How much are ya'll selling honey for now?

[abifae]

Definitely leave it raw. You can charge more for raw. It's more natural

Prices are about the same here.

 

[keljonma]

It does not matter what we sell our honey for in our part of the world. What matters is that you research what the market will bear in your part of the world.

Here in my Ohio county, where agriculture is the number one economy, there are a LOT of beekeepers. And the farmers here are always looking for ways to make some money or cut costs on the farm. So there are many farm honey stands around and local honey at the farmer's market to chose from before purchasing. Or, like me, you become a beek.

In my area of NE Ohio, a 16-ounce container of raw filtered honey will sell for $5 to $8, the difference in price being the type of honey; blueberry or buckwheat honey, being the most expensive, as I remember.

If you check Bee Culture magazine, it posts monthly what the honey prices are across the US by region, which would give you an estimate.

Only "name" your honey variety, if you know for certain the flower source.

Like the others I vote for going raw. In my opinion, if you are going to pasteurize and remove all the goodness, I might as well go to the big box store and buy the imported stuff.

Good luck with your sales!



edited for typos

 

[aggieterpkatie]

We buy ours at the farmers market for $6 to $7 per pint jar.

 

[ksalvagno]

I'm paying $10 a quart for raw honey.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Actually a few people have questioned if the pasturization process might damage the reason for allergy sufferers to use honey therapy. It was worth a thought. My husband is really the brains of our operation regarding bees. He did the studying and got us off in the beginning of that venture. I didn't get introduced until he was desparate for help one day and promised I wouldn't get stung. And I've been messing with them ever since.
So it seems most of ya'll are of the opinion that pasturizing will damage some of the properties that people want.
As far as selling 2 dollars a LB is concerned....believe me; I don't begrudge you finding that deal, but I wouldn't dream of selling it if thats what I'd have to settle for. I would simply stop buying sugar and that would be my only sweetner.
Unless I'm doing something wrong, I feel its just too much hard work for that amount of money and beekeeping is a very expensive hobby to get into for that kind of a return.

 

[keljonma]

Actually a few people have questioned if the pasturization process might damage the reason for allergy sufferers to use honey therapy. It was worth a thought. My husband is really the brains of our operation regarding bees. He did the studying and got us off in the beginning of that venture. I didn't get introduced until he was desparate for help one day and promised I wouldn't get stung. And I've been messing with them ever since.
So it seems most of ya'll are of the opinion that pasturizing will damage some of the properties that people want.
As far as selling 2 dollars a LB is concerned....believe me; I don't begrudge you finding that deal, but I wouldn't dream of selling it if thats what I'd have to settle for. I would simply stop buying sugar and that would be my only sweetner.
Unless I'm doing something wrong, I feel its just too much hard work for that amount of money and beekeeping is a very expensive hobby to get into for that kind of a return.

Do you know what other "homegrown" honey is selling for in your area? That might be a good indicator of what you can sell for.

I know it isn't apple to oranges, but I could sell our chicken eggs for $2 MORE per dozen in the county next to ours. Here there are too many chicken farms selling "farm fresh eggs". The same goes with honey in our area.

You don't want to cheat yourself, but you don't want to out-price yourself either.

 

[cuallaidh]

Actually a few people have questioned if the pasturization process might damage the reason for allergy sufferers to use honey therapy. It was worth a thought. My husband is really the brains of our operation regarding bees. He did the studying and got us off in the beginning of that venture. I didn't get introduced until he was desparate for help one day and promised I wouldn't get stung. And I've been messing with them ever since.
So it seems most of ya'll are of the opinion that pasturizing will damage some of the properties that people want.
As far as selling 2 dollars a LB is concerned....believe me; I don't begrudge you finding that deal, but I wouldn't dream of selling it if thats what I'd have to settle for. I would simply stop buying sugar and that would be my only sweetner.
Unless I'm doing something wrong, I feel its just too much hard work for that amount of money and beekeeping is a very expensive hobby to get into for that kind of a return.

Mead made with raw honey also has a more robust flavour, I don't know a single mead maker that would use pasturized honey. When fermented many subtle notes are brought out with raw honey that just aren't there with pasturized.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

As far as I know, the nearest beekeeper that sells honey lives several towns away and it would take someone about 50 minutes to get to his house from mine, legally. I found out today that he is selling his honey for 6.00/pint. I think I worked too hard for that price and beekeeping is very expensive to get into, unless you can make practically all your own equipment. I'm going to try 10. If the feedstore can get it, so can I....but not sure how long I will hold it til it sells.
That bit about the mead might prove useful. DH also makes our wine and planned on trying mead.
He knew I was trying to determine what to sell the honey for and pasturization issues, so he decided to use his Kindle for a www search and guess what.....he located THIS thread. I can't hide from that man anywhere.
So our 'off time' starts tomorrow and I suppose we will put the honey in jars. So seeings as its not all going to be pasturized, I guess I'm not sealing the jars....just putting clean lids on them. Can't see that I can seal without a heat source.
I think I read somewhere that the honey is more likely to granulate if its raw, but it can be liquified if its the jar is put in hot water a few minutes. But I think the honey has to be quite old before that becomes a problem.

 

[cuallaidh]

I think I read somewhere that the honey is more likely to granulate if its raw, but it can be liquified if its the jar is put in hot water a few minutes. But I think the honey has to be quite old before that becomes a problem.

yup, raw honey is more likely to crystalize, but it takes a long long time and heating it gently and slowly reverses the issues. I have raw buckwheat honey that is a few years old even and still is 100% good and useable. Some of it crystalized a little, but I just heat it a bit and its back to liquid. The great thing about honey is microbes and yeasts can't live it int unless its watered down. The sugar to water ratio is just too high.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well I went for the 10 bucks. I sold 8 so far, plus about another 8 for my bartering customers that supply me with other goods. Then DH needs 6 LBs to make 4 gallons of mead, so I still have the better half to sell and I guess I'm not afraid to hold onto it a while longer. The immediate family has been tended to and the payoff can trickle in over the next year if necessary. I somehow don't think I will have honey to sell for a year though.