and then jar as required.
Because of the time scale, I'm jarring when I have time.
So extract to buckets then course/fine sieve to bucket with honey Gate then jar.

 

[gmonag]

30lb buckets and jar as required. Fed up having to melt honey in jars

Why would you need to melt honey in jars? My customers often prefer set honey.

 

[pargyle]

30lb buckets and jar as required. Fed up having to melt honey in jars

Me too ....

 

[pargyle]

Buckets for me and then jar as required.
Because of the time scale, I'm jarring when I have time.
So extract to buckets then course/fine sieve to bucket with honey Gate then jar.

Coarse and Fine seive combination after extraction, into settling tank(s), remove scum, decant into 30lb buckets and store .. warm bucket if set and then jar as required.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Coarse and Fine seive combination after extraction, into settling tank(s), remove scum, decant into 30lb buckets and store .. warm bucket if set and then jar as required.

I forgot the clingfilm bit.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why would you need to melt honey in jars? My customers often prefer set honey.

If my customers want set honey they get soft set. I hate the way the honey looks as it starts granulating in the jar and the coarse texture is unpleasant. That’s my reason.

 

[Dodge]

15lb / 20lb buckets. We have a full deph warming drawer in the kitchen; will go up to 80c. These sized buckets allow me to warm up and bottle as and when I need to using no specialist warming equipment other than what is standard in a domestic kitchen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

using no specialist warming equipment other than what is standard in a domestic kitchen.

A fridge, kettle toaster and cooker?
Anyone around here boasting of a 'warming drawer' would be laughed out of the village!

 

[Dodge]

A fridge, kettle toaster and cooker?
Anyone around here boasting of a 'warming drawer' would be laughed out of the village!

You missed the dual zone wine fridge. That was a battle with the Mrs I eventually won in my favour.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You missed the dual zone wine fridge. That was a battle with the Mrs I eventually won in my favour.

you'll be talking about bidets next

 

[Dodge]

you'll be talking about bidets next

Draw the line at Bidets and Japanese toilets.

Back to the OP's question.


I think storing in buckets is superior to jars. You only need to warm once if you use the right size bucket for your operation as the jarred item's will not staying stored by you bit rather at the customer. If you jar on mass you may end up having to reheat jarred honey again to clear it and it's easier to heat I find I'm a larger container.

 

[Patrick1]

Why would you need to melt honey in jars? My customers often prefer set honey.

I went on a trip with the BFA some years ago, we visited a bee farmer who just extracted everything into a creamer that was around 2 mts across, no mess no fuss jarred the lot. Maybe a mindset thing although when I was young the only honey we could get was Gales and that was usually creamed as far as I can remember oh happy days, in the words of that chart topping singer Lee Marvin, “never seen a site that didn’t look better looking back”

 

[The Poot]

May be a stupid question, but if you have no warming cabinet (or drawer) how do you re liquify granulated honey in plastic buckets?

 

[protheroe]

Make a warming cabinet out of old fridge or a large insulated ply cabinet with a tube heater and stc1000 thermostat or similar.

 

[Bryang]

May be a stupid question, but if you have no warming cabinet (or drawer) how do you re liquify granulated honey in plastic buckets?

Make a warming cabinet from a old fridge. It has been mentioned on here many times. Made one for myself some years ago. Sorry b beeten to reply by protheroe.

 

[elainemary]

Draw the line at Bidets and Japanese toilets.

Back to the OP's question.


I think storing in buckets is superior to jars. You only need to warm once if you use the right size bucket for your operation as the jarred item's will not staying stored by you bit rather at the customer. If you jar on mass you may end up having to reheat jarred honey again to clear it and it's easier to heat I find I'm a larger container.

Thanks, my warming drawer is too narrow. I have a microwave steam oven that has a ‘decrystallising honey’ special steam program function at 60C (German). A bucket would fit. Don’t tell @jenkinsbrynmair