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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Stan Sandler <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 22 Nov 1999 22:59:11 -0500
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>The reason to pastuerize honey is to retard crystalization because the
>consumer is not savvy enough to realize he trades flavor for appearance.

I beg to differ.  The reason that honey is pasteurized is to kill yeast that
may cause it to ferment.  At least that is the definition used in the
Canadian honey regulations.  Because honey is pasteurized at conditions with
two variables, temperature and time, the use of presence of yeast as an
index has some merit.

The Hive and Honeybee (mine is 1975) lists the following (from Townsend) as
conditions to kill yeast
470 min at 125 F
170 min at 130 F
 60 min at 135 F
 22 min at 140 F
7.5 min at 145 F
2.8 min at 150 F
1.0 min at 155 F

But only a couple of pages earlier J.W. White who wrote the chapter on honey
says, regarding liquefying honey:

"The most used heating conditions appear to be 30 minutes at 140 to 150 F.
In general, lower temperatures, even for much longer times, will not be
effective."

He seems to be saying that to produce honey that stay liquid for a good
period you need to EXCEED pasteurization conditions.

I know there is MUCH in the logs about temperature.  And I have gone over
it. But this temperature seems high to me.  It takes so long to heat large
quantities of honey that for producers without "flash heating" equipment
long time lower temp is much more practical.

I have a broker\wholesaler who is interested in liquid honey mostly, but
they are saying that the problem with their last producer was honey that
would crystallize on them still in the warehouse.

Specific question for the list:
Do you think the conditions listed by Townsend for pasteurization will also
be sufficient for long term liquefying?

Thanks,
Stan

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