Creamed honey advice

[Occam]

What is seed? Crystallized honey that catalyzes the other honey to start crystallization a well? How does one go about making it? Also, does the honey used have to be a certain clarity or other process before the creaming process?

[Lesgold]

Seed honey is just crystallised honey with very small grains. It is made by taking some honey that is crystallised and grinding it up until it is smooth to the taste. I used a mortar and pestle to do this for the first batch of seed honey that I made. As the crystals are crushed, the honey changes to a white colour. This is then used to mix with a larger batch of pure, uncrystallised honey. Lighter honeys make the best creamed honey.

[Occam]

Right on thanks. So using unfiltered crush and strained may yield creamed honey just not the best grade.

[Lesgold]

If you warm the honey and let it sit for a few days, the honey will be reasonably clear with much of the wax and pollen floating on the surface of the honey. You will still need fine grained seed honey as a starter. Some people buy a good quality jar of creamed honey and use that as a starter. One of Nigel?s jars would be perfect. Lol.

[Michael Bush]

The only problem with not using seed is just the unpredictability.  Sometimes you get smooth crystallized honey and sometimes it's coarse.  It all tastes fine but the mouth feel is better if it's fine crystals and smooth on your tongue like butter.  Also if you keep it the right temperature it crystallizes faster and that is usually smaller crystals. 

https://bushfarms.com/beesterms.htm#c

Creamed honey = Honey that has undergone controlled granulation to produce a finely textured candied or crystallized honey which spreads easily at room temperature. This usually involves adding fine "seed" crystals and keeping at 57? F (14? C).

I don't have good temperature control.  I just put the jars on the window sill in the winter and it works well.

[Terri Yaki]

What is the 'science' behind seed crystals in the process? It's not like they're living creatures, are they?

[Michael Bush]

Professor Elton J. Dyce patented the process for making creamed honey and gave the patent to Cornell University.  He wrote his dissertation on it.

"Fermentation and crystallization of honey"
https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/hivebees7194746

Then Cornell went around the country defending the patent and suing anyone who made crystalized honey.

[Occam]

Then Cornell went around the country defending the patent and suing anyone who made crystalized honey.

Gotta love the freedom loving institutions of higher education where you can do and say anything.... as long as it agrees with said freedom loving institution

[Ben Framed]

I am subscribed to "Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies" I do not know if it is related to the above.. Here is an example of some of the things you will find there.

Phillip


"Oxalic Acid Vaporization"
https://youtu.be/lXPgYO5lZTw?si=zzRwitRq6BeM8gQf

[Michael Bush]

The lab is at Cornell and is named after Elton J. Dyce.