Extending the shelf life of honey

[Spuzzana]

Hi Grumpy Grandpa

Thank you for your questions.

1st Yes I am a beekeeper and own a number of colonies. Have been keeping bees for several years and find it to be a most absorbing past-time/hobby. In fact when I put forward some of my ideas on survival in a TEOTWAWKI situation, bees form a key part of the basis for the plans due to their critical importance to the health of this world.

2nd. I am not able to give you a categorical answer to what would happen to flavour and antimicrobial properties. Looking at it from a logical point of view, it is highly likely that both would be affected. Essential oils form a key part of the flavour of honey and is present in every honey when first taken off the hive. You can smell it as you open the hive as it is very strong. After a few hours unless bottled very quickly this flavour evaporates and is gone. Adding heat into the equation will certainly cause the essential oils to evaporate faster.

In fact you could carry out your own experiments. There are other beekeeper's like me do not use any form of heat treatment to aid honey extraction. Ask around to find your local beekeepers and ask them to sell you some honey in the comb. That way you can guarantee the honey has not been heated above the highest temperature the bees keep their hives. That temperature is 36C maximum.

When you get it home slice the caps off the top of the comb on both sides and put it into a sieve. Place a receptacle under the sieve then use a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon and apply pressure to force the honey out of the comb. Some wax will end up in the honey. You can always eat that if its for your own purposes or you can place muslin in the sieve which will stop the wax passing through. I you do use muslin you can force the maximum honey out by really bashing it around to break up the wax comb.

Split the honey into a control sample and however many test samples you want. If you didn't use muslin to strain the honey the highest temperature you can go to will be 63C as the melting point for bees wax is 64C. If allowed to melt in the honey it will totally ruin the texture. Carry out your heat tests and when cool taste them versus the control sample.

Sadly I am not able to carry out such an experiment this year as my bees need all of their honey for this winter. The area they are in has less forage than I thought after moving them here to mid Wales.

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Great links Charles.

All of the information on all three links provided by Charles is accurate.

In fact there is mention of the most interesting property of honey. Use as an aid to wound healing. In a TEOTWAWKI situation honey is probably going to be the most important natural resource you can have in your stocks.

Has everyone put some aside?

I certainly hope so and preferably lots of honey from your local area rather than the products purchased in the supermarkets.

Next time you go into a supermarket pick up a jar and read the label. You will find the honey is a blended form of honey from all over the world. Its not local. Therefore, if there are any intrinsic healing and or health properties from honey sourced locally, you will be missing out on those benefits.

Its not been proven yet. However, there is reason to believe that local honey is the best medicine for hay fever. It is thought that local honey due to the pollen that is present in your area in being in the honey, this over time alleviates hay fever.