Cut Comb Mess

[Grant]

I do quite a bit of comb honey production, and interestingly, 90% of my sales come from sections of cut comb dropped into a wide-mouth jar (mostly pints and half-pints), surrounded in extracted honey.

I don't get it, but money talks. On the other hand, it's really easy. There are no drain pans or screens, the packaging is simple and cheap. And so I go with it.

I always had a hard time with cutting boards and what to do with the wax "crumbs" and the dribbles of honey.

I found this "bucket board" at my local Cabela's hunting and fishing store. It's about 17" long, perfect to hold one frame of comb honey. It has a raised bumper all along the edges so honey doesn't dribble over the edge. It fits a 5-gallon plastic bucket so I can push all the honey and wax crumbs into the bucket and start on another frame.

It's available for $15 to $20 at most fishing stores. You can jump to this link:

http://www.outfittersparadise.com/_3/5/1/Fast_Feat_Bucket_Board_200_5211153.htm

or simply google, "fast feat bucket board" It's available everywhere fishing equipment is sold. The original use was for cleaning fish, but it is also sturdy enough to set on a bucket and use as a seat. Hmmmm, maybe I'll take it to the bee yard.

BTW, the bottom (not seen in the photo in the above link) has a cut-out that makes it sit sturdy and secure on that 5-gallon bucket.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[db_land]

Hi Grant,
Do you freeze the honey combs before cutting into pieces? Also, how much extra do you charge for a pint with comb versus a pint without?

Thanks

[Grant]

When I bring my cut-comb supers or comb honey supers into the house for any length of time, they go into the freezer first, for at least 24 hours, to kill any wax moth eggs.

Years ago, my first, and only cut-comb super to come into the house just went to the basement. I covered it, top and bottom, with a regular telescoping cover. I then stored it for later use.

I used shallow frames with thin surplus foundation, but I had also tried a tip that suggested you use two frames of regular, drawn comb on the outsides of the super to entice the bees to draw out the rest. Those two outside frames were somewhat dark, regular wired old comb that the bees had used the previous year and the queen had laid eggs in them. I didn't pay any attention to this, but rather brought in the whole super.

About three or four weeks later, we started having moth problems around the lights. Then moths seemed to be everywhere, upstairs, in the kitchen, in the bathroom. My wife barked at the kids that they needed to more careful closing the patio door (the outside light attracts a lot of bugs). I said, "Yeah, kids. Be more careful."

Then I one day I went to the basement to cut some comb honey. Holy cow! I was breeding wax moths. The whole super was full of pupae casings. The bottom telescoping cover was a moat of honey from all the damaged comb. Even the new cut comb was leaking. Much of this cut comb honey was also smelling like it was beginning to ferment.

Lesson learned. Freeze the super first, then store.

But I digress. I freeze my supers, then I place them in a special storage box I made that also houses a dehumidifier. If I had a large closet, it would serve the same purpose. I freeze, then store the supers at low humidity to reduce the threat of fermenting.

The box is nothing more that a plywood box with a lid, about eight feet long, three feet high and three feet deep, deep enough to hold several stacks of supers, with room on the end where the dehumidifier sits. The hose runs out the side to the drain by the water heater. My stored comb will last a year and does not ferment or granulate.

But back to your question, I tried cutting frozen comb honey. Don't try it. The honey is like chewing gum. Sticky, tough, hard. It will stick to the knife like tar.

I only cut room temperature honey. I went and bought a small knife from Cutco dedicated to cutting comb honey. My wife was always looking for her favorite Cutco knife so I got my own. Costs about $50 with shipping and really worth the money. These are great knives that always stay sharp.

I tried to make nice, even, single panels of cut comb to go into the jars, fitting wall to wall. It is easier to cut a couple of smaller pieces and set them face to face. They go into the jars easier and your measurements don't have to be so precise.

I cut pieces for 1/2 pint jelly jars at $3.50 and wide-mouth pints at $6.50

My regular pints sell for $5.50

You'll find wide-mouth jars, both pints and quarts, cost about a buck more per case. I sell most of my cut-comb honey at the farmer's markets.

That's a long answer to a simple question. Live and learn from my mistakes.

All the best,

Grant

[honeyman46408]

I always had a hard time with cutting boards and what to do with the wax "crumbs" and the dribbles of honey

Hey Grant I have found a good use for queen excluders I put one over a drain pan and cut the comb honey on it and if I am going to store it in clam shell boxes I let it drain for several hours the put it in the boxes and store in the freezer.

I don`t do a lot of CC but do "chunked honey" for and entry at the Fair (4 1 pt jars) I use wide mouth jars with the comb cut just to fit the jar then after the fair I store them in the freezer too, I sell them for 8 bux but my fair entries last the year 8 of them BIG busness huh.

My bigest sales for comb is I use all the scrap stuff in a 2oz souce cup with about an inch square of comb honey and sell them for .50¢ sold 700 this year AND the other club member that sells CC like it because a lot of folks will buy a cup then come back later and buy a cut comb we have had people buy one and get a spoon and walk away eating the HOLE thing.

[Grant]

Wow! Those are all great ideas.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[honeyman46408]

One more thing about the cups, people ask do you have any samples and I tell them yes but they cost .50¢ :lpf::lookout: