Cut Comb

Yipee!!!!! Cut comb for the very first time.

The girls actually did it. We took the first super off of one of the hives and got the most beautiful cut comb. You know everyone kept telling me that it was too difficult a chore for the bees to actually do. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but Jim and I decided to go ahead and try it. We also have a second box that should be ready to take off the hive next weekend. I'm so happy that it actually worked.

We started the day off with a run out to the yard to see how things were going. We are currently going through a major heat wave here so we didn't last too long in our bee suits, but we were able to take the comb super off as well as a couple of other honey supers. I was really excited to see how the comb honey would look.

Since I've only watched my Uncle Ted cut comb once before I got all the books and manuals out to make sure I knew what I was doing. Jim tried to come up with a jig to make it easier and we ended up using a template instead. The parts that were excess we will add to our spring honey so that we will be able to offer chunk honey. I know that it will be a big hit in the market.

After all the comb honey was cut and put in boxes, we put them in the freezer and will take them out a few days before it's time to go to market.

We were also able to take about 45 lbs. of honey which I will be using tomorrow on a new product. . . Apple Cinnamon Whipped Honey.

Let me tell you, it is the most amazing thing I've ever tasted. I was going to wait until the fall to bring this out but the tester I had at home has pretty much been tested out by everyone who has walked in the door. That means pretty soon I won't have any to spread on my toast. So it's time to get crackalackin and mix up a batch. I have to refrigerate it 7 to 10 days before I can bring it to market, but trust me the wait is well worth it.

I had a great day at the market on Saturday. . .but then again every day there has been really great no matter how much money I make. This weekend I got the chance to share some bee information with a few kids who really wanted to know all about bees. They kept me pretty on my toes trying to make sure that I answered them all. The lady in the booth next to me pulled me aside after that and told me that she really enjoyed hearing me explain all about the bees when people stopped in.

I had to put a slight halt on the candle making. After just one week of working in the kitchen I pretty much wrecked every inch of flooring by covering the tiles with spilled wax. Ok, maybe it wasn't really ruined but I did spend almost 2 1/2 hours on my knees with a knife and hot soapy water scraping it off the tiles and then washing each tile individually. Jim wasn't really too happy with the mess. Looks like candle making is going to have to be a outdoor only event. Oh and I also spilled wax all over the front of my phone. I was worried sick that it wouldn't work anymore, but it keeps on ringing.

Here is a photo of Jim using the hot knife taking off the top layer of wax from the frame so it can go into the extractor for extracting. . .

Well better head to bed, there's a ton of stuff that needs to be done and if I don't get some rest I'll never keep up.