I think I have actually met myself coming back these last few weeks. It is always the same at this time of year. We have been busy work wise which is great, but then it was Carnival, then busy with the Swimming Club as well as all the normal things that we do in the week with home etc!!!!!! So sorry it has been a while since I posted anything, as it is I have a few things to show you.
Last Tuesday I went with Tangent to a very good friend of ours home, Chris & Anne, who keep honey Bees and Chris gave us a talk about them. We saw the hives and then he showed us how they extract the honey from the combs. The Bees are fascinating creatures and the honey was lovely. You might not think that is a strange comment but for me it is because I hate honey, however this honey tasted really nice!!!!!
One of the hives under their apple tree.
The trays in the box where the bees make the combs and store the honey.
The perfectly made combs.
The comb ready for the wax to be taken off to get to the honey inside.
The comb in the centrifuge, Two go in at a time to be spun.
Hand spinning to get the honey out, a two person job!!!!
The wax off the combs, which can then be used to polish your furniture!
The wax melted into a tub ready for use.
The combs are now empty and ready to go back for the bees to fill them again.
The honey from the centrifuge being strained.
Here is the honey ready to be poured into warm jars and sealed.
The honey is only collected for a short period of time in the summer and then the rest is left for the bees over the winter and suplimented by sugar water to ensure that the hive is healthy and happy.
We had a great evening, everyone had brought a dish to share and it was good to catch up with everyone.
I know I missed Book Club last Friday so it will be on this Friday. Sorry I have not been posting but it has been really hectic here!!!
Hugs, Susie xx
What an interesting visit and we bet the honey was delicious! Could the wax make your furniture sticky? What an amazing process!
How fascinating!!! I’v only seen honey extracted using gravity. Raw honey straight from the hive is so much better than the stuff you can buy in the store. I do occasionally like honey in my tea. When my allergies are bothering me, I eat a tablespoon of raw local honey every day and it really helps. Putting raw honey on a wound can help it heal as well. It is so amazing how honey is made and how hard the bees have to work to produce it! Life does get crazy at times, we just need to go with the flow and not stress about it.
hi Susie
we really enjoyed the evening as well and have harvested more honey since. Your photos are great! I’m so pleased you like our honey!