Honey, Cut Comb, Candles and Beeswax Wraps
Honey
The Honey Regulations 2015 state “honey” means the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature.
All the honey is cold extracted, filtered and unpasteurised. It retains the natural nutrients and properties which are beneficial to health. The majority of my bees are situated in Caversham with some in Binfield Heath and the surrounding area. The bees will fly up to 5km from their hives to collect nectar. They collect nectar from the local hedgerows, fields, riverside and gardens. They will visit flowering trees including hazel, willow, blackthorn, cherry and many more. They visit fields for many flowers including dandelions, oil seed rape, borage, rosebay willow herb and poppies. The local gardens and allotments provide early bulbs like snowdrops, crocus and alliums along with beans, blackberry, raspberry, phacelia, lavender and many more plants.
Did you know that when showing runny honey it can be entered in light, medium or dark honey classes?
Blossom Honey… Runny Honey
The blossom honey is simply uncapped, extracted, cold filtered and put into jars. I only extract and jar small amounts at a time so the honey varies in colour throughout the season and is unique to a particular hive and time of year.
Blossom Cut Comb
The comb taken out of the hive when it is fully capped with wax. The comb is cut out of the frame and then into sections…boxed ready for sale just as it came from the hive.
Cut comb honey is good with cheese, fresh fruit or just spread on toast.
Soft Set Honey
Some honey naturally sets very quickly after extraction with a fine smooth crystal structure… this can be used to produce soft set honey which is great for toast.
Beeswax Candles
The wax cappings which are taken off the comb prior to extraction are washed, melted and filtered. When the wax has been cleaned it is used to make a variety beeswax candles or wax blocks.
Beeswax Wraps
The beeswax wraps are made using pure cotton and 100% beeswax from my own bees.
Beeswax wraps can be used instead of cling film.
Beeswax has natural antimicrobial properties and is waterproof and so the beeswax wraps work well in keeping food fresh…they can be washed in warm water and providing they are not used for raw meat or fish they will last a long time.
If they get tired a quick iron between baking parchment will restore them. When they are of no use do not throw them away, instead use them to help light barbeque or fire as fire lighters.