- Joined
- Feb 24, 2011
- Messages
- 1,562
- Reaction score
- 26
- Location
- near King's Lynn
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 50+. Double Std National & 14x12
I have been lucky enough to have a couple of harvests this year, spring and summer blossoms.
Having worked through all my spring harvest honey and now starting to bottle my summer honey a bucket at a time as it sells through.
The colour and flavour variation is quite remarkable between sites and seasons. This is something I didnt encounter in my first year, last year and although I had seen a vast range of colours at a honey show I wasnt quite prepared for the range of flavours.
My spring honey has been pale straw in colour and sweet and floral.
My summer honey so far has come in 3 shades and 3 distinct tastes and its the last of these that my question is about, having said that, here are the other 2 first.
1st summer honey........ clear bright yellow with a reddish tinge. Lovely taste with a citrus after taste.
2nd summer honey....... clear dark golden brown, nice flavour, stronger than spring. Was hard set in the bucket, couldnt get a finger in it.
3rd summer honey........ clear, not as dark as above but golden brown, strong flavour with caramel, treacle after taste. Was set in the bucket but more granulated and not so hard to a finger poke.
All 3 honeys prepared the same way.
Extracted and coarse filtered in to brim filled buckets.
Stored in my garage untill required.
Placed in an ex laboratory incubator cabinet for 24 36 hours at 45 degrees C (Verified by digital display and hand held lab thermometer).
Filtered through coarse, fine and muslin into settling tank.
Bottled 12 - 24hrs later.
Can anyone offer me an explanation as too what the 3rd honey may be in terms of what forage they may of been on. No heather near me.
Just a bit concerened that my customers may not like it compared to the previous batches or its actually burnt in some way ?
Its not cappings as I have these separate. I also have been given a jar of IVY honey and its quite different to that.
Many thanks and if you need more info or photos to help with your answer please say
Pete D
Having worked through all my spring harvest honey and now starting to bottle my summer honey a bucket at a time as it sells through.
The colour and flavour variation is quite remarkable between sites and seasons. This is something I didnt encounter in my first year, last year and although I had seen a vast range of colours at a honey show I wasnt quite prepared for the range of flavours.
My spring honey has been pale straw in colour and sweet and floral.
My summer honey so far has come in 3 shades and 3 distinct tastes and its the last of these that my question is about, having said that, here are the other 2 first.
1st summer honey........ clear bright yellow with a reddish tinge. Lovely taste with a citrus after taste.
2nd summer honey....... clear dark golden brown, nice flavour, stronger than spring. Was hard set in the bucket, couldnt get a finger in it.
3rd summer honey........ clear, not as dark as above but golden brown, strong flavour with caramel, treacle after taste. Was set in the bucket but more granulated and not so hard to a finger poke.
All 3 honeys prepared the same way.
Extracted and coarse filtered in to brim filled buckets.
Stored in my garage untill required.
Placed in an ex laboratory incubator cabinet for 24 36 hours at 45 degrees C (Verified by digital display and hand held lab thermometer).
Filtered through coarse, fine and muslin into settling tank.
Bottled 12 - 24hrs later.
Can anyone offer me an explanation as too what the 3rd honey may be in terms of what forage they may of been on. No heather near me.
Just a bit concerened that my customers may not like it compared to the previous batches or its actually burnt in some way ?
Its not cappings as I have these separate. I also have been given a jar of IVY honey and its quite different to that.
Many thanks and if you need more info or photos to help with your answer please say
Pete D
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