# creamed honey



## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

Steve, If you just want a little, Get yourself some 1 lb, wide mouth jars and the honey you want to cream. You'll need a starter and nothing is easier than buying a container of good fine crystal creamed honey and using it. You can also grind it in a petri dish with a mortar if you have some crystalized honey on hand. Now heat the amount of honey you need to use to 140 degrees to remove all existing crystal and pour into your jars. Allow the honey to cool so it is still warm to the touch ( 115-120 degrees) and add about a teaspoon of starter to each jar and stir it in slowly so as not to add much air. Once the starter is thoroughly mixed cap the jar and place it somewhere that is around 57 degrees (we use our well house) and let it sit for about 2 weeks. You can make a 60 lb pail in about the same time as 10 lbs but in small batches for enjoyment don't let time be the issue. Make sure you save some of yours as starter for your next batch. One other thing, enjoy!


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## sc-bee (May 10, 2005)

I suppose sue-bee spun is as good as any for a starter, or do you have a suggestion if I can find it here. If I use a pint jar (22oz) do I use 1 1/2 teaspoons of starter etc. or do you not need any more.
Any hints on the cinnamon???


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The less starter the longer it takes. The more starter the quicker it goes. The more starter the more it costs. The less starter the less it costs. The more starter the more likley you'll get all fine crystals. The less starter the more likely you'll get courser crystals.

You can cut the amount usually recomended in half and probably not notice a lot of difference. If you cut it down to almost nothing, there will be alot of difference.

Personally, I don't heat honey. I can't stand to lose all that good flavor. I just mix in the starter, put it in the final containers and keep it at the recomended 57 F until it solidifies. I bought a hand flour grinder at the health food store to grind the starter every time to keep the crystals small. You can even grind crystalized honey that is too coarse and make it fine again, but it's less work to get it to crystalize the way you want in the first place.

Can't help you on the cinnamon. I've never flavored it myself. My opinion on cinnamon in general is just like making coffee. It can never be too strong so be generous and it can never really be fresh enough.







I try to buy mine at the Oriental grocery store.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/creamhoney.htm

"Quantity of Seed Crystal
The relationship between the amount of seed crystal and the grain of the final product is a consequence of the nature of the crystallization process. Crystallization proceeds from the surface of a seed crystal outward, until contact is made with another growing crystal. If you use too little seed crystal, the crystals you do use will grow too large before they contact other crystals, and the resulting product will be coarse. Too much seed crystal is simply wasteful. Professor Dyce recommended that a producer use 5-10% finely ground seed crystal."


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## Hillside (Jul 12, 2004)

Some batches of honey just make better creamed honey than others. I had a batch last year that I didn't add any starter to and it creamed really nicely. I think it had a lot of sumac in it, but I don't know if that's the reason why it creamed so well. I don't like to buy commercial honey as starter because you never know exactly what you're getting. You may need to experiment a little and see what happens; even if it crystalizes too coarsely, you can reliquify it and try a different batch.

In my state, creamed honey is considered processed food, so if you do it for sale you need a fully legal food processing site. Extracted honey isn't considered processed, but still has to be done in a "clean" facility and has to meet specific labeling requirements.


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