We have about 12 wild bee hives on our farm and DH has been watching this one in particular for the past couple of months, waiting anxiously for the perfect moment to poach a little honey from it....
When DH said this morning that today was the day, I was nervously excited!!!!! 
Thankfully he had done his research and knew exactly what to do. Smoke makes bees gorge on their honey leaving them feeling euphoric, mesmerised enough for us to grab ourselves just a little of their golden goodness.... 
When DH said this morning that today was the day, I was nervously excited!!!!! Thankfully he had done his research and knew exactly what to do. Smoke makes bees gorge on their honey leaving them feeling euphoric, mesmerised enough for us to grab ourselves just a little of their golden goodness.... With a steady stream of smoke hovering over their hive it only took a couple of minutes 
and our bees were revealing their bounty of golden goodness....
So we broke off just enough honey to suffice, not being too greedy as we might come back here for some more one-day...
So we broke off just enough honey to suffice, not being too greedy as we might come back here for some more one-day... WOW!!!!! Look at this golden stuff....
As pure as pure can be, liquid GOLD!!!!
I just had to have a taste...
But a lick wasn't enough..... 
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!
As pure as pure can be, liquid GOLD!!!!
I just had to have a taste...
But a lick wasn't enough..... ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!! And even after all of this sucking with just a little squeeze, look at what came dripping out....
So with my honey haul in hand we headed back to the homestead for a bit of extracting....
Now I've never done this before but thanks to my handy 'salad spinner' I was able to extract 250ml from my haul and it only took just under an hour....
I even added the tiniest bit of honey comb to the top, just because... *wink*
I'm now off to have a go at making a candle from my left over bees wax....
So with my honey haul in hand we headed back to the homestead for a bit of extracting....
Now I've never done this before but thanks to my handy 'salad spinner' I was able to extract 250ml from my haul and it only took just under an hour....
I even added the tiniest bit of honey comb to the top, just because... *wink*
I'm now off to have a go at making a candle from my left over bees wax....Have you ever harvested wild honey before??? I can't explain just how incredibly rewarding it is and am so looking forward to our next harvest in a month or so...
Honey carrots are definitely on the cards to accompany dinner tonight.... :)
I cannot believe that you used a salad spinner!
ReplyDeleteHilarious.
Wow, the hive looks amazing and the honey something else! -kb
ReplyDeleteoh my, that looks amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteI love honey, never tried wild honey but had to giggle at your ingenuity (salad spinner!!)
mmmm, if you feel like popping some round for me in the morning I wouldn't say no ;)
♥
love that you used a salad spinner, genius! i'd have no idea how to extract it though so you're probably on the cards there. how very exciting having such fresh honey, yum! i have to say i would certainly not have been putting my hand up to help out with that task though. that would have to be some other little red hen's job.
ReplyDeletehow exciting to find your own honey.........yummo.......
ReplyDeleteokay now this is weird because a week ago we had some bees come and make a hive on our next door neighbour's eaves. they moved on after four days leaving the wax. last night i went and too that wax down so that the boys could take it to school for show and tell.
ReplyDeletewhat's interesting though, is that you are the second blog i have read this morning that talks about bees! how much of a coincidence is that!!
(see http://teawithlucy.blogspot.com/)
i loved watching these bees work - they were absolutely amazing.
enjoy your honey and your candles. my kids wont eat honey now because they heard it is actually bee vomit - ha ha ha!
l
x
Oh....YUM!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI cant believe that you have so many natural beehives. My dad used to keep bees when we were kids but it was a bit scary at times trying to get the honey out of the hive! I am sure it tastes amazing too. The salad spinner seems like a different way to extract the honey.
ReplyDeleteHi Jodie,
ReplyDeleteThe honey looks delicious, very light. I'm sure if you harvested the honey from a different hive on your farm, it would look and taste slightly different. I think it is the ultimate wild food.
Oh yum, raw honey is such a treat!
ReplyDeleteyum! that must be such an experience. What a lucky family!
ReplyDeleteOh yum - I want to come and join you in the country - One day:)
ReplyDeleteOh how sweet and lovely , yum !
ReplyDeleteI love your place. It's like a taste of my childhood growing up on a wheat and sheep farm. Quanongs, wattle, wheat, baby lambs... brings back so many memories!
ReplyDeleteWow, I've never seen a beehive in the wild before (only wasp nests). How cool to be able to go and harvest some honey from them. Awesome post !! Enjoy the honey.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun - harvesting your own wild honey!! I'd be too chicken to get close - never had a bee sting and plan to keep it that way :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing your candles.
x
Wow.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of my grandparents' home in India.