While the rest of the world is gaga over the Flow hive, die-hard comb honey fanatics like me still wonder why anyone would do that to honey. Like rum without Coke, macaroni without cheese, or fish without chips, honey without the comb is unthinkable. Some couples are just meant to be. So whenever I give […] Read more
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The very best comb honey is melt-in-your-mouth tender with minimal chewiness. The honey itself should be front and center, while the comb should be a pleasant addition to the texture, not a tasteless wad. When I first began making comb honey, I used the extra-thin surplus foundation that is designed for this purpose. But even that […] Read more
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How can you do that? How can you lower the value of your honey? Extract it, of course. If you think I’m kidding, consider this. According to on-line sources, the average price for a pound of extracted honey packaged for retail sale is about $8. Now go and price a pound of comb honey. Depending […] Read more
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Two years ago, Detective Anthony Planakis (retired) from New York, shared his secret to large honey crops: access holes with platforms. His awesome photos and impressive production records convinced me this was something I had to try. My situation is a little different because I produce comb honey instead of extracted honey. Nevertheless, I promptly […] Read more
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So gross! A few days ago, I received a message from a purchaser of honey. She had just acquired her very first sample of honey-in-the-comb from her local farmer’s market. Based on her description, I would say it was “chunk honey,” a piece of comb in a jar surrounded by extracted honey. When she got […] Read more
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After I wrote the post “What do you do with your honey harvest?,” I just had to try some of the suggestions, especially those that used comb honey. Someone recommended I try Trader Joe’s Toscano cheese dusted with cinnamon. I have to tell you, they were absolutely right. There is something about the flavor combination […] Read more
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When the sun slants golden through the barren trees and the north wind shivers the browning reeds, I begin thinking of honeycomb. I dream of next year’s harvest, the neatly packed cells oozing to the press of my knife. Nothing brings me closer to my bees than nature’s perfect fast food—preserved, packaged, portion controlled, and […] Read more
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Would you take all your crayons—crimson, daffodil, indigo, grass, bubblegum—and melt them together in order to make one dingy brown crayon instead? Would you take all your favorite varietal grapes, perhaps sauvignon blanc, merlot, malbec, viognier, and gewurztraminer, and mash them together in a vat to produce something less compelling? Would you take your favorite […] Read more
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Extracted honey can never hold a candle to honey in the comb. Imagine harvesting the choicest Zinfandel, Chianti, Syrah, and Merlot, then swirling them all together in a cavernous vat. The result is anemic red wine. The high notes and the low, the color, and the bouquet are all confused into an insipid muddle not […] Read more
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Why do you have so many dark beeswax combs in your hives and what should you do about them? Can you safely extract honey from dark combs?
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