Post by hobbitlady on Jul 29, 2015 0:20:38 GMT
Hi All
Thought I'd start a honey thread because it sure can vary and some folks might not know that. If you are surrounded with clover you sure are blessed! I'm in a dry woodsy area and anything goes around here for what my bees bring in. My own fruit trees and clover and flowers are minimal to what my bees gather. We have a great manzanita and blackberry flow but the wildflowers and highway flowers among the sage, just a mile away, are anything goes,as well as what cover crops might be in use within my bees range,etc. I never quite know what my honey will taste like.
Yesterday(started to crush-process today) I transferred a nuc with an over-large warped honey comb I had to cut off to get in their new hive. Pretty dark reddish brown color,but YUCK! Bitter! That honey is not salvageable for my use in any way. Well, the damage I had to do to their stores goes Back to them for food . I've never had Bitter honey and I guess the culprit is ragweed although I'm not sure. There is a lot of some yellow flowering bush along the highway this year that doesn't always bloom so much but I haven't done an ID just looked up how bad(for humans) honey might happen. It might be something else I don't know about at all.
Well out of 3 years and about 6 gallons(top bar hives don't get a lot like lang hives) I've only had truely Weird honey one other time,(3 quarts worth) but I could still eat it,and make great marinade from it with ginger and hot pepper and garlic added. It was very dark and tasted Quite strong like buckwheat.....I think. Still edible though,just not in my morning tea! ha. Not This time.
Well all my other quarts or pints or half gallons have been either wonderful or good,with Spring honey the best. Summer This year (at least July) is sure a bust though (I got some good/OK honey in June) so I'll watch out for that now in dry years when this plant seems to be thriving. It sure pays to make notes on Everything that happens.
Do you have surprise stories,good or bad? One story I heard was the mystery of beautiful red honey...That turned out to be gathered humminbird feeder sugar-water! hahaha Ya never know...........
Thought I'd start a honey thread because it sure can vary and some folks might not know that. If you are surrounded with clover you sure are blessed! I'm in a dry woodsy area and anything goes around here for what my bees bring in. My own fruit trees and clover and flowers are minimal to what my bees gather. We have a great manzanita and blackberry flow but the wildflowers and highway flowers among the sage, just a mile away, are anything goes,as well as what cover crops might be in use within my bees range,etc. I never quite know what my honey will taste like.
Yesterday(started to crush-process today) I transferred a nuc with an over-large warped honey comb I had to cut off to get in their new hive. Pretty dark reddish brown color,but YUCK! Bitter! That honey is not salvageable for my use in any way. Well, the damage I had to do to their stores goes Back to them for food . I've never had Bitter honey and I guess the culprit is ragweed although I'm not sure. There is a lot of some yellow flowering bush along the highway this year that doesn't always bloom so much but I haven't done an ID just looked up how bad(for humans) honey might happen. It might be something else I don't know about at all.
Well out of 3 years and about 6 gallons(top bar hives don't get a lot like lang hives) I've only had truely Weird honey one other time,(3 quarts worth) but I could still eat it,and make great marinade from it with ginger and hot pepper and garlic added. It was very dark and tasted Quite strong like buckwheat.....I think. Still edible though,just not in my morning tea! ha. Not This time.
Well all my other quarts or pints or half gallons have been either wonderful or good,with Spring honey the best. Summer This year (at least July) is sure a bust though (I got some good/OK honey in June) so I'll watch out for that now in dry years when this plant seems to be thriving. It sure pays to make notes on Everything that happens.
Do you have surprise stories,good or bad? One story I heard was the mystery of beautiful red honey...That turned out to be gathered humminbird feeder sugar-water! hahaha Ya never know...........