# Cream honey questions



## garlicbee (Jun 3, 2010)

Made some creamed honey in 500 g jars in dec. set up well BUT there is a lot of white at the top and in streaks thru some of the jar. Are these just bubbles? Is that why people but them in plastic? So you dont see the streaks? just not really pretty.

It seems to be gritty to the tongue,and is a little hard to spread, is it possible that the creamed honey is crystalizing more and making it so hard and gritty. We used a cream honey from the store (local honey)

What is a good way to reliquidify a lot of jars!

When it is so much work, why do people seem to sell it for the same price as liquid honey?

Thanks!


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

What your are seeing most likely is a result of air introduced at the point your were stirring in the seed honey (often related to the speed of the stiring mechanism). The temperature you "cure" it at can have impact as well as how you are dispensing into the jars and if the jars are moved in the early part of the crystallization process. Making it in Glass is more difficult and it is the reason alot gets sold in plastic. No matter how good you do it you will eventually have a batch that get's that"look you describe. Reliquifying it is a night mare and you won't likely get it to recrystalize properly once it "slumps". The gritty aspect may be the size of the seed you used initially. If you are using someone elses creamed honey as seed you may need to grind it smaller before you use it. We sell ours for 50 cents over our liquid and somed days I don't think that is enough. How many jars do you have?

My suggestion would be to clean out the jars and use this batch of honey for something else and start over and try this method http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/dyce/creamhoney.htm

If it's any consulation - I've been there and done that, more than once.


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## garlicbee (Jun 3, 2010)

Thank you so much for the great reply and info. Was thinking of just turning it back into liquid honey...that should be ok?

Have seen the dyce method before but cant seem to understand how to grind up the honey.... Where/how do you get it so hard and dry to do that, the cream honey we bought was like soft butter.


The first time it worked but made a mess of the kitchen. This was the second attempt and we mixed it in a big bucket with a valve to make it easier to fill the jars.....


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

What are you using to mix the seed into the honey? I use a mixing paddle on the end of a drill at a very low speed and miminize the drop from the bottling tank (5 gallon bucket with a scissors gate) so I don't introuduce any more air than necessary. I still get honey with the "foam" on top sometimes and a little taste test with your customers will let them know that is not a problem. If you store it too cold often the honey will "seperate" from the glass leaving that air space between the glass and the honey. Again Astethics - a taste test and some education will help it sell.
What temperature are you "serving" at when you are finding it hard and gritty? We advise our customers to keep and serve in on the table unless the temps get into the high 80's low 90's as then it may slump. Did you heat the orginal honey to remove all crystals? I have used a meat grinder (the hand type with the screw) and a motar/pestle. What really works the best is to find a good seed honey by saving your smallest grain honey in your harvest or buying some of the water white canadian clover which is like "Butta".


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## garlicbee (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks again, used a spatual to mix... Will try your idea next time, 

store in cool closet about 14c this time of year

Honey was heated and strained before adding seed

Are you letting some honey turn to rock then grinding it with a pestle, now do you get the honey that hard?


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