Yes! Fer Cryin' Out Loud, we have Comb Honey!

-Posted by Isaac

Happy happy.

Inspired almost. Ha ha.

I think the first question came in mid-April. "Do you have comb honey yet?"
We were of course sold out.
We're always sold out. I don't think we've ever made it past midwinter with cut comb sections. It's a hot item.

So I patiently explain that it may be a wait. "I don't know... maybe by the middle of July?"

Then July comes and here come the questions. In rapid fire.
Sometimes I'm patient, sometimes not so much. (As some of you can attest.)
"Nope, no comb..."

See, it's not like I can just snap my fingers and make an arbitrary comb honey deadline.

There are a few tricks to producing comb honey, but it's not like it's a heavily guarded trade secret. You beekeepers who want to know more about it should look up Richard Taylor... you'll have all you care to digest and more.
I'm not going to get into the details.

Two critical components to comb honey production are:
1. Strong bees
2. Strong nectar flow

Even if you've built your bees up to the verge of swarming, you need a steady and extended nectar flow to make anything happen.
If you have the kind of rainy, spotty summer like we've had, you end up with a lot of half filled frames.

Half filled frames only get you a bunch of chunk honey.

Which is pretty...

but those of you at the farm markets have seen quite enough of this.

To make the beautiful full squares of cut comb, you just have to wait... for more dry weather, for more nectar flow.

We finally got what we needed. So sorry about the wait. But you'll need to take your complaints up with a higher authority.

Jayne.

We're now in the process of processing. He he.

I try to stress "Pretty" to Maggie and the gang. "Pretty" is what we're going for here. Pretty sells.

West Side Story plays in the background. Maria sings "I feel pretty."
Then the Sharks and the Jets come on. Maggie and Henry start fighting.

Comb honey gets chaotic.

Pretty on the Ross Rounds also. Although most of these boxes still remain on the hives.

Hopefully we can get them filled out in the next week or two.

The comb all gets packed and put into the freezer.

Later to be taken out, labeled, and put in front of your long expectant eyes at the market.

See you there!