What to do with all this honey??

[GotGarlic]

We have two beehives. A few weeks ago, DH harvested five gallons of honey. We already have about two gallons. I've put some in 6-oz. jars to have available for gifts (I gave one to the neighbors who hosted the neighborhood cocktail party last Friday night.) I need more ideas [emoji2]

Some things I'm already doing:
- spiced honey cake
- fruit preserves with Pomona's Pectin
- honey-sriracha sauce
- honey-soy-rice vinegar salad dressing

Please give me your ideas for dealing with all this honey! [emoji16] [emoji518] [emoji219]

 

[Mad Cook]

We have two beehives. A few weeks ago, DH harvested five gallons of honey. We already have about two gallons. I've put some in 6-oz. jars to have available for gifts (I gave one to the neighbors who hosted the neighborhood cocktail party last Friday night.) I need more ideas [emoji2]

Some things I'm already doing:
- spiced honey cake
- fruit preserves with Pomona's Pectin
- honey-sriracha sauce
- honey-soy-rice vinegar salad dressing

Please give me your ideas for dealing with all this honey! [emoji16] [emoji518] [emoji219]
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I used to know a bee-keeper who made mead. No idea how but I expect you could find a recipe. Mead is alcoholic so if your state has laws about home brewing for one's own use, you might be advised to keep away from this!

Here's a list of recipes using honey https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/honey

Off at a tangent, Honey was used medically both in the home and in hospitals very widely right up until the end of WW2 when penicillin and other antibiotics were more readily available. Leaving the "folk" remedies out of it. Honey has been used in "real" medicine for centuries. One of the foremost burns departments in the UK has had success using honey in their treatment of severe burns. Apparently it helps keep infection away.

A few years ago I had a bad attack of agonising ulcers in my mouth. Nothing, including the stuff the dentist recommended, healed them until, completely by accident, I discovered that honey applied to the offending sores stopped the pain, cleared the infection and sorted them out virtually overnight. On the rare occasions I get one now I slap some honey on it and it does the trick. On the same tack - my dad had a bad reaction to some medication and developed psoriasis - again topical honey helped.

 

[GotGarlic]

I used to know a bee-keeper who made mead. No idea how but I expect you could find a recipe. Mead is alcoholic so if your state has laws about home brewing for one's own use, you might be advised to keep away from this!

Here's a list of recipes using honey https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/honey

Thanks. I never thought of using couscous for breakfast - this sounds really good: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/clementine-honey-couscous

 

[bethzaring]

Package it in pint or quart jars for gift giving. My philosophy is if you don't share when you've got it, it is really difficult to share when you don't.

 

[Andy M.]

Wow! That's a lot of honey. How much honey does a hive that size produce in a year?

 

[jabbur]

Package it in pint jars and take it to your local farmer's market and make a little extra $$$. I'm sure you would sell out easily.

 

[Dawgluver]

I agree with packaging it up and selling it or giving it as gifts. I love buying local honey from little farm stands, and it's not cheap! I will send you my address if you need any further help with getting rid of it...

 

[Just Cooking]

I agree with packaging it up and selling it or giving it as gifts. I love buying local honey from little farm stands, and it's not cheap! I will send you my address if you need any further help with getting rid of it...

Me too, me too!!!!


Ross

 

[GotGarlic]

We do give it away, and I have sold some. Thanks for the suggestion to sell it, but there are already at least two honey sellers at my farmers market and I don't have the energy to take a table and a bunch of jars of honey downtown and sit outside for four hours trying to sell it.

It just occurred to me, though - maybe I could sell it on the NextDoor app. Or on consignment somewhere. Hmmm...

I still would like ideas for cooking with it, though [emoji2]

 

[GotGarlic]

Wow! That's a lot of honey. How much honey does a hive that size produce in a year?

Each hive can produce between 20 and 60 pounds of honey per year, depending on how they're managed. We leave a lot of it for the bees to eat through the winter, but if they fill all the space with honey, they'll swarm.

 

[bethzaring]

At my house, this kills 2 birds with one stone

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/100-whole-wheat-zucchini-chocolate-chip-bread-recipe

 

[Andy M.]

Each hive can produce between 20 and 60 pounds of honey per year, depending on how they're managed. We leave a lot of it for the bees to eat through the winter, but if they fill all the space with honey, they'll swarm.

So, based on the photo, you have two hives and they would generate 40-120 pounds of honey. Even if you left half that for the bees, that's a lot of honey to deal with.

 

[GotGarlic]

At my house, this kills 2 birds with one stone

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/100-whole-wheat-zucchini-chocolate-chip-bread-recipe

Thanks, Beth. If I used raisins instead of chocolate chips, DH would like that for breakfast.

 

[GotGarlic]

So, based on the photo, you have two hives and they would generate 40-120 pounds of honey. Even if you left half that for the bees, that's a lot of honey to deal with.

Yup. I think I'll try my hand at mead. I had some when we were in Ireland and I really enjoyed it. Should be ready when the cold weather arrives.