Soft Set / Creamed Honey

[jezd]

Ok, I was always a little confused about how these got produced but its only recently that I figured there are two types?

1) Soft Set - this is when you take a runny honey and its seeded with a previously made fine soft set honey, its mixed and allowed to set slowly with fine crystals due to the seeding source

2) Creamed - this could be process used for OSR honey that has set like rock, its then warmed up and whisked to reduce the crystal size and create a whipped cream type constancy

Note: no air or cream is ever added to either type of ‘set’ honey

Is this a fair assessment?

Does blending honey types ever come into making set honey?

Cheers

JD

 

[RoofTops]

No, they are the same thing but you are not allowed to use the term "Creamed" any more as it doesn't contain cream(!). The term which should be used now on labels is soft set - and it is made as you describe.

 

[BKF Admin]

Regards seeding: If you have a honey such as OSR you tend to keep a little back as the seed for next years batches.

 

[jezd]

No, they are the same thing but you are not allowed to use the term "Creamed" any more as it doesn't contain cream(!). The term which should be used now on labels is soft set - and it is made as you describe.

is that fact or urban myth? last time I spoke to someone it seemed in doubt

 

[jezd]

Regards seeding: If you have a honey such as OSR you tend to keep a little back as the seed for next years batches.

still confused, OSR set is surely a different product to a runny honey that gets seeded from a source?

the OSR set honey seems easy to achieve, however taking a runny blossom honey and making a set honey has a certain art to it - after seeing examples at recent shows almost 90% fail as they are still runny and never set at all

 

[Hombre]

1. All honey will set (crystalise) sooner or later.
2. Crystals begat crystals.
3. Little fine crystals will begat little find crystals. Therefore if you intend your honey to be sold as soft set, you will seek to control the crystal size by retaining a suitable quantity of seed honey from a previous year.

Ok, I was always a little confused about how these got produced but its only recently that I figured there are two types?

IYes, I can believe that you were/are a little confused about it.
Stop digging and take on board the advice given.

The more you doubt the proffered advice, the the more questions you ask, with the result that you have more advice to doubt further.

You must must decide who to rely on and stick with it. Ask for justifications if necessary, but don't cast around for more opinions or you will give yourself an ulcer.

The advice from Admin and Rooftops is sound. Your vendor is also VERY knowledgeable.

I suspect that you aren't listening properly because there is often too little time and too much going on at critical moments.

Good luck.

 

[jezd]

i am weak, what can i say

http://www.martinatnewton.com/page9.htm

good read on the subject

 

[Hombre]

At least you have retained your sense of humour. Time to sort the honey once the bees are all abed.

An interesting read.

 

[RoofTops]

Yes, a good read and interesting to see he lives in Milton Keynes. I've been driving through MK a lot in recent weeks and didn't think anyone lived there as all you can see are offices, shops and warehouse and lots of cars driving round in circles. However, there are plenty of trees and bushes so probably a good place to keep bees.

As to whether you can call honey "Creamed" or not I've just checked the BBKA leaflet and I don't think you can call it either soft set or creamed. The "Reserved Descriptions" are:

• Honey
• Comb honey
• Chunk honey
• Baker’s honey intended for cooking only
• The word ‘honey’ with any other true description eg Honeydew
honey, Pressed honey, Blossom honey
• The word 'honey' with a regional, topographical or territorial
reference

So if you have soft set honey you can only call it "Honey". I guess the reasoning is it should be pretty obvious to the buyer if it is set or not.

 

[oliver90owner]

RoofTops,

I think those are the requirements for labelling honey. I can see no reason why, if a person wanted to, an extra description could not be attached, either as another label, or attached (as in piece of string), or even a description of the method of manufacture on a box if the jar were presented this way?

Regards, RAB

 

[RoofTops]

Yes, these are the labelling regs.

 

[dobby]

This may be a stupid Question but is set honey just old honey that you mix and how long rufly does it take?
cos I would like to be able to sell set honey as well as clear honey.
Lee

 

[Frisbee]

You need to get your hives to somewhere you can produce clear honey then.....like a field of Borage...........maybe you haven't read all of the thread, but Hombre says quite clearly on post no 6 that all honey will eventually crystalize.......some goes quicker than others, you need to pick your crop.

If you don't know what you are doing, you would be safer to deal with the honey and sell it as soft set, you could easily be surprised by just how quickly it does set.......it's no joke bottling it clear only to discover tewo weeks later it has set. When you've a bit more experience then you can learn to judge.

Frisbee