Checking Honey (Photo by Lincs BKA)
Preparing honey to show is very similar to preparing it for sale – except that the standards expected from the judge will be much higher than a customer. However, by learning how to prepare honey to show, your regular sale honey should look very appealing to all customers.
Unless the class states otherwise, all honey should be in standard 1lb squat glass jars, that have either a gold metal screw on lid, or gold or white screw on plastic lids.
The jars should be scrupulously clean, and all remnants of old labels should be removed. There should be no scratches or chips, and matching pairs should ideally be from the same manufacturer. This is because of the amount of recycled glass used in manufacturing, some clear glass has a green or a pink tint – which will be very evident in pale liquid honeys such as Borage. Polish the inside of the jars with a hard (not fluffy) tea towel before warming and filling. Fit to just above the ‘fill’ line on the inside of the neck. The top of the honey should not be visible when the lid is on the jar.
Brand new lids are advisable, as removing labels scratch them. Ensure the underside of lids are wiped with a clean cloth before placing them on the jars. This removes any dust/debris from the rubber seal on the underside.
Jar Fill Lines (Photo by National Honey Show)
Honey should be well filtered to remove any debris, try and do this job well away from pets and dusty areas.
After filling, put on the lid and allow to stand on a level surface for 24 hours. Carefully remove the lid and using a piece of cling film, remove all air bubbles and debris that may have floated to the surface. The top should look bright and shiny. Replace the lid and do not remove it again before the show. The judge will allow a small amount of honey on the underside of the lid but will reject it if it is covered with debris.
Bubbles! (Photo by Google)
4-5 days before the show, use an LED torch to shine through the honey from the back, and up through the base. If there is any granulation you will need to gently heat the honey to dissipate this. If you use the ‘oven’ method with lid on – after the honey has cooled, gently open the lid to release the pressure (a vacuum may have been generated).
Runny honey has 3 colour classifications, there is a standard set of grading glasses that all BBKA Judges use. The Honey Show Secretary will have a set for you to check colours against.
Runny honey should be runny, no signs of granulation. A slight haziness with a greenish tint in light honey is acceptable as this is a sign of Lime Honey.
Viscosity is affected by heat, if the honey appears quite liquid the judge will use a refractometer to test the water content. You should aim for the honey to be around 18% water or less.
Set honey should be set, and not mobile. The surface of both naturally crystallised and soft set honeys should be hard and dry looking.
Chunk honey. The chunks of honey should fill the jar as much as possible without damaging the covered cells. Ensure that the chunks are ‘right way’ up. Remove all broken pieces of wax to ensure the top layer of honey is as clean as possible.
One Chunk is Upside Down (Photo by Sue Lang)
Cut Comb and Frames suitable for extraction. Use an LED porch to check none of the cells have granulated honey, pollen or other debris. Ensure the wooden frames have surplus wax and propolis removed from them. Use a pipette to remove any liquid honey from uncapped cells to stop it dripping into the frame holder. The judge will remove the piece of cut comb from its container, so there should be as little liquid honey in it as possible.
Damaged Comb (Photo by Sue Lang)
Frame of Honey (Photo by Sue Lang)
Ling heather sets like a jelly. The test is to draw a line across the surface with a tasting rod. The line should stay there and not fill in. With other honeys blended in, it flattens after a little while. The distinctive taste and smell are looked for, but colour can vary according to where it came from. Bubbles trapped in the honey show it to be ling, the size of the bubbles generally indicate how the honey has been processed (pressed out means larger bubbles, agitation and spinning out results in smaller bubbles).
Ling Heather Honey (Photo by Oxford BKA)
Bell heather honey is only seen in special places like Ireland and Scotland. It is a clear dark red (Port Wine) and liquid (unlike ling) and has a very distinct and lasting flavour.
The ‘wrapped jar’ class is perfect for new beekeepers. The class is judged on aroma and flavour only, so not as much care needs to be taken for filtering and bubble/debris removal.
Wrapped Jar Class (Photo by Sue Lang)