# dark honey



## ParanoidBeek (Aug 1, 2010)

I am a first yr beek and just harvested my first honey!!  I know buckwheat makes a dark honey, is there anything else? My honey is so dark, if not held up to light it almost looks black. I don't think there is any buckwheat around so was just wondering what my girls could have been working. Thanks, Scott


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## captahab (Apr 19, 2009)

I had my first harvest as well this year. My honey was real dark also. I wouldnt say "black" but, it was definately darker than any honey Ive seen.
I dont have a clue as to what type of things went into it but, it sure tasted good...............


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## cheesegenie (Jul 4, 2009)

I am also new, but at our bee meeting the other night, sampled some real
dark honey. The experts said it was from soybean. I didn't care for the taste.


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## JamesYanco (May 6, 2010)

Knotweed?

I am about an hour and a half east of you. My harvest is also dark. I think it has a slightly better taste then the light spring honey I got.


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## PARKBOY (Apr 30, 2010)

I would love to get a jar of some dark honey, my harvest has been light. Any of you want to sale a jar of that good dark honey and willing to ship it?


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## Buz Green (Jun 29, 2009)

I get a some honey from cutouts and some of them are from hives that have been around for a long time. The combs are well coated with propolis and have stores of brood food (pollen/honey mix) intermingled with the aged honey.
Everyone who eats it loves it. It doesn't look pretty (I just crush and strain) but it doesn't taste anything like the fancy processed honey that most consumers are used to.
Pure honey is light colored and clear and has the flavor of the plant from which it was harvested. Anything that is added to it will darken it and decrease the clarity. It will also change the flavor.
Where I live, the nectar season isn't very long so my girls just have the local wildflowers to harvest nectar from but these wildflowers make a wonderful tasting honey and since my harvesting and extraction methods are what most would consider primitive, at best, it is all natural, raw and unfiltered it is a very dark honey but it has wonderful flavor and is very nutritious.
My thought is, You don't taste with your eyes so what difference does it make if it's light or dark.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

Soybean honey is usually pretty light.

A lot of nectar in the autumn flow is darker. Spring honey tends to be lighter than fall honey.

Dark honey is higher in antioxidants than light honey. Dark honeys tend to be stronger tasting, while light honeys are very mild.

I have heard that if bees make honey from wild carrot, (Queen Anne's Lace) it makes a black honey that is nasty tasting.


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## ParanoidBeek (Aug 1, 2010)

This honey is very dark, and if I must say so myself, really great tasting. Whatever they are foraging, my guess is there is alot of it. I have joe pye, ironweed and goldenrod all around my place in pretty good quantity and I have checked all of these daily, and at dif times, seldom see a bee on any of them. Thats why I thought soybean could be the answer, since I know farmers in my area plant it. but? hmmmm
Parkboy--Would love to send you some but I'm afraid my family would string me up with it being our first ever honey.
Buz Green---This is a new hive, new supers, new frames, so nothing from old comb or anything added.
Countryboy--- I often wondered if bees foraged queen annes lace since it is so abundant, but, this honey tastes great.
Thank you all so much. the info I get from this forum has helped me so much this first yr, without it I have no idea where I would be. Hopefully some more thoughts on this will come in. Scott


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Tulip/Yellow Popilar Honey tends to be dark and have good flavor.


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## wildbeekeeper (Jul 3, 2010)

most likely its from asters, and a bunch of various ornamentals as even more so from Japanese knotweed. Im in Pittsburgh as well and my fall honey is dark here. Even at my other apiaries outside of pittsburgh (45 min on either side) its dark. Goldenrod, knotweed and fall asters are usually the basis of the dark honey in this area.


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## jhs494 (May 6, 2009)

You will probably be getting honey from knotweed and goldenrod as others have stated. If it is goldenrod you will notice the smell when they are curing it. Kinda smells like dirty socks.
Try these links for some info.

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=230

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=960

http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/Forage.htm


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## ParanoidBeek (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks for everyones thoughts. not sure what they are foraging, but I have never seen honey anywhere near this dark. I doubt I could sell it because it is so dark, but, ITS DELISH and its mine


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## honeydreams (Aug 10, 2009)

Honey at the end of the season will always be darker then in mid summer I have some honey so light it looks like water. three weeks later dark honey. just the way it is I have photos of frames were there is a difrence in the honey top light bottom of frame dark. Most of my dark comes from Knottweed.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

> I doubt I could sell it because it is so dark,


I have people that will only buy dark honey, I have some that you cant see through


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I just got a few hundred pounds of what might be Tan Bark honeydew. Two sites within flight range of redwood forests containing Tan Bark trees.


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