We weren’t planning to take any honey for a couple more weeks.
But…
Possibly somewhat driven by an irrational fear that a bear is going to get our honey, Jonny and I took three frames over the weekend. Bears are uncommon in our neck of the woods, but we’ve both been uneasy ever since our friends down the road mentioned bear tracks next to their creek. A few years ago, our neighbor across the street had a bear peeking in his windows. Uncommon, but not unheard of.
We are in our third year of beekeeping, and this is the first honey we’ve taken. It’s floral and light and pretty amazing.
There should be six more frames ready in a couple of weeks.
That picture of your little one eating honey comb made my mouth water. I want to eat fresh honey too! 🙂
My husband is talking about keeping our own bees when we open a winery, so we can make mead. He’s a bit of a schemer, but I like that about him. 🙂
By the way, I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! More details are available here: http://wonderlandrecipes.com/2014/06/25/awr-receives-the-very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Exciting! Bears are very common where I live. I don’t have bees, although I would love to have them.
Nice Honey!
(and an equally impressive black eye? Someones been having fun!)
Wow I am soooo impressed. I always thought it grew in Sainsbury
SO awesome! Your first honey harvest looks like a total success. I can’t wait to have bees…reading, researching, apprenticing this year in preparation for next year. This post was so inspiring!
That is incredible and beautiful! You made my mouth water! I have always wanted bees but haven’t quite felt up to the additional work they would add to my life just yet. Following your bee posts has shown me I’m probably right about that at the moment but also shown me that it’s worth it. Maybe someday we’ll have the resources to devote to it, but for now I’ll have to live vicariously through your blog!
This is so cool! Wow!
That looks like the perfect reward for all of your hard work. I think it’s a great lesson for the kids too. I hope it wasn’t too sticky….I can only imagine how many sticky fingerprints I would find at my house.
Oh, how exciting!!! I’ve so enjoyed watching the story of your bees…now finally honey! We have been wanting bees for a long time too…this post has motivated me even more to get the process going. I’m going to show this post to my husband as proof that an expensive extractor is NOT necessary. 😉
Oooh, that honey looks just too delicious! xx
That looks so yummy.
literally…. SWEET! There’s nothing like honey that hasn’t been processed! Liquid gold!
Amazing!
Fantastic!
Do you heat can the honey, or do you just store it in jars? I find your beekeeping fascinating.
Beatiful! I just became a beekeeper this past May and I have to say, I still feel pretty awkward calling myself that. But, holy moly, when I checked on the bees last week, I had a few frames that looked like the ones you harvested from. Now, I am thinking, “is it time?”
Here’s some of my photos if you are interested in taking a peek.
http://livefree.typepad.com/living_free/2014/06/postcards-from-summer-1.html
Beautiful photos! We have not been able to take honey from a first year hive before! The hive we took the frames from overwintered, and they have a full super of capped honey that we are leaving for them, beneath the one we took from.
Honey from your own bees! How amazing. You must be so proud.
congrats! It’s official, you are a bee keeper 🙂 We have bears ALL the time walking through the property, so I won’t be bee keeping any time soon.
How cool!!!!!!! Enjoy!!!!!!
Awesome!! Looks delicious!
Beautiful!
These’s just nothing that compares to the first honey. Love your pictures. Also how the children are snatching bees’ wax with honey – just like mine. I also just harvested the first honey of the year 😉 !0 years ago I bought a very old extractor second hand. It’s still working and totallly worth it.
Oh I would take it to! Mr Bear can go find some wild bees. Your honey is beautiful!
Wonderful news! I can just imagine how you and your family are enjoying that first honey harvest…
Beautiful!
what a journey!!!! i’ve loved following the whole process…..and very very jealous when i see all those jars full!!! yum.
Wow, what patience! It’s beautiful!
So fun! I’m am just so intrigued by the process!
I LOVE that first photo of all the honey jars sitting in the sunlight!
Keeping bees is first on my list when we get a house (chickens are second).
Thanks for sharing your bee adventures.
I bet that is so sweet in so many ways!
A bear peeking in the window! Me faint!!!!
Yay honey!!!!
beautiful! That’s a good amount of honey! Enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Congratulations on your first honey harvest! I can only imagine how pleased you are, and how delicious it will taste. Will you also be making beeswax candles?
that is so beautiful and sounds yummy. makes me think of the scripture about the Word being sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. and you know what that tastes like 🙂
a bear? oh, my!! and i’m worried about the stray pit bull that has been seen in our neighborhood (and jumped on my 8 year old on our last walk down the road!)
Just looks delicious! One day…
Lucky,lucky, you! I love honey, my mouth is watering over those pics. You and your bees do a great job
Yay!! That’s so exciting! I can’t believe how much honey is in there.
Glad you got the honey before a bear did 🙂
Wow, I’m so excited! It’s amazing- the only food that never goes bad, you knew that, right?
Is there anything you can do to keep a bear away? Maybe motion detector lights?
Our Uncle in Front Royal lost all his honey to a bear, so disappointing.
Enjoy your honey, I bet it taste amazing.
Yay for honey! I am excited for you! The pics are great!
Oh interesting, I didn’t realize you could harvest honey without an extractor! Did you pretty much just take a sieve and mash up the comb until all the honey came out? Those extractors are so pricey; we want a couple hives soon but the price of the extractor was deterring us. Your method seems much simpler and cheaper.
Yes, that’s what we did! It’s called “crush and strain.” We bought that bucket with a valve and a stainless strainer from our local bee supply shop. We can’t justify the expense of an extractor yet.
Here’s a link with more info: http://www.bushfarms.com/beesharvest.htm Go ahead and get bees!!!
That is so beautiful. What a treat, I am sure.
Your sun drenched honey is jaw droppingly glorious. yum 🙂
You know, that sounds kind of odd. What I mean is… wow. And enjoy!
Not odd at all, Penny!!! Thank you!!
HUGE buzz to harvest your own honey. ENJOY!!!
Oh how lovely!!!! I’m sure the honey is absolutely delicious!
I can almost taste it…great pics…thanks for sharing
I think this is just amazing. I grew up visiting my uncle in the country and he kept bees. I adored going and playing in the creek (crick), fishing for minnows (minners) and partaking in the glorious honey.
We are tea lovers in our home now and go through mass quantities of honey…however I do not live in the country and I don’t think my HOA would take kindly to me having bees.
Silly rules :).
Your honey looks beautiful and I’m sure it tastes divine.
Kelli
oh how wonderful and beautiful! they are full of light! Bees are surely a beloved creature of God!!!