I harvested honey today!

[tillie]

I wanted to share my excitement about my day with all of you who have helped me with my many questions.  I harvested about half of my honey today....it was so much fun!  

I used Michael Bush's crush and strain method for half and did chunk cut-comb for the other half.  Of course with the chunk honey, I also had to crush and strain about half the frames to have honey to fill in the jars with the cut comb.  I took all kinds of pictures with my sticky fingers and put them on my blog.

Even though everyone says not to, I had to do it in my kitchen for lack of any other possible space.  I flattened out all those boxes from ordering bee supplies and covered the floor with them.  

I harvested one shallow super from each of my two hives.  One of the supers I harvested had dark red honey in it.  I think it was the first super I put on the hives in the middle of the tulip poplar flow, so that probably accounts for both the red color and the deep taste.

My hives still have full supers on them - at least one on each of the two hives that is ready to come off, but I will do those next weekend.

Thanks, everybody, for all the help getting me to this point.  I know I'll have more questions as we approach the fall and winter care-taking of the hive but for now I'm a really happy beekeeper!

Linda T, sticky in Atlanta

[Brian D. Bray]

I'll bet you found that honey makes a very good hair moose.

[tillie]

Gosh, Brian, honey was everywhere - on door knobs, in my hair - I'm still stepping in tiny sticky droplets today.  I'm kidding, really it wasn't too messy because I took the cardboard I lined the floor with and pitched all of the cardboard out into the carport when I was done.  (Saw ants all over it this morning!)

I tried to think like a good Girl Scout and be prepared so that I didn't drip - the counter where I worked got a little drippy when I did the cut comb, but otherwise I pre-thought the drips and accounted for them ahead of time.

What I loved is that putting the honey that was being strained outside in the Atlanta heat (with the cover on the bucket of course) made the straining go so fast!

Linda T

[yoderski]

Linda, nice website, and congratulations on your fine looking honey.  I know that you can tell the difference between that honey and storebought honey.  It is as much the difference between a homegrown banana vs one bought in the store, or a homegrown tomato vs one at the supermarket.  Product of Argentina, China, and Brazil at Walmart just doesn't compare.  That is why I have no problem selling my honey at premium prices--it is worth it!

[TwT]

Product of Argentina, China, and Brazil at Walmarts just doesn't compare.  That is why I have no problem selling my honey at premium prices--it is worth it!

me also, sale a case of pints for $5.50 a pint for a case of 12, other pints are $6.00 a piece,,, got some small 8 oz jelly jars for $3.50 a half pint for case of 12 and $4.00 each separately