What colour is Hawthorne honey?

[Curly green finger's]

As per title what colour is Hawthorne honey ?
Not dark that’s generally extra propolis they collect which gets into the honey ?
The pollen isn’t dark?
IMO in its purer form it’s light but still has the taste requirements.

 

[user 20297]

As per title what colour is Hawthorne honey ?
Not dark that’s generally extra propolis they collect which gets into the honey ?
The pollen isn’t dark?
IMO in its purer form it’s light but still has the taste requirements.

I've just extracted some honey that is as light and clear as healthy piss. I'm near OSR, but last year that honey was a shade darker. We have a mass of hawthorn nearby and they have definitely been on that over the last couple of weeks, so I hope your guess is correct.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've just extracted some honey that as light and clear as healthy piss. I'm near OSR, but last year that honey was a shade darker. We have a mass of hawthorn nearby and they have definitely been on that over the last couple of weeks, so I hope your guess is correct.

From the home apiary a super of comb started on strips.
A bit like your description .

 

[user 20297]

View attachment 36427
From the home apiary a super of comb started on strips.
A bit like your description .

Looks similar; except I've got added black bits at 16.5% water content.

 

[ericbeaumont]

light and clear

Same here in North London. Been quite a flow, though over now.

Met a beekeeper of senior years who reckoned hawthorn was good for nectar one year in nine.

 

[Jules59]

Looks to me like there is a lot of sugar crystals in there courtesy of OSR.
I was surrounded by OSR this year and I had difficulty getting the honey through the second metal filter even after warming - needed to change the fine filter after every super as clogged with sugar crystals. It started crystallising in the bucket after 2-3 days. Im just going to make soft set with it.

 

[Antipodes]

Looks similar; except I've got added black bits at 16.5% water content.

Ok...Wow!
I've never seen anything near that pale here....

 

[Erichalfbee]

As per title what colour is Hawthorne honey ?
Not dark that’s generally extra propolis they collect which gets into the honey ?
The pollen isn’t dark?
IMO in its purer form it’s light but still has the taste requirements.

The pollen s quite light. Murray has posted pictures of his his frames and says at a glance they look like some awful chalk brood !
I don't quite see a distinction between hawthorn honey and purer hawthorn honey

 

[Jimmy]

I've seen hawthorn honey (miel d'aubepeine) on sale in France. Looks quite dark to me, similar hue to dandelion.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Same here in North London. Been quite a flow, though over now.

Met a beekeeper of senior years who reckoned hawthorn was good for nectar one year in nine.

I thought it was once every 7 years for good Hawthorne

 

[ericbeaumont]

I thought it was once every 7 years for good Hawthorne

We could settle for 8!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've seen hawthorn honey (miel d'aubepeine) on sale in France. Looks quite dark to me, similar hue to dandelion.

My dandelion honey was yellow.

 

[Curly green finger's]

My dandelion honey was yellow.

And mine I’m extracting now this morning and it’s thick gloppy stinky stuff.
Some frames have dandelion in the middle and hawthorn around the outside

 

[Curly green finger's]

We could settle for 8!

Ha ha every decade then it’s settled

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Met a beekeeper of senior years who reckoned hawthorn was good for nectar one year in nine.

depends what you mean by 'good for nectar' I get hawthorn honey in the hives most years here, a harvestable surplus less frequently although at a push I could pinch some most years (just leaves them short for the 'June gap') but always a chance it gets a dash of dandelion mixed with it.

 

[ericbeaumont]

depends what you mean by 'good for nectar'

You're right: should have said good for a surplus. Not seen it here in such quantity before.

 

[Curly green finger's]

depends what you mean by 'good for nectar' I get hawthorn honey in the hives most years here, a harvestable surplus less frequently although at a push I could pinch some most years (just leaves them short for the 'June gap') but always a chance it gets a dash of dandelion mixed with it.

2021 we had some but this year by looking at the supers and brood frames a lot more of it this season.

What are your thoughts on the colour?
Would you agree that propolis plays its part in the darker colour in Hawthorne?
Because it isn’t the pollen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Would you agree that propolis plays its part in the darker colour in Hawthorne?

no

 

[Jimmy]

My dandelion honey was yellow.

So is mine when it's set, looks like this

When 1st extracted, it's similar to the French hawthorn above. The smell splits the family, I find it great alongside a strong cheddar.

 

[Swarm]

We could settle for 8!

2007, 2015 and now 2023, as years where combs were stuffed with Hawthorn pollen and nectar but I would say this year has out done the other two, the farm has loads of Hawthorn and it's been spectacular.
Wet, miserable starts to Spring seems a common theme, I just hope the rest of this year doesn't follow suit as they turned into wet Summers