*"We can strain our honey but not filter it unless it is labelled as
'Filtered Honey'*
**
*I've always considered the difference as having to do with the use of
gravity and not pressure.  Honey put on top of a material and drained
through that material by gravity becomes 'strained honey'.  Whereas honey
forced through a material by back pressure becomes 'filtered honey'.  *
**
*I think I learned that defination in England, and am interested in
confirmation or denial of my recollection.*
**
*By those definations, in the US the vast majority of honey is filtered.  I
think that is preferred because (1) granulated honey will sometimes sit on a
shelf 'forever', rather than sell.  Removal of all fine particles helps
delay granulation.  (2) unless honey is heated to above 120 degrees F,
straining can take a very long time, particularily when the straining cloth
has been used for more than a few hours.  Honey will not go through filters
I have seen unless it is heated to at least 150 degrees.  At this
temperature honey turns completely into a liquid and goes through filters
with little back pressure.*
**
*Here in the US there are several thousand beekeepers who annually produce
20,000 or more pounds of honey (9,000 kilos).  I believe there are
relatively few (hundreds?) of such beekeepers in the United Kingdom and
Western Europe, primarily due to the lack of flora.  The smaller the
beekeeper, the easier it is to deal with strained honey.*
**
*Lloyd*

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