Throughout history, most people used to take up beekeeping as a hobby. These days, it has become one of the most profitable ventures. The harvested honey is widely used in pharmaceutical, culinary, and skincare products owing to its antioxidant, sweet, and antimicrobial properties. Some farmers aiming to reap some of the profits in the honey sector have resorted to building crude beehives using a few pieces of wood and fasteners for their beekeeping ventures.
But they quickly realize that without professionally constructed beekeeping supplies, they will either harvest poor quality honey or sometimes none at all. This is because the supplies you get affect the type of honey you will collect and the bees you will attract. That said, you should discuss your options with a professional when buying supplies to match your beehive and harvesting tools to the type of honey you are aiming to get.
Here are some of the types of harvested honey you might get from your venture:
Comb Honey
This type of honey is harvested just as the bees have created it. Comb honey is delicious, nutritious, and generally fetches the highest market prices. Producing comb honey, however, requires exceptional skill and is typically done by seasoned beekeepers. You will, for instance, need a strong flow of nectar to sustain your bees. This calls for warm sunny climates with some rain where flowering plants thrive. Harvesting it is easy since you will extract the entire honeycomb. This is because the wax and liquid part of comb honey are both edible.
Extracted Honey
This is the most common honey variety most beekeepers will harvest. In this variety, wax capping will be sliced off your honeycomb, and then liquid honey will be derived from its cells using the centrifugal force of a honey extractor. You will need a capping knife, honey extractor/spinner, and sieve to strain various unwanted elements. The liquid honey is then collected ready for sale. Though the harvesting takes more time compared to comb honey, extracted honey is easier to produce than the latter.
Chunk Honey
This is at times called cut comb honey. It comprises large chunks of honeycombs that will be placed in wide-mouthed jars. These honeycombs will then be filled with liquid extracted honey. With chunk honey, the honeycomb and liquid honey are separated unlike in comb honey.
Whipped Honey
This is also called spun, churned, candied, or creamed honey, and is popular in Europe. Whipped honey is semisolid and has a thick and smooth consistency that makes it perfect for spreading on toast and pancakes, among other baked treats. You will first allow the extracted honey you harvest to crystallize into granules and coarse crystals naturally. One part of this granulated honey will then be added to nine parts of your extracted honey variety and mixed thoroughly to form whipped honey.
Beekeeping is not a foolproof avenue to profits. You should first identify the type of honey you want to harvest. This way, the equipment you get will be relevant to your venture. With time, you can dedicate different parts of your farm to the harvest of several honey varieties to spread out your profits.
