Honey help....how to portion out gallons of honey without a huge mess?

[freemotion]

Got my five gallon bucket of raw honey and I want to jar it up. What is the best way to get it from the five gallon bucket and into canning jars with the least amount of mess? I am going to use a variety of jar sizes and will be passing some one to family and friends who also want some good honey at a terrific price. I would like to keep most, if not all, of the honey inside the containers and not all over myself and my kitchen. Suggestions?

I got this honey, besides the fact that it was a good price, as part of my exporation into whether or not I should get bees. Today, at our congregation picnic, I got into a conversation with someone whose father kept bees many years ago. She and her sibs were cleaning out his attic and found all his equipment. Her brother wanted to sell all the stuff, and she wanted to keep it, but lives in the "city" and is too close to her neighbors to keep hives.

So.....

I suggested we talk about keeping the hives at my place in exchange for some honey next year...or the use of a hive and the extractor.

 

[miss_thenorth]

You know when you are canning and you have that type of funnel and a ladle? That is what I would do. and keep your jars as close to the 5gal. container as possible. Just ladle in, and when done, get a spatula. At least, that is what I was planning on doing. I am waiting on my big batch of honey from my local beek.

 

[freemotion]

That is my main plan. I am wondering if I should try to warm up the pail somehow to make the honey flow, or if it would be easier while it is cold and thick. Guess I'll just have to dive in and see what happens...

 

[Javamama]

I would work on a baking sheet that could be washed easily.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

or just put waxed paper or foil all over everything.

we have a special bucket with a spigot at the bottom for filling jars. the only thing close that i could think of - and easy to get - would be one of those gallon ice tea jugs??? you know the ones at target that have the spigots?

another tip.. for clean up - instead of fighting with it. just take everything outside and let the local beez have it. we put our 5 gallon bucket out there after we got as much as we could and the beez went wild...and cleaned every drop.

easy peasy!

good luck!

 

[keljonma]

Just saw this one and thought I would add this...

When moving honey from one container to another, try to add as little air bubbles as possible. This can be accomplished with the tip of the funnel leaning against the side of the inside of the jar - so the honey actually slides down the inside of the jar to the bottom. Try to leave very little space between the bottom of the jar (or top of the honey in it) and the bottom of the funnel so that the honey won't plop down and create air bubbles.

I like to work over the kitchen sink when transferring honey from large containers into small.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks! I missed this post yesterday somehow. I've been nervously circling that five gallon pail of honey lately....it is sitting in front of the woodstove, warming up....mocking me....

 

[freemotion]

I ended up putting the five gallon pail on a chair next to the counter, and put a cookie sheet on the counter. I worked next to the dishwasher so I could see any drips on the white surface, also right next to the sink. I put my jars on a cookie sheet and used a canning funnel.....turns out the honey was rather crystallized, as raw honey tends to do. I used a metal one cup measuring cup to scoop the honey out.

I did half the pail and took a break. The pail is on a chair next to the wood stove for now.....

I want to make a batch of mead this week, so I'll have to get going on that honey again....

I'm leaning more towards keeping bees....I was going to sell some of this honey, but now want to keep it ALL! My dad bought a gallon off me, and I sent 8 pint canning jars over to their place this morning, along with some canned chili and canned turkey broth.

Aaah, which mead to make? Decisions, decisions! Honey-orange-ginger? Cinnamon-vanilla? Chai spice? All three?

 

[keljonma]

I'm leaning more towards keeping bees....I was going to sell some of this honey, but now want to keep it ALL! ....

Aaah, which mead to make? Decisions, decisions! Honey-orange-ginger? Cinnamon-vanilla? Chai spice? All three?

Yes! I say Try all 3. And get those bees to feed your addiction!