honey

[dirty]

i've been reading a steady flow of bad news concerning bees. i'm thinking it might be wise to purchase a stash of honey next time i go to town. my question is what is the best way to store it? i have heard it lasts longer in glass jars (i don't know).

[Kathy]

I've seen how the price of honey has gone up and I'm trying to stock up too. I wish I'd done it last year before the price skyrocketed but you can't go back.

I don't know how best to store it but glass is usually a good choice for any preservation. I do know that I had a 5gal bucket of honey right from the apiary that got a layer of mold on the top-I didn't know if that was normal or not so I chose to pitch the whole $$$ expensive 5 gal bucket.
So I'm not going to store any in plastic-it may have been the apiaries poor handling or sanitation but I would hate to have a repeat experience.

How much is honey going for in your area dirty?
Here it's running about $7 a quart. I haven't found an apiary nearby but I'm still looking.

[dirty]

i don't know how much to get. it'll end up being a feeling as the $$ adds up. last honey i bought was $3.88 for 24oz by weight, looks to be about a pint. i wonder if it's better for storage to buy smaller quantities. to prevent the honey from being opened until closer to when it is going to be used.


memo to self: need to learn new homesteading skill. milking honey bees. ;D

[Kathy]

There's a thread on beekeeping in the self reliance forum.
Beekeeping for Beginners

Might be interesing to read up on producing your own honey. I can't wait for you to get your tiny,tiny little milking stand for your bee dairy. Pics would be appreciated.

I'm going to look for honey in the qt jars, I am doing it because that size is easier to store for me. You may be onto something about exposing a smaller quantity to the air and airborne bacteria.

[dirty]

www.survivalblog.com/2007/03/honeystorage_life_crystallizat.html

just happened across this last night. good info

[Deleted]

Honey keeps indefinitely. It may crystallized but it never goes bad. If it crystallizes just heat it slowly on the stove, put the jar in a pan of water first to heat it. You can do it in a microwave too but remember to put the jar in some water before heating it and do it slowly.