Preparation and Showing of Honey

The National Honey Show already has a series of excellent booklets devoted to preparation and judging of honey in the jar. This article is to highlight the most common faults, and how to avoid them, which occur during preparation before showing. It is also most important to read carefully, the rules and regulations relating to the show. By not complying with the rules, the exhibitor makes the judge’s task much easier, as non- adherence means instant disqualification. You must make sure the judge at least removes the cap.

Liquid Honey Classes
These classes are divided into three sections, i.e., Light, Medium and Dark. The judge checks these against grading glasses. New exhibitors not conversant with the colours should consult the show secretary or other qualified person and obtain advice as to which class to enter if he/she is in any doubt. Remember the judge will disqualify any entry in the wrong class without any further examination.

Selection And Preparation Of Jars And Lids
Although described as 454g (1lb.) squat jars, manufacturers have their own design and moulds. To ensure jars in an exhibit are exactly alike, check on the type number and manufacturer’s logo, stamped on the bottom. This is what the judge looks for (but judges will disregard the mould number). Also check that caps are exactly alike, of the same pattern and that the colour is the same. Be very careful of the latter, as a slight variation can easily be overlooked. Choose the best jars possible. Wash with addition of a few crystals of washing soda to warm water, thoroughly rinse and allow to dry. Keep jars inverted on a clean surface. When dry, polish internally using kitchen roll, especially the shoulders inside the jar.

NEVER use detergent when washing jars because the honey is liable to become tainted.

Batch numbers should only be considered during preparation, prior to the show. If you have several exhibits worthy of an entry in a class, use the same batch number for each pair, and at the end of your process, make sure the two batch numbers are the same. Occasionally there is a slight difference in the colour of the honey, particularly in the case of double entries. Utilising the batch numbers prevents both exhibits from being disqualified, for being entered incorrectly.

Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the screw caps. Beware of imperfections, dents and scratches. Flowed in seal caps are preferred, as they are more hygienic, and easier to keep clean. Synthetic wads are out, as the honey will pick up the foreign aroma. Cardboard wads should be renewed prior to each show, as discoloration, due to contact with the honey is most unsightly.

If using wads, clean off with square of kitchen roll, to prevent wad dust falling on to the surface of the honey on final closure.

Honey Bottling and Labelling
When filling the jars take care not to allow unnecessary exposure to air or allow foreign matter to enter. Cover the jar with a lid as soon as possible. Keep the filled jars in a warm room or on a sunny windowsill, to assist the honey to clear.

Overfill to allow for surface skimming. This is necessary, as minute air bubbles will rise to the surface forming an air scum. The skimming may have to be repeated several times. After the final skimming and removal of air bubbles from around the edge of the honey, ensure no small bubbles are trapped around the shoulders of the jar. Also, by slightly overfilling, the exhibit can be used at more than one show, without the judge’s sampling causing dangerous reduction in weight.

When preparation is completed there should be slightly more than 454g (1lb) of honey remaining in the jar. Jars of honey that are underweight will be highly penalised. As a rough guide there should be no daylight visible between the surface of the honey and the bottom edge of the lid.

When entering exhibits from a previous show, check cleanliness of the threads, otherwise discoloration will be obvious to the judge.

Exhibits should be finally prepared at least 4 days before the show. When satisfied that all checks are complete, wipe off the inside of the cap with kitchen roll and secure. The next person to remove the cap is the judge, who will immediately detect the aroma.

The class label should be fixed mid-way between the jar seams, usually 10 – 15 mm (half inch) between the label and the bottom of the jar. Be sure to check the schedule for the required height. A simple template will ensure uniform and accurate positioning.

Additional Considerations
Other points to consider are brilliance and clarity of honey (cloudy honeys should be avoided) and flavour. There should be no unpleasant flavours. These may have come from a variety of sources, such as washing jars in detergent, or from nectar that bees may have collected from undesirable floral sources, such as from ragwort and privet, or honeydew.

