Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Grandma_DOG on August 23, 2009, 05:01:39 AM

Title: What to do with Bitter Honey?
Post by: Grandma_DOG on August 23, 2009, 05:01:39 AM
I did a cutout on a massive feral hive in a outside shed. Pulled 90# of honey and did the crush and strain method. The honey, however, has a bitter taste.

What do I do with it? I consider it unfit for table use. Do I try to sell with the rest or feed it back in the spring?
Title: Re: What to do with Bitter Honey?
Post by: Bees-in-Art on August 23, 2009, 05:53:27 AM
This may be a case of it hate it/love it?

I keep banging on about heather honey - I absolutely love it, but my wife absolutely hates it. Heather honey has a strong bitter sweet flavour, which polarizes people who'll either love it or hate it. I recommend that you get people to taste test your honey and you may find that you've got something similar - ask several people to taste it, and if everyone hates it then you know you've got a duff batch. On the other hand if some like it, and some dislike it, then you know it's a hate it/love it sort of honey.

Best wishes,

Andrew
Title: Re: What to do with Bitter Honey?
Post by: Bees-in-Art on August 23, 2009, 05:55:09 AM
Or you could just feed it to your bees for winter.

Andrew
Title: Re: What to do with Bitter Honey?
Post by: fcderosa on August 23, 2009, 09:07:57 AM
Mix it with black currants and make a pymeat (mead) from it. 


If not use it for winter feed.
Title: Re: What to do with Bitter Honey?
Post by: JP on August 23, 2009, 11:31:02 AM
My first trip up to Bud's house in Macon, Mississippi I brought some honey that the locals go crazy for down here, gave some to Alan Bukley, my buddy from Alabama. He tried it, then looked at me like I just spiked his tea with something that had a wang to it!

Last time I saw him, he tried a different batch, said, "man, that's some good honey!"

I love privet honey, some don't, some like buckwheat honey, not touching any honey that tastes like sorghum, that's what sorghums for!


...JP
Title: Re: What to do with Bitter Honey?
Post by: Michael Bush on August 23, 2009, 12:01:24 PM
I like strong bitter honey.  I'd bottle it, label it as fall honey (or indicate somewhere that it is a strong flavored honey) and sell it for $1 or $2 more a jar.