Ron Said,
> Second question.  I harvested a super of very dark honey.  It looks just
like buckwheat, but has a very mild taste.  It appears this was filled  in
the last few weeks.

I might add plants which are related to Buckwheat are found in many areas of
the U.S. and all produce a very dark honey.

Many beekeepers never see a dark honey in the U.S. as they pull and extract
the crop in July before the dark honey producing plants produce honey .


More than once  when they see my entry at the state fair in the dark
extracted class (dark as Buckwheat) and produced in Missouri they ask how
high a temp does the honey need to be heated to produce a honey so dark .
They really have never seen a dark honey produced in Missouri other than by
their own carelessness in over heating honey which has crystallized.

I then go get a jar and let the beekeeper smell the honey.

Smartweed  , goldenrod and most very dark fall honey has a slight smell
with is detectable. I have never won a blue ribbon with smartweed honey but
did get a second once.

I have won a blue ribbon with goldenrod before in the dark extracted class
but pure goldenrod honey is not as dark as smartweed or buckwheat. you can
at times get the smell to leave goldenrod (by leaving open to air for a few
days) but not smartweed . Mixing Goldenrod with clover loses the smell but
you would need a heavy mix of clover for smartweed to lose the smell!

When a dark honey is entered without a detectable smell the honey usually
places higher in judging  and should in my opinion.

Bob

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::