Thursday 3 January 2008

Extracting Honey


I strained my arm carrying a super of honey (around 15 kilos) abour 100 metres at arms length. (it was supposed to be bee free but wasn't quite). It was gloriously chocker with honey, each frame extended beyond the frame edges each cell bulging with honey. This time we were lucky and a local man with an extractor extracted it for us. We ended up with a metal bucket with around 8 litres or 12 kilos of honey (honey is 40% heavier than water). It was fabulous, Caleb got a real kick out of using the hand spinner and exclaiming at the river of honey. We strained it at home and bottled it up, five bottles had vanilla beans inserted not sure yet whether it infuses the honey, or whether the honey over powers the subtler flavour. We gave the bottles away for Christmas, along with jars of home made strawberry jam and cubes of fetta in garlic and rosemary oil, and a box of Lings handmade turkish delight. Really got a kick out of giving homemade gifts from the garden.

3 comments:

Belladonna said...

Ahh! I really love giving handmade gifts too!

Sounds like you'll be having honey for a long time yet :)

Denise said...

Hi, I have been on holidays and not be online for about a month and it looks like a lot has happened in your lives. Sorry to read about Trev's dad. Turned 50 myself in 2007 and made the celebrations last a month so I hope Trev had a good one. The honey looks and sounds luscious. As we live in Tassie too, we have been pigging out on cherries, apricots and raspberries as well - heaven! Also got a glut of zucchini so it is zucchini slice, muffins, cake etc etc. Muscovy ducks are still breeding prolifically and can't bear to kill any - youngest son is trying to train them to do tricks such as jumping for food. Read your article on soap making in one of the magazines and coincidentally they are having a soap making course using olive oil near home so have enrolled for next month. Stay well!

Denise

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda
I really enjoy your blog and am looking forward to te re-release of your book.
I am interested in getting a beehive to produce honey (we are on 5 ac nrAlbany in WA) any tips on where/how to start and who to contact??
Cheers
Michelle