FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 273 



by slowly heating, but did you know that when thin honey is 

 warmed for a long time the flavor is improved? I have had 

 the flavor improved and could attribute it to nothing but re- 

 maining a couple of weeks on the reservoir. I do not mean by 

 this that if flne-flavored honey in good condition is placed on 

 the stove reservoir it will be improved. Most people, however, 

 who have had much to do with honey, must have noticed that 

 when extracted honey becomes thin from attracting moisture 

 from the atmosphere, it seems to acquire a different flavor — 

 perhaps I might say it has a sharp taste — and the slow heat- 

 ing seems to restore it partly if not wholly to its former con- 

 dition. 



RIPENING HONEY. 



The same thing is true of honey which is taken thin from 

 the hrfe, not yet having been brought to proper density by the 

 bees. 



There is a difference of opinion as to whether honey, or 

 perhaps nectar, evaporated outside of the hive, is equal to that 

 which remains in the hive till thick. Of course, no large amount 

 could be evaporated on a stove reservoir. Some beekeepers 

 have large tanks in which to evaporate honey by the sun or 

 other heat. The general opinion, however, is that the best 

 place for ripening honey is on the hives. 



It must not be understood that when honey has really 

 soured it can be made good by the process mentioned. The 

 only thing is to use it for vinegar ; and fine vinegar it will maisa, 



DRAINING EXTRACTED HONEY. 



There is another plan which I have used to secure some 

 extra-fine extracted honey for our private use. Whether it 

 could be used profitably on a large scale, I cannot say. There 

 are, however, always people who are ready to pay a high price 

 for an extra article. After a crock of clover honey has granu- 

 lated, I turn it on its side or upside down, and let it remain 

 days enough to drain off all the liquid part. If drained long 

 enough, the residue — and this will be nearly all the crockful — 

 will be as dry as sugar, and when this is liquefied by slow heat- 

 ing it makes a delicious article. It will, however, granulate 



