EXTRACTED HONEY 
309 
nounced “twang” that it is often unpleas¬ 
ant. After standing, especially if left in 
the hives, it greatly improves. 
One season the extracting could not be 
attended to when the honey was capped 
over, and so the filled supers were raised 
up and supers of empty combs placed un¬ 
der them next to the brood-chamber. This 
occupied little time, and the bees were not 
hindered in their work. This was con¬ 
tinued until the latter part of the summer, 
before any honey was extracted. While 
honey that has stood in the hives is some¬ 
what thicker and harder to extract, it has 
a richness of flavor that can be obtained in 
no other way. Of course, in localities 
where there are honey flows from two or 
more sources it is necessary to extract after 
each flow, if one desires to keep the flavors 
separate. 
HOW TO KEEP EXTRACTED HONEY. 
It is usually best to sell the crop at once 
when the market is good', but sometimes it 
is advisable to hold, awaiting a further 
higher price. It is impossible to recommend 
any invariable rule, for conditions are dif¬ 
ferent in different seasons. It is pretty 
safe to assume, however, that honey brings 
a better price before the holidays than 
after. 
Comb honey cannot be kept indefinitely, 
because there is danger that it may granu¬ 
late (see Comb Honey), but, if extracted' 
honey is properly cared for, it may be kept 
for years without deteriorating. All comb 
honey should be kept in a room as near 
summer temperature as possible. The 
thermometer should not go below 70 de¬ 
grees F., and no harm is done if it goes as 
high as ordinary summer temperature per¬ 
mits, even 90 degrees in the shade. Ex¬ 
tracted honey keeps perfectly when stored 
in tin cans or in large tanks, even when 
the temperature is down to freezing or 
lower. At the low temperature it will 
granulate. For the purpose of shipping 
it is much better to have it in a granulated 
condition. Tanks holding more than 500 
pounds are ordinarily made of galvanized 
iron. Some objection has been made to 
this metal because of the zinc contained 
in the spelter; but in the large-sized tanks 
no injury to the honey has ever been no¬ 
ticed. However, it would be q mistake to 
leave a very thin layer of honey for a long 
time in the bottom of a large galvanized 
tank, as the honey might take on enough 
of the zinc to be poisonous. In California 
and other western States where great 
quantities of extracted honey are pro¬ 
duced, it is customary to store honey in 
large galvanized tanks, some of them prac¬ 
tically good-sized cisterns above the 
ground. In hot climates the honey will re¬ 
main liquid for some time and can be kept 
clear until cool weather comes on. If the 
honey has a tendency to granulate soon 
after extracting, it is not advisable to store 
it for any length of time in large tanks, 
but it should be drawn off into smaller cans 
of convenient size to handle after it granu¬ 
lates. In such cans it is not difficult to 
liquefy it, if desired. (See Bottling Hon¬ 
ey and Granulated Honey.) It is an ex¬ 
pensive matter to dig granulated honey 
out of a large tank. Some have attempt¬ 
ed to supply heat by means of a steam-^ 
jacketed tank, or by means of coils of 
steam pipes; but in most instances this, 
too, is expensive, and it is better to get 
honey into smaller cans as soon as possi¬ 
ble. 
In some localities barrels are extensively 
used for storing. They require careful 
watching, however, on account of the dan¬ 
ger of leaking. The hoops need to be 
driven down occasionally to compensate 
for the slight shrinkage of the wood, of 
which there is danger, especially in a hot 
climate. The barrel should be thoroly 
waxed on the inside as described under 
Barrels. The bung should be left out, 
and the honey stored in a dry room. When 
ready to ship, the bung should be driven 
in, a piece of tin tacked over it, and the 
hoops tightened. 
IS EXTRACTED HONEY ALWAYS PUREf 
Years ago adulterated extracted honey 
was marketed in considerable quantities; 
but in late years, owing to the enactment 
and enforcement of pure-food laws the 
adulterated product has been practically 
eliminated from the market. One may be 
nearly certain, therefore, that any liquid 
honey that he buys will be the pure prod¬ 
uct of bees. Some may be of poor quality, 
it is true; but that does not signify that 
it is adulterated. See Adulteration of 
