So much honey we have to make notes about each batch
This year the bees have been extraordinarily productive. Each colony has its own honey for the Winter and we will supplement that with Winter feed to get a better idea of the quantity and quality of stores that they have going in to the Winter. We have removed the surplus honey over the season in 5 separate batches which are identified with separate lot numbers on the honey jar labels.
This is raw honey, not pasteurised, heat treated, blended or mechanically stirred. Each lot is manually extracted by centrifugal force, filtered to remove bits of wax and put straight into jars.
All honey will eventually crystallise and set. The time this takes depends on how long it is stored and at what temperature. White frosting on the surface occurs naturally on crystallisation as air escapes from the honey and the honey may shrink a little from the shoulders of the jar. Ideally, honey should be stored in airtight containers, ideally below 10℃. Set honey can be made runny by gently warming it.
Lot Number 1
This honey was extracted from Colony 1, the Rubettes on 14th May 2016. Made predominantly from oil seed rape, this honey had to be extracted before it set solid in the frames. Oil seed rape honey is notorious for setting so hard that the bees struggle to use it themselves. Originally pale and runny, it took on a stiff consistency within a week and set solid within two weeks. You can feel the large crystals on the tongue. Commercial honey is heat treated or mechanically stirred to produce uniform small crystals so you don’t experience different crystal sizes which result from the flowers the bees visited.
Lot Number 2
Extracted from the Rubettes on 28th May 2016. The oil seed rape flowers were fading to green so this was the last of the predominantly oil seed rape honey. Noticeably darker in its runny state than Lot Number 1 and taking three weeks to set softly, this honey has a subtle note of hawthorn in its flavour. The texture is also relatively coarse.
Lot Number 3
Extracted on 16th July 2016, 50% from the Rubettes and 50% from the G Bees, this honey is a rich amber colour. Slightly opaque and initially a thick syrupy consistency it has since set and has a pleasant flavour which is slightly stronger than Lot Number 2, possibly still with a hint of hawthorn. Alex thinks it has some Horse Chestnut in it - and given the huge tree by the apiary, he is almost certainly correct.
Lot Number 4
This Lot was extracted on 24th July 2016. 50% from the G Bees was pale, clear honey with a light floral taste entirely made in the week since Lot 3 was extracted. The other 50% came from the Rubettes and having been made before 16th July it resembles Lot Number 3. Some jars are thick honey, others are runnier, presumably depending on the relative amount of honey from each hive that has ended up in each jar.
Lot Number 5
Extracted on 7th August, this late summer honey has a delicate taste with the slightest hint of citrus. It is a translucent amber colour and the runniest honey this year.
