A BEE thread....for those interested in beekeeping.

[kuntrygirl]

Does honey come straight from the bee hive to the jar and then to the store to sell ~ without going thru all kinda heating and/or cooling processes?

 

[rochrunner]

That is how most small scale beekeepers do it--hive to bottle to store. Most will filter the honey at some point to remove bee parts and wax, but otherwise it truly is natural honey. On the other hand, large commercial bottlers will flash heat their honey before it is bottle to cut down on the crystallization process. The problem is that this heat will also kill off some of the enzymes that make honey such a healthy food source. Unscrupulous bottlers will add fructose to their honey which is virtually undetectable, but allows them to sell it cheaper.

Happy New Year!

 

[NevadaRon]

Quote:
Search Google for "Honey Laundering" if you want a real eye-opener. You'll never eat store honey again!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Search Google for "Honey Laundering" if you want a real eye-opener. You'll never eat store honey again!

Uh oh. Thanks for the heads up. Going to do some reading.

 

[Avalon1984]

I winterized my bee hive yesterday and I am happy to say all my little friends are still alive and well.

Great storage of honey for the winter. I did add a sugar water dispenser though so they have extra if they need it. Now they only need to hang on for the next 3-4 months

 

[carolinagirl58]

I am taking a beginning beekeeper course next month and will be getting my first 2 hives in the spring. Wish me luck!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
What is the start up cost to get bees and a hive?

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
Yeah! Congratulations! You will be amazed how much is there to learn. This is my first year and wow, I learned a bunch.

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
What is the start up cost to get bees and a hive?

Mine was about $300. Bees alone were $150.00

 

[carolinagirl58]

Quote:
What is the start up cost to get bees and a hive?

Mine was about $300. Bees alone were $150.00

That sounds about right, although I will probably be getting a good deal on the bees since my bee club will be placing a large group order for the whole class.