A Good Day to Strain, Drain, and Bottle Honey

Author: Meera, August 2, 2015

It’s Sunday. I’m bottling the honey that I pulled from the hives last week. Yesterday, I washed two dozen eight-ounce jars in the dishwasher and allowed them to dry upside down on paper towels. Today, I’ll put on my apron and listen to some energetic big band tunes while I drain that honey into jars.

 

 

 

Honey bucket with strainer taped on and bits of wax in the honey on top

The fine mesh strainer taped tightly around the bucket rim traps the bits of wax but does not impede the flow of honey

 

 

 

My buckets of honey still have duct tape around their rims holding the strainers in position.  When the honey was spun in the extracting machine, it had to be drained through a filter. Painter’s filters work great as the mesh cloth is very fine and fits over the top of the bucket.

 

 

 

Bits of wax, pollen, and even baby bee food are strained from the honey before it's bottled

Bits of honeycomb, pollen, and even baby bee food are strained from the honey before it’s bottled

 

 

 

The filter is placed into position around the rim and then duct taped is wrapped around tightly two times. Honey is quite heavy and can pull down the filter if not secured. I’m straining the honey that goes into jars. However, I did save back a jar of unfiltered honey with all those bits in it for a family member who prefers it that way.

 

 

 

The work was easier and went faster than I’d expected. It helps to have everything you need close at hand, clean, and ready to go.

 

 

 

Filling from the bucket spigot goes fast because the honey flows quickly; it's quite heavy

Filling from the bucket spigot goes fast because the honey flows quickly; it’s quite heavy

 

 

 

Of the three large buckets, the first had a nice spigot than I could turn off after I allowed honey to flow and fill the jar. Then I closed the spigot, wiped the jar with a damp paper towel, and then screwed the lid in place.

 

 

 

 

This five-gallon honey bucket will fill approximately five dozen eight-ounce jars

This five-gallon honey bucket will fill approximately five dozen eight-ounce jars; pictured here are 24 jars

 

 

 

The two dozen eight-ounce jars barely made a dent in my first honey bucket although my neighbor tells me that I can easily fill five dozen of the eight-ounce jars from one five-gallon bucket; or, I can fill two and one-half dozen of the sixteen-ounce jars.

 

 

 

Finished jars reveal clear, light amber honey the bees made from springtime flowers

Filled jars reveal clear, light amber honey the bees made from the French perfume lavender on my farmette and our springtime flowers, but these jars still labels

 

 

 

The next step in the process is to affix my Henny Penny label onto the jar. I plan to give some of these jars away during promotions in early October for my forthcoming novel, A BEELINE TO MURDER, the first in the Henny Penny Farmette series of cozies.

 

 

The first in the Henny Farmette series of cozy mysteries (Kensington Publishing Sept. 29, 2015)

Published next month by Kensington, my book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through most booksellers and online bookstores

 

If you are interested in this honey, please feel free to email me at meeralester1@gmail.com.

 

 

 

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