Containers

[Ravenseye]

I'm just starting my second year as a beekeeper and I've wintered over well. The hive is bursting and I have a queen on order to do a split. If the weather cooperates, I hope to get honey from my original hive...maybe my split hive as well. I'm convincing my (much more level headed) wife that we need a small extractor and some equipment. We probably have alternatives to buying stuff but I'm like most guys when it comes to tools, equipment, etc.

My question is about containers. Should I save old honey jars that store bought honey came in? How about mason jars, large or small? If we do get honey, we might give some away in cute little jars that we can order from any of the beekeeping supply houses, but for "house honey", what's the best container? Should I get new jars because the seals are suspect on recycled containers? What do you all do?

[Joel]

Raven, the likelyhood is you will get honey from splits if you manage well. In a good year in your area you might see 60-100 lbs/hive. 1st. i would consider how you want to store honey for your personal use. Keep in mind how much you need to keep you going until next season and how you will store your supply to minimize c rystalization and how to liquify amounts to use after crystalization. Quart canning jars work nicely for this as they fit easily into the cupboard, give you about 3 lbs of honey which gets most folks through a few weeks at a time and are inexpensive. There is also something staifying about having those jars in the pantry. For your gift honey's the Dadant Demuth Jars are exceptional. They are reproductions of the orginal Demuth honey jar designed at the birth of liquid honey sales, corked and really attractive with honey in them. We sell them and they are very popular. Honey also looks nice in the cut glass jelly jars with decorative lids for gift honeys. You may want to consider getting some jars for selling as well. If you don't have an outlet near you it's hard to go wrong with honey in canning jars. Shipping on glassware for sales is expensive. One exception is the plastic squeeze bottles which have become popular in the 1 and 3 lbs size, Betterbee has them.

Good luck on what sounds like an exciting start for a good year!

[Jeffzhear]

Joel, and others, how do you "store your supply to minimize crystalization" and "how do you liquify amounts to use after crystalization." I have seen the bucket heaters and drum heaters; are these what you use to decrystalize?

[JC]

I have two freezers in my honey house. My honey does not crystallize in the freezer, and I retain the flavor of the honey. I also have a refrigerator for "creamed" (crystallized) honey.

[Jeffzhear]

JC, thanks...I suppose I will have to put a big chest freezer on my wish list, along with winning the lottery. So freezing the honey prevents it from crystalizing...interesting. I know I can use the freezer for killing Wax moth larva too...

[carbide]

I keep my personal use honey in two gallon buckets in my closet. When I need to bottle more for my use I heat the bucket in a canning pot full of water with the stainless steel rack on the bottom to prevent direct contact between the pan and the bottom of the bucket. This is the pan that you would use to process 7 quarts of canning jars.

If the honey has crystallized, the pan full of water allows you to bring the honey up to temperature at a reasonable speed without overheating. Once the honey has completely liquified, you can then filter the honey (if you've a mind to) and pour it into individual jars sized to your liking.

Since we use two gallon buckets for storage, we normally fill four quart jars, four pint jars, and a few each of the one pound and the 12 ounce squeeze jars. This quantity normally will not crystallize again before we use it all up for baking and eating.

BTW, I obtain the buckets, with sealable lids, from a local Eat n Park restaurant. They are the ones that they get thier Honey Smear in for their Honey buns.

[Joel]

I have a full size, no longer cooling, refrigerator which can hold 9 cases or 6 60's (totes). It's heated with a lightbulb on a timer which I adjust for the season. I saw a really neat unit that a friend made from one of those college dorm room refrigerators with a similar set up to mine. It holds a full 60nicely and a 1/2 dozen 2 or 3 lb. jars in the door.

For inside storage of your in house stock, keep it in the cupboard above the stove. Always the warmest in the house. You can also liquify a 2 lb jar on the stove top while the wife is cooking thanksgiving dinner or put a few jars in the oven on the lowest setting for an hour or so.

[tecumseh]

jeffz ask:
how do you "store your supply to minimize crystalization"

tecumseh replies:
I store my honey in 5 gallon plastic pales which does tend to crystalize when the weather turn cool. I use a 'dog crate' (a flat black plastic affair) heater to minimize crystalization and to reconvert the honey to liquid form. I place a blanket over the bucket and 'crate heater' to direct the heat more to the bucket. It takes two or tree days to reconvert a 60 pound pail.... so the process is not so quick.

[livetrappingbymatt]

store most of mine in 2 1/2 gal recycled bakery buckets,5 gal are hard to lift onto stove too liquify! use bucket heater too preheat buckets.pour into new glass canning jars bought at big lots $6.00 case/doz.
have plastic honey jars when i'm selling/filling at home, less breakage or will sell out of bottler into new glass.

works! why change?
bob