FOOD What to do with smoky honey????

Limner

Deceased
We have three hives, two well established and one young one. Hubby " collected rent" on the two older hives. One gave us some lovely tasty medium colored honey. The other hive has a way meaner temperament, and Hubby had to use way more smoke to settle them down. The honey from THAT hive is way darker, with molasses and nasty hay smoke undertones. Hubby says to dump it. I'm feeling bad about the waste!!!! is there any way to use it? I sure don't want to leave it out for the bees to "recycle.". I'm afraid it would taint any other honey we get in the future.
 

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
My suggestion is to find - or create - a recipe that can capitalize on the smokey flavor. Perhaps you could come up with a ham glaze using the honey or a "smokey honey" BBQ sauce. I'm sure your imagination can come up with more.

Best
Doc
Best idea. I’d not ever throw out good honey!
It might turn out to be delicious used in the right recipe!
 

Limner

Deceased
I don't think smoking the hive to get the bees out of the supper is going to change the taste of the honey.
Probably something else.
It totally can change the taste. Beekeepers warn about it. But Hubby got carried away when he started getting attacked. I think we need to change out the Queen next spring. THAT'S going to be an adventure.
 

Limner

Deceased
My suggestion is to find - or create - a recipe that can capitalize on the smokey flavor. Perhaps you could come up with a ham glaze using the honey or a "smokey honey" BBQ sauce. I'm sure your imagination can come up with more.

Best
Doc
If it was hickory or some such, I'd totally DO just that. I've got a tasty bbq sauce from my aunt that might work. But this smells like trash smoke.
 

Kathy in FL

Administrator
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We have three hives, two well established and one young one. Hubby " collected rent" on the two older hives. One gave us some lovely tasty medium colored honey. The other hive has a way meaner temperament, and Hubby had to use way more smoke to settle them down. The honey from THAT hive is way darker, with molasses and nasty hay smoke undertones. Hubby says to dump it. I'm feeling bad about the waste!!!! is there any way to use it? I sure don't want to leave it out for the bees to "recycle.". I'm afraid it would taint any other honey we get in the future.

Use it to make BBQ sauce. Yummmmmmm
 

cowboy

Veteran Member
You may try a half a tsp in your coffee rather than sugar.

Most likelly you had some older combs that were dark, lack of drying after extracting or just used for a few years. These frames need put into the brood area for the bee's and new frames made up for your stores. Last option is make wax.

Use an extraction board verses smoking them off the frames when you are stealing it.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
How much smoke did you use? I have never had smoke taint a hive. The smoke wont change the color of the honey and it really shouldnt change the flavor as it is capped in the super. It may be from something else. I would feed it back to them. More than likely they will eat it this winter vs storing it for next year. As long as you put clean supers on in the spring you will be fine.
 

cowboy

Veteran Member
If you had some frames that looked brown and gooy, hive beetles will infest and defacate on those frames as they eat it. This is why you bring the honey home and extract as soon as possible verses storing in a dark room and the box being tight from mice.
 

Kathy in FL

Administrator
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That will kill off all the good stuff in the honey.

Assuming you are eating it raw I would agree, but if you are using it to cook with in replacement of other sweeteners it isn't going to make a difference. I'd rather kill the smell and make it more palatable.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
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We have three hives, two well established and one young one. Hubby " collected rent" on the two older hives. One gave us some lovely tasty medium colored honey. The other hive has a way meaner temperament, and Hubby had to use way more smoke to settle them down. The honey from THAT hive is way darker, with molasses and nasty hay smoke undertones. Hubby says to dump it. I'm feeling bad about the waste!!!! is there any way to use it? I sure don't want to leave it out for the bees to "recycle.". I'm afraid it would taint any other honey we get in the future.
Feed it back to the bees! They turn dark, Nast honey into fresh, clean honey...

Summerthyme
 

Quiet Man

Nothing unreal exists
Sell it as a new, exotic, 'coffee honey'. :D

Now nasty?

How much do you want for it? What quantity, etc.?

A little smoky I could live with. Really nasty; no.
 

Limner

Deceased
Feed it back to the bees! They turn dark, Nast honey into fresh, clean honey...

Summerthyme
I was afraid the nasty would be passed on to the new honey. Or hurt the bees. :( Hubby went into his type A, "git 'er done" mode few minutes ago, and bagged it all up, wax, frames, and honey......and dumpstered them.

So thanks for the ideas. But he dealt with it. We have a bit over a gallon from the first hive, plenty for our needs. I appreciate the help.
 

cowboy

Veteran Member
It is best fed back in a feeder that don't drown the bee's. But he can fix that and you will know if the bees will take it back.
 

Doc1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
If it was hickory or some such, I'd totally DO just that. I've got a tasty bbq sauce from my aunt that might work. But this smells like trash smoke.

Limner, I think I understand your problem. You might try adding some liquid smoke to the honey, which would - hopefully - overpower the unpleasant smoke odor with good smoke odor! Can't hurt; might help.

Best
Doc
 

Limner

Deceased
Nah, he probably used damp hay in the smoker. It works, but you wouldn't want the honey to taste like it smells!

Summerthyme
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!! That's EXACTLY what he did. Took handfuls of damp hay from the bales holding up our archery target. I usually start up the smoker, with paper towels, dried leaves and sage. Smells amazing. But it DOES burn up fast. So he wanted longer lasting this time, and tried the hay. It DID last longer. :p
 
Makes me wonder if they got into some bad plants for the pollen.
J love the flowers on Texas Mountain Laurel but when I checked it out, bees are quite attracted to it too. Unfortunately, the nectar from those flowers can lead to poisonous honey. I prefer to not tempt fate....Also, honey is related to the flowers the bees visit so here bees from one side of the highway have much better quality honey than those on the other side. I bought a place on the wrong side but hope the new homeowners keep their places spruced up and provide my bees with great pollen
 
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