# Smooth Creamy Honey?



## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

Durstlight said:


> I don't really know what creamed honey is or how to make it,


Now you do.


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## Corvair68 (May 10, 2011)

I have had the same thing happen. I noticed a couple months ago that my bees had died so I extracted all that I could, and left the rest for the other hives to take. Mine looks like creamed honey, but does not have the same consistency. Usually creamed honey is thick and would stay in a jar if you tipped it upside down. What I ended up with is thicker than honey, but still pours out of the jar easily. I am not quite sure what to do with it because I can't sell it like that. I have considered trying to make Meade with it, but wonder if it is even safe.


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

Warm it to 105F.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

Yep, that's exactly how you make creamed honey. Add creamed honey to liquid honey then keep it cool until it sets up. That is basically what you did. If it is really that creamy I would save it and use it for seed honey later to make more creamed honey. Our creamed honey has been selling very well and at a premium I might add.


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

Durstlight said:


> So I Extracted some honey using the crush and strain method. This honey was from deadouts that I left sitting outside over winter. While I was scrapping some of the frames down to the foundation I notices some crystalized honey in the cells, I tried to stay away from these areas. For the most part the honey was pretty clear while filtering. After I bottled and it sat for a couple days the Honey became very firm and now has the consistency of "cold bacon grease". It is not grainy like all the other honey I have seen crystallize, it is ultra smooth and silky kinda like a thick caramel. In the jar it looks like beeswax (not translucent in the slightest) . Have I unintentionally made what is called "creamed honey" by allowing a little bit of the crystalized honey mix with the liquid honey? I don't really know what creamed honey is or how to make it, but I have never seen honey like this before. Don't get me wrong its tasty and spreads like butter, im just wondering what has happened. Ill thank you guys in advance for any thoughts, Thanks!


I had this happen in Feb. after crush and strain so was also curious 
What i came up with is there are several things combined that are likely causes. Type of nectar and pollen being two and minute bits of wax 
in the honey also.

If you click on the 1st link in the google search some beeks from U.K
talk about it

https://www.google.com/search?q=crush+and+strain+honey+turns+opaque+quickly&oq=crush+and+strain+honey+turns+opaque+quickly&aqs=chrome..69i57.32465j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Nothing better than smooth, unheated, flavorful creamed honey...


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> Nothing better than smooth, unheated, flavorful creamed honey...


:thumbsup:


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## G B (Nov 6, 2009)

Michael Bush said:


> Nothing better than smooth, unheated, flavorful creamed honey...


Michael, I was under the impression that creamed honey had to be pasteurized ? Does anyone market creamed honey this way?


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## tabby (Jul 11, 2012)

G B said:


> Michael, I was under the impression that creamed honey had to be pasteurized ? Does anyone market creamed honey this way?


Nope. Creamed honey is crystallized honey that managed to crystallize with very very fine crystals. It can do it all by itself or by adding some creamed honey as a starter. 

I've three quart jars that did it all by themselves - very smooth and very spreadable. And another jar that did the usual coarse crystals. The three smooth creamed honey jars all came from the same hives.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Michael, I was under the impression that creamed honey had to be pasteurized ?

I have never pasteurized mine.

>Does anyone market creamed honey this way? 

Most of the world other than the US.


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## RudyT (Jan 25, 2012)

I have found that I like creamed honey better than liquid when I have a sore throat or coughing -- I let a spoonful of creamed honey slowly dissolve in my mouth -- very soothing.


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## G B (Nov 6, 2009)

Ok thanks for the info.


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## warmbees (Mar 4, 2014)

I had the same result with honey I extracted from a deadout. It is smooth, however given a little time, did setup a bit. If after it sets, you stir, it will remain softer. To convert back, just place jar in a double boiler for a bit and warm it up. No problem.


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## karolina (Jan 30, 2015)

Hi, I am new here,I am a beekeeper from Croatia.I was reading your forum about creamed honey.I tried to make it and successeded it was very creamed but it came back to his liquid condition very soon,how to keep it creamed?
Can anybody help me,please some adwice..


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The faster it crystallizes the smoother it is. The smaller the seed crystals the smoother it is.

>how to keep it creamed?

Heat is the only thing that will turn crystallized honey back into liquid. Maybe it got hot in the summer? Try to keep it 70 F or less (21 C). This may require putting it in a cellar if you don't have AC (I don't)...


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## karolina (Jan 30, 2015)

Michael Bush said:


> The faster it crystallizes the smoother it is. The smaller the seed crystals the smoother it is.
> 
> >how to keep it creamed?
> 
> Heat is the only thing that will turn crystallized honey back into liquid. Maybe it got hot in the summer? Try to keep it 70 F or less (21 C). This may require putting it in a cellar if you don't have AC (I don't)...


Hi,
thanks for reply.I realised that the heat is problem but I saw that the creamed honey is also sold in the store on shelfs and how they manage to keep it creamed and do I need to keep it in the fridge all the time.I have one small cup in the fridge two years and it is perfect but only in the fridge but problem is how to sell it.
Sorry for my bad English...


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## Tom Brueggen (Aug 10, 2011)

Ha, I'm not alone! A while back I looked into making creamed honey, but the article I read made sound overly complicated, so I never bothered. Now I have made it on accident. Had some honey starting to crystallize in the bucket. Heated to 100° and stirred with a paint mixer on a drill. Makes excellent creamy honey, with the texture of cold bacon grease, as mentioned above. About the same color too. At first I didn't realize what I had and sold it at a discount to folks looking for liquid honey. Then it dawned on me. Time to sell at a premium! When you think about it, it really is superior to liquid honey, since it's not so messy. It still melts right down in a hot drink or to cook with. What a beautiful mistake!


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## karolina (Jan 30, 2015)

Hi,
I agree we like creamed honey very much,its so great texture and it tastes so good.:thumbsup:


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## Ennui (Jun 6, 2013)

My first creamed honey was by accident also. 

My first winter as a beek I left what I guessed was "lots extra" honey in the hives just in case. When spring came I took out several extra bars (still leaving them more than enough) and crush/strained. It set up with what I now know to be creamed honey within an hour of jarring it.

It happens to me every spring. Any honey I let sit in the hive over winter then extract with crush/strain turns into creamed honey almost within an hour. I'm not sure exactly why the overwintering does it, but it's consistent. 

Since this is the fall honey and some don't like the more robust flavor I've used a dollop of it and creamed honey from the spring flow. So now I have both spring and fall flavored creamed honey.


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