All About Honey - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 112

out of the cells, the honey can be spooned into your mouth for a sweet explosion. And,
yes, you can eat the wax.
Aperfecthoneycombspecimenhasnouncappedcells,dryholes,drips(called weep-
ings ),ordamagefrombruising.Itshouldappearsmoothandconsistentincolor.Honey-
comb can be round or square. Each section usually weighs not less than twelve ounces.
Allliquidhoneyisspectacular,butonceitisfilteredfromthewaxandpouredintoajar,
it will never have the same delicate taste as fresh honeycomb.
CHUNK HONEY is a chunk or piece of honeycomb floating inside a jar of liquid
honey. If you measure a frame from a honey shallow, you'll see it is possible to cut out
twopiecesofhoneycombthatarefourinchesbyfourinches,leavinganarrowpieceleft
over. This extra piece is what is reserved for chunk honey, and therefore no part of the
honeyframeiswasted.Thatpieceshouldbeplacedinsidethejarperfectlyverticalwith
the beeswax cells pointing up from the center foundation piece. Consumers can either
pourtheliquidhoneyoutfromaroundthecomborscoopoutachunkofthecombitself.
Chunk honey is like having the best of both worlds. This style of chunk honey is one
of my favorites and would be my honey of choice, along with a piece of toast, if I were
stranded on a desert island.
DRIED OR DRY HONEY is honey that has been dehydrated with drying aids and then
processed. It is sold as powder, flakes, granules, or crystals and can be light or dark in
color. Dry honey has added products to stabilize it and is not considered pure honey
at all. There could be sugars, corn syrups, processing aids, bulking agents, or anticak-
ing agents added, making the total content of honey only 50 to 70 percent. Unlike pure
honey, dry honey has a limited shelf life, and probably the only benefit is the conveni-
ence of the powder and the fact that it's not as messy or drippy as liquid honey. If you
are a purist, like myself, and prefer the real thing, powdered honey is not for you.
CRYSTALLIZED OR CREAMED HONEY is a spreadable honey with a lovely granular
texture that dissolves on the tongue. It is intentionally crystallized to give it the unique
qualityofbeingsmoothandroughattheverysametime.Creamedhoneyisafavoritein
Europeandmanycountries andmakes asinfultreat whenspreadontoast andsprinkled
withcinnamon.Crystallizedhoneyappearscreamyandalmostopaqueandwhiteincol-
or.Theprocessforforcinghoneytogranulate(seeearlierinthischapter)wasdeveloped
and patented by Professor Elton J. Dyce in 1935.
FRAMES OF HONEY are exactly that: full frames of honey taken right out of the bee-
hive. The honey is still in the cells, and wax is still attached to the frame. Untouched by
human hands, it is a rare and special item that will probably cost you a pretty penny. If
you are inclined to enjoy your honey directly from the beehive, still in its original bee
frame, ask your local beekeeper. I have had honey lovers and gourmet food chefs pur-