Tips for Showing Honey

Beekeepers have no control over what bees gather.  Everyone who enters honey in a competition has no control over quality, taste, aroma or density.  The class in which the honey is entered is the only section in which the beekeeper has total control, it is also one component of the Point Score (25 points).  If the wrong section is chosen, based on colour, but everything else is good, the points that are lost are impossible to pick up on the remaining criteria.

Beekeepers have control over CLEARNESS and BRIGHTNESS and in some cases AROMA.

Depending on the density of the honey it is hard to clear the tiny air bubbles, however the jars need be stood in warm water which makes the honey thinner and the air bubbles come to the top.  Fill the jars nearly to the top so that with the expansion of honey it pushes against the lid.  In a couple of days carefully undo the lid with the jar standing straight up and all the impurities and froth from the air bubbles will be mainly stuck on the underside of the lid.

Using hot water wash and dry lid and it is ready to be replaced on jar.  Go around the rim of the jar with a teaspoon to remove the impurities – air bubbles – to the middle of the surface and lift it out and dispose of it.

Warming honey also brightens it and if some honey is still dull then do the warm water treatment again.  Keep changing the water by letting some out and adding more hot water until it is warm.  The temperature should be comfortable to immerse your hand in, no hotter.

There is a downside to excessive warming in that it drives out the aromatics which reduces the aroma.  A couple of points might be lost on aroma but they will be picked up on clearness and brightness.

These last two points are what a lot of entries fall down on and this is something that is controllable.

When doing the aforementioned task it is the reason the jars are filled right to  the top so there is not an air gap for the aromatics to be driven off as it is against the lid.

When you are satisfied with the level of clearness and brightness then it is time to spoon out the excess honey down to the bottom of the screw cap and then the sample, exhibit, is ready to be entered in the competition.

The point score system honey is judged on are

• Flavour 25
• Density 25
• Colour 25
• Aroma 10
• Clearness 10
• Brightness   5

REMEMBER Your honey is only as good as the honey it is competing against.

I hope this has been a help towards your successful next honey show.