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Comment on Does it make sense to buy a lifetime supply of honey?

BillibusMaximus@sh.itjust.works ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

Beekeeper here. I won’t comment on whether or not you should. But since I know a little about storing honey, here are some things to consider:

If you do this, you need to make sure it’s sealed in airtight containers.

Part of what gives honey its antimicrobial properties (and long shelf life) is its low moisture content. But it’s hygroscopic and will pull moisture directly from the air if exposed. After it pulls enough moisture, it can ferment, grow bacteria, or otherwise not be fit for normal consumption.

Also, honey can crystallize over time. This doesn’t mean it’s bad, but in order to re-liquify it, you’ll need to heat it. So consider your storage container size and material carefully.

That said, 52 lbs is less than a 5 gallon bucket full (at roughly 12 lbs / gallon), so it shouldn’t take an incredible amount of space if you choose to do it. Or, in smaller portions, a quart mason jar will hold about 3 lbs. So 2 cases (12 jars each) would exceed your quantity requirements, and be more manageable than a 60lb bucket.

Also if you can buy it in bulk at wholesale prices, it will be cheaper. Retail can be anywhere from $5-$20 per pound (depending on what/where) whereas the last I checked, wholesale prices were more like $1.50 - $3.50 per pound, depending on quantity.

Hope that helps.

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tyrant@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Does anyone else REALLY want this crazy honey buyer to get his honey from this knowledgeable beekeeper? It’s a Lemmy matchmaking story!

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- BillibusMaximus@sh.itjust.works ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Unfortunately, I’ve really scaled back my number of hives and now only get enough honey to keep my immediate family supplied.
  
  But I appreciate the sentiment.
  
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  - fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    But surely you know another beekeeper who is on Lemmy? There must be 1s of you!
    
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Doubleohdonut@lemmy.ca ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
You da MBP

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- quickenparalysespunk@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  most beeluable player?
  
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  - ChilledPeppers@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    He is V.I.B.
    
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quickenparalysespunk@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
i would not consider buying this much honey, personally, but i really appreciate your comment. it is so informative.

thank you! (sincere)

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tamal3@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I’ll add that if you have all that honey, you might also eat more of it than you’d initially planned and run out sooner. Personally, I would start putting spoonfuls in my tea, using honey instead of jam, maybe experimenting with baking…

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SpaghettiYeti@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Where do you recommend wholesale purchases from?

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- BillibusMaximus@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  I’d start with local apiaries and/or small/mid scale beekeepers.
  
  The trick will be finding one that will let you buy a smaller quantity (relatively speaking - you probably don’t want multiple 55 gallon drums of honey) at near-wholesale prices.
  
  This might be tough, because small scale (hobbyist or side-gig) beekeepers often charge a premium because they’re not producing a lot, and value the hard work they put into what they did get.
  
  On the flip side, larger outfits will likely already have contracts with a reseller, and may not want to bother with selling a mere 50-100 lbs as a one-off.
  
  A good place to ask around might be a local beekeeping club/meetup. It would at least let you meet some of your local beeks, and maybe determine which are retail-only and which do wholesale.
  
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pishadoot@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Hello! I have considered getting into bee keeping as a retirement thing but I don’t know a good resource to start learning.

Are there any good online communities you can recommend, forums, etc?

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- BillibusMaximus@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  When I was first starting out, I spent a lot of time at the BeeSource forums. I haven’t been there in a while, so I don’t know how it currently is, but I found it a good resource initially. FWIW, I always found the beekeeping-related subreddits to be pretty hit and miss.
  
  There are tons of books available, possibly from your local library, but some are better than others. Wicwas press has a lot of good books, but I think they skew more towards advanced beginner and later, rather than the basic beginner.
  
  But most importantly, there’s a saying that “all beekeeping is local”. While the basics are generally the same everywhere, the specifics vary depending on location. Not only things like temperature, humidity, and rainfall, but also what kinds of plants bloom, when and how often.
  
  So regardless of any reading or other research you do, one of the best things you can do to learn is join a local beekeeping club. There will surely be members that have been there for a while, and you can learn from them what really works in your area.
  
  Also, if you’re in the US, check with your local Ag Extension office. They may have resources or info to help you get started. Possibly even classes.
  
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  - pishadoot@sh.itjust.works ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Thank you so much!
    
    I hadn’t really considered how much of the knowledge is local. That makes sense though, in a duh why didn’t I already think of that kind of way.
    
    I’m not ready to get started yet but I like reading about potential future hobbies or things I just find generally interesting, such as bee keeping, so the general knowledge will be fine for now.
    
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