In order to preserve the honey in its raw state, we extract our honey slowly by hand. Jamison starts by using a serrated Cutco knife to uncap the honey frames. Next he uses a hive tool or stainless steel spatula to scrape the honey off the frame. From there gravity takes over, as the honey falls down into a mesh strainer sitting on top of a 5 gallon food grade bucket. Heat is never used in the process so all the healing enzymes, minerals, and nutrients remain intact.
It typically takes about 24 hours for gravity to separate all the liquid gold honey through the strainer. Once it looks like most of the honey has gone through, we give the mesh strainer a good squeeze to push every last drop through to the bottom.
We use a food grade bucket with a honey gate which allows for ease in filling all the glass jars with honey. Again, gravity does the work. Jamison and Brielle simply open and close the gate to portion out the honey.
They are so precise that hardly a drop falls into the scraps bowl below. When the harvest is complete, jars are labeled, and then ready for distribution. Typically a beekeeper can get about 1-3 harvests a year. This year, the nectar flow was very good. Jamison and Brielle were fortunate enough to get a spring, summer, and fall harvest. Now that we are in the winter season, Jamison won’t pull anymore honey frames from the hives. The bees need that honey to make it through the cold season when daylight hours are shortened and there are less plants for the bees to forage from.
I love every bit of this! Thank you for sharing your process and beautiful and healthy products!