We've had bees for years. Years. Some of you might recall the story of the grumpy beekeeper who ripped us off, then took our bees whilst we were out one day after I asked him when to expect honey. He had kept them on our property for a few years, after all. Anyway, we got more bees via a colleague at Jamie's work, and he's been helping us manage them.
A year on, we have honey! The boys found the queen and isolated her and moved her, then removed four frames, leaving the other frames for next week.
First of all the job was to scrape them with a hot knife. THis removes all the wax caps so the honey can seep out. Not an easy job, as some of the frames had really wobbly kinda bumps on them. I think we should have collected the honey earlier, but we've been so busy and needed our mate to come help and show us what to do.
Then we put the frames in the honey extractor, two at a time - it's a way of removing the honey via centrifugal force, spinning via the winder for about six minutes on each side.
Even I had a go - I'm looking rather tired as we had just woken up.
The worst part was straining it - I think people have special strainers but we had to make do with a cloth and a small sieve, which we balanced over the jar and had to keep rinsing free of wax so the honey could freely drip into the jar.
Of course, I kept tasting the honey, which eventually made me feel a little ill. I ended up having plain muffins for breakfast as honey muffins seemed a step too far. But how could one resist?
Now the excess frames will go into the garden for the bees to clean up, before being placed back in the hive. Aren't they beautiful, filled with honey? They are just one of the wonders of the world.
I know that some vegans think bee keeping - or bee husbandry - is cruel, like any kind of 'keeping' of animals. But human beings have a relationship with honey that stretches back thousands and thousands of years. It's in our interests to keep bees because by caring for these pollinators, we ensure our food crops are pollinated, and ensure the survival (we hope) of bee populations.
At last we had jars of honey, plus a little more for cooking as I heated the wax in a double boiler and poured the honey out and restrained it. This obviously is no longer raw honey but good enough for cooking.
It's pretty darn exciting, although very labour intensive! Still, I think of our antecedents harvesting honey from trees as it was the only sweet food around, and not minding the labour because they get that sweet, sweet, gorgeous liquid. I bet they thought it was worth it!
With Love,
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Oh wow, this is amazing and I am so jealous. I always go on about “when I get my own property etc etc” but this is surely the reason for getting you own property. All the potential honey, feeding on indigenous plants. On that note, we have an indigenous honey made from “vygie” or sour fig plants. (I believe they are a pest there in Australia? Carpobrotus edulis.) The honey from these bees produce a liquorice taste. It is truly amazing. Honey that tastes like pure liquorice (that is if you like the taste). Anyways, my girlfriend has been asking me to make mead for a while now but honey is so expensive to buy here. I would love to make my own mead from honey bees on my own property! Sorry for the long winded comment just to say I am jealous! Enjoy.
Omg licorice honey sounds DIVINE. I've also heard of honey that makes you high... I'm sorry I can't find any details, only a vague memory - but honey is certainly incredible. I'd also love to make mead! Unfortunately, since we are going away, these jars are IT for now .. but it's always been a dream to harvest my own honey!!
I can imagine, as it is my own as well. To make different flavoured honey depending on the plants. Rosemary, lavender, indigenous fynbos… but maybe one day the dream will come true!
Oh yes, I think there is even a very well made documentary on YouTube about the honey that makes you high! Very dangerous to collect as apparently it is only high (punny) in the mountains, but the people who harvest it gets high on their own supply once they harvested it!
How cool! You must have had a sugar high all day :P Will the next batch be of the same size?
I hope it'll be better but I don't know! And omg yeah the sugar high... At least it's not as extreme as 'real' sugar. I definitely didn't want honey toast after that 🤣
I bet! It reminded me a bit about when I got a new coffee machine and I was drinking a lot of espressos to get it right :D
Congratulations on successfully harvesting honey from your bees! The process sounds both fascinating and labor-intensive. It's heartening to see the age-old tradition of beekeeping continuing, despite the challenges.
The taste of fresh honey must be a sweet reward for your efforts.
It's such an old tradition, and it's exciting to learn this skill
I am sure after all that hard work, those honey jars gave both of you a fulfilling effect.
Yes, very worth it!!!
They are for sure, I can imagine, how it feels to taste some authentic pure honey.
So good!
I sometimes wonder if it is truly cruel...but then I remember that a lot of bee farms are the sole reason that pollination in certain places still continues. It is about finding the balance, isn't it? Harmful and toxic habits can be and are cruel. But when done with compassion and care, it is a bimutual relationship between human and nature!
Balance is the key. I've read of vegans keeping bees to care for them! It's only poor practice that theives the honey without leaving enough for the bees to winter that is poor. The bees are happy to have a solid home to tend to their queen and seem happy feasting off the many flowers I grow just for them.
Nice write up but I don't seem to understand this part, do you mean you have mixed it up with liquid or something?
So it's only unheated honey that's medicinal. The wax that I melted in a double boiler to extract the last bit of honey is heated from the boiling water underneath. It's edible but a little waxy and not as medical so I'll probably use it for a face scrub or other things.
Oooh! Thanks for your update. Maybe I will look into using it for face scrub. So pure honey can work for itching on the face?
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What a great success. Liquid gold, medicinal food.
Liquid gold indeed! We called it that a few times!
This reminds me of when I was a kid and my parents had bees. I still find honey nauseating...
Wow, what a sticky job! It looks amazing.
Sometimes I eat the honey on the comb and chew the wax. It's so satisfying, almost addictive. And yeah, my stomach... ugh.
I have a fantasy of being a beekeeper, but it wouldn't really work out, as one single sting for me turns that spot into an itchy water balloon.
What happened to your toe??
Oh I hit it on a bit of plywood lying on floor, which is another story. Very bloody though... Haha
EEEEEeeeee! I'm sorry.
So.... you gonna monetize your injury?? lol
My library had a local honey expert present an introduction to beekeeping some time ago. It's a fascinating way to reconnect with ancient skills while also taking advantage of relatively modern machines.
Interesting re modern methods. Some say it removes people from the process and connecting to the bees as deeply as they should. Have you heard of Flow Hives?
I have heard of them. They were mentioned and not recommended at the library seminar. Our climate requires keeping enough honey in the hive to get bees through long winters of difficult freeze/thaw cycles and occasional severe deep-freezes. Your microclimate may vary.
How cool! After all these years, you finally have your own honey!
Soooo cool! Have you ever kept bees?
No, it was on the list, but far down...