what type of bottles to give honey away in?

[harvey]

I know I am pre mature in asking this as I have no honey yet but I do expect some.  Last year I put honey in quart and pint canning jars.  Gave one quart to a bee friend and the rest used at home.  This year was thinking about giving the honey  as gifts to friends and family.  I have seen the little plastic bears for sale and mouth jars?  What would yall recommend?  and would this same type be good if I was to sell it?  What is a good size?  I know that a quart solidifies before I use it all.   

[tandemrx]

I like the 8oz queenline jar for give aways, but if I run into some inexpensive 6oz jars I might give those a try, but then I would need to get new labels so that would just add to the hassle.

I get my queen-line jars through dadant and I think they end up being cheaper than canning jars (although there are probably sources for dirt cheap canning jars somewhere).

My favorite for myself is the inverted squeeze bottles with the no spill squeeze dispenser (think ketchup bottles) that I get from dadant - they are just simply the easiest honey dispensers I have found, but they are a little more expensive than my glass queenline and my wife doesn't want me to buy any more plastic as she has it out for plastic environmentally speaking).  Plus these squeeze bottles only come in the 16oz size and that is too much to give away for free most of the time.  In fact, at home we won't use anything but these no-spill squeeze dispensers for our honey - much less mess and hassle than a jar.

For whatever reason I am not fond of the plastic bears - reminds me of cheap imported honey.

[harvey]

I kinda agree on the bears.  I saw some today, 8 oz, for sale in a store for 3.99 and thought they looked pretty cheap.  Not the price but the packaging.  I kinda want it to look classy but be easy to use.

[Shawn]

The cheapest bottle you can find if you are giving them away.

[indypartridge]

For whatever reason I am not fond of the plastic bears - reminds me of cheap imported honey.

I tend to agree, but people love those freakin' bears! Sell at a Farmer's Market and folks want bears. So I always have bears available.

The cheapest bottle you can find if you are giving them away.

Gotta disagree on this. Inexpensive maybe, but not cheapest. I often give honey as gifts, as a "thank you", as a way to open doors or be remembered. If I care enough to give someone a bottle of honey, I don't want it to look cheap.

[lakeman]

When I give honey away, it is the way nature devised it, "in the comb". I put it in the very inexpensive but handy, and reusable plastic "sandwich" or "entree containers".

[theriverhawk]

My giveaway jars are 1/2 pint and bears. 

[TheMasonicHive]

Harvey,


I will be giving my honey away in Muth Jars.  Yes they are bit more pricey, but you are giving a gift two fold.  8 oz of honey and an interesting jar they won't just pitch afterwards.

They just scream "reuse me for SOMETHING"!

The idea is to give a gift and one that lasts.  If they look at that jar, they'll always think of you, its that simple.

I have some if you want to take a look at one before you make a purchase, I think the website pictures give them more justice than they are due, but they are still pretty cool!

[TheMasonicHive]

Oh, the only downside to muth jars that I've found so far is that you can't fit a normal spoon, or honey wand into the mouth in order to get it out.  You really have to just pour from the jar which can be messy for some people...well...all people really!

[Shawn]

indypartridge, I hope I did not offfend you by my comment. I have only harvested once in 4 years and I used wide mouth mason jars. I gave all away to friends and family, except for 3 which were for me. No labels either. I do see your point and think it is a very good point. 

[Hethen57]

From a practical standpoint, you can't beat honey bears...people love them and no worry about someone sticking a peanut butter knife, or worse yet a licked clean knife in there :-D

[NasalSponge]

I just can't bring myself to put my honey in plastic....I have a batch of 8 oz muths and for my wife's more influential clients I am going to have some hand blown jars made. Mason jars are good for home honey and give-a-ways but to sell, a label of some kind is required by law which unless you are going to use a booklet and rubber band, means bottles without raised writing on all 4 sides thus excluding mason type canning jars. This, like every area of beeking, is extremely subjective.

[harvey]

For gifts I like the look of the Muth Jars but are they practical?  If you can't stick a spoon or honey dipper in how messy are they to pour from?

[montauk170]

Ok to use spaghetti and jam/jelly jars?

Jack

[AllenF]

As long as the price is right, use what ever you feel is good for you.

[hardwood]

It's kinda funny, there's an older woman about 3 miles from me (and I just love her to pieces) that runs a commercial honey extraction service. She has an honor system table in her front yard that she sells honey from. Well, she sells honey in anything from mayo jars to gatoraide bottles and people go nuts for them. Rarely do I drive by when there are no customers. I didn't ever realize how much honey she goes through until she bought 2 barrels from me this spring to compliment her own harvest (she has 500 or better hives and does State-wide pollination). I keep waiting to see that new boat parked in her driveway!

Scott

[beekeeper1756]

I am a brand new beek since May of this year.  I bought four hives and captured six more from cutouts and swarms.  I share that to say that all of the honey that I have been able to obtain has been from the cutouts.  I bought plastic inverted jars with the little yellow squeeze tops that have been mentioned from Dadant in Paris, TX.  I like the design very much.  I can't remember if I bought the 12 oz. or the 16 oz. bottles.  I have been giving it away but mostly as a good-will gesture to the widow across the street, the elderly couple down the block, etc.  It's just a way of spreading good-will.  I think in the future, I may use the smallest plastic bottle possible for my give-a-ways.  I know glass is a classier look but I'm afraid of the glass breaking and it you drop one of these plastic bottles, they are less apt to break.

[RayMarler]

3oz (net weight) hex jars with gold screw on lids, a case of 24 for $9.95.
They look very snazzy and are less than 50 cents each.
I love these little jars for give aways, they are very elegant looking glass hex jars with gold lids, classy looking and easy on the pocket book.

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDetail.asp?idproduct=280&idCategory=