To maintain honey in a liquid state, it may be necessary to place the honey in a thermostatically controlled heating cabinet. The cabinet temperature should Never exceed 48°C(120°F).

Give the exterior of each exhibit a final polish to remove any fingerprints or stickiness, (kitchen roll is ideal).

Granulated or Crystallised Honey
At the moment shows carry two classes – natural set and soft set. Due to the public demand for honey that is easily ‘spreadable‘, the latter has become more popular. Preparation for these can be found in a National Honey Show booklet.

As cleanliness plays an important part in the preparation of all honey. It is vitally important that the initial straining in the liquid state is carried out with the utmost care.

The judge usually starts by carefully examining the bottom of each exhibit, for dust particles or other foreign matter, which is usually present in this area. Hence it is also important that the jars are scrupulously clean before filling.

One of the problems arising with granulated honey is the ‘frosting’ which will often occur around the shoulder of the jar and on the surface area. This is caused by the presence of air being trapped between the side of the jar and the honey. Excess frosting is unsightly and will heavily penalise the exhibit, although the honey may be a superb exhibit in other respects. Frosting usually occurs more frequently in a naturally granulated honey than the soft set variety, it also depends on its preparation. Frosting can be avoided, Allow the honey to settle in a ripener for a few days before bottling. Preferably use a honey that does not granulate too rapidly and do not allow granulation to proceed at too low a temperature.

Avoidance of frosting can be assisted by bottling into a previously warmed jar, and by skimming off the surface before final setting off. It is perfectly possible to produce a granulated honey without frosting. In any case it should be kept to a minimum.

Another problem that occurs is fermentation. This happens due to the increased water content when the honey is changing from a liquid to a granulated state.

Yeasts, which are present in all honey, then have an ideal medium in which to grow. Fermentation is easily discernible by the aroma and moist, bubbly appearance of the surface. The risk can be minimised by storing in a cool area.

Examination of the honey, after removing the lid, should show an even, dry, firm surface devoid of ‘ air scum’ (an accumulation of minute particles and small bubbles that have a slightly oily appearance). Colour is important; cream to a pale straw is preferred to a dark brownish or greenish colour.

On tasting the honey, the palate will determine the smoothness or coarseness of the minute crystals, the finer and smoother the better.

Heather Honey (Ling)
To obtain a top quality heather exhibit, the honey is better pressed from the comb rather than extracting by centrifuging. The best combs should be selected from those filled sometime after being moved to the heather site. This helps to obtain the purest sample.

Process the selected combs first, to minimise the inclusion of pieces of wax and debris from the pressing.

A simple strainer can be made from a large can with the bottom removed, to make a large tube. To the bottom, a short length of nylon stocking (no ladders!) is securely tied in position. Support on a grid on the top of the bottling tank, so that a gloved hand can ‘milk’ the warm honey through the nylon. It is vitally important that heather honey is never overheated, otherwise it will become muddy in appearance and the flavour will be severely damaged. Do not mix honey from bell heather with that from ling.

Pure Ling honey should have a slightly bitter or ‘tangy’ taste, be dark amber in colour with a distinctive, strong aroma. It should also be of bright appearance with an even distribution of bubbles, - not too large.

As any heather honey takes up a greater space than run honey, do ensure the jars are well filled, almost to the top.

Important Points to Remember
Carefully read and adhere to the rules and regulations of the show because not all shows have the same criteria Make absolutely certain exhibits are in the correct class, particularly in the clear honey classes.

Prepare exhibits well in advance of the show.

Observe cleanliness during processing and final preparation.

NEVER remove the screw cap at the show venue, for changing or surface skimming.

As far as possible ensure that jars are kept in an upright position to avoid honey being deposited on the inside of the screw cap.

George Vickery

There is more detail on how to improve the derivation of hive products to a high standard. Choose your topic from the list of NHS Publications.