honey (see Figure 3-2) is by far the most popular style of honey consumed in the United States. Wax cappings are sliced off the honeycomb, and liquid honey is removed (extracted) from the cells by centrifugal force. The honey is strained, left for a few days to rest, and then put in containers.
Photo by Howland Blackiston
FIGURE 3-2: Extracted honey is the most common style of honey you see in grocery stores in the United States. These jars contain light and dark varieties of honey.
The beekeeper needs an uncapping knife, extractor (spinner), and some kind of sieve to strain out the bits of wax and the occasional sticky bee. Chapter 2 has more information about how beekeepers harvest and extract honey.
Getting Chunky with Chunk Honey
Chunk honey (see Figure 3-3) is a piece of honeycomb that is placed in a wide-mouthed jar and then topped off with extracted liquid honey.
Photo by Howland Blackiston
FIGURE 3-3: Chunk honey makes for a very appealing presentation in the bottle.
Chunk honey is a stunning sight; it resembles a stained glass window, especially when the honey is a light color. By offering two styles of honey in a single jar (comb and extracted), you get the best of these two worlds.
Whipping Your Honey
Whipped honey (see Figure 3-4) is also called creamed honey, spun honey, churned honey, candied honey, or honey fondant. Whipped honey is a semisolid style of honey that’s very popular in Europe. In time, all honey naturally forms coarse granules or crystals. But by carefully controlling the crystallization process, you can produce extremely fine crystals and create a velvety-smooth, spreadable product. Sinful, like eating buttercream icing!
Photo by Howland Blackiston
FIGURE 3-4: Making top-quality whipped honey is a craft, resulting in a velvety-smooth, spreadable delicacy.
MAKE WHIPPED HONEY: THE DYCE METHOD
The Dyce Method is a process used to control the crystallization of honey. It was developed and patented by Elton J. Dyce in 1935. The process (described here) results in a nice, smooth whipped honey:
1 Heat honey to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (use a candy thermometer — accuracy is important).This kills yeast cells that are always present in honey. Yeast causes fermentation, and its presence can inhibit a successful result when making whipped honey. Stir the honey gently and constantly to avoid overheating. Be careful not to introduce air bubbles.
2 Using a two-fold thickness of cheesecloth as a strainer, strain honey to remove foreign material and wax.
3 Heat honey again, this time to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.Don’t forget to stir continuously.
4 Strain honey a second time to remove all visible particles.Again, you can use a two-fold thickness of cheesecloth as a strainer.
5 Cool honey as rapidly as possible until the temperature reaches 75 degrees Fahrenheit.You can place honey in a container and “float” it in an ice water bath to speed the cooling process. Stir gently as honey cools.
6 Add some finely crystallized honey to promote a controlled crystallization of your whipped honey.It’s kind of like adding a special yeast culture when making sourdough bread. Introduce these seed crystals by adding 10 percent (by weight) of processed granulated honey. Granulated honey is processed by breaking down any coarse crystals into finely granulated crystals. This can be accomplished by fracturing the crystallized honey in a meat grinder or a food processor.
7 Place mixture in a cool room (57 degrees Fahrenheit).Complete crystallization occurs in about a week.
8 After a week, run mixture through the grinder (or food processor) one more time to break up any newly formed crystals.
9 Bottle and store in a cool dry room.
(Information courtesy of National Honey Board)
What’s the Story on Honey Straws?
You may have seen something on the market called “honey straws.” Mostly these are sold as a healthy snack or a pick-me-up. They consist of clear plastic straws, pinched at both ends and filled with liquid, extracted honey (see Figure 3-5).
Courtesy of GloryBee (glorybee.com)
FIGURE 3-5: Honey straws are another way you may see honey marketed.
Some honey straws contain pure honey of some variety. But for others, the honey has been colored and flavored with the likes of root beer, caramel, mint, chocolate, lemonade, watermelon, and on and on. Kids seem to love them, but they are not intended for the honey connoisseur. Comparing honey straws to pure, raw honey is like comparing a fruit-infused wine to a vintage cabernet.
Part 2
Nutrition, Health, and Honey
IN THIS PART …
Read about apitherapy and how honey and other products of the hive are used worldwide to heal and improve health.
Discover honey’s natural ability to kill bacteria.
Take a look at how honey is used in health, wellness, and personal care products.
Try your hand at making honey remedies and personal care products at home.
