Tony can you pls provide the contact information for the US manufacture of the Hogg System
I did not get a response.
There are Australian suppliers of comb packaging systems which fit
into a standard sized frame to allow bees to make comb and fill
with honey. You then remove from the hive and put lids on both
sides.
Tony
Eva,
l did this with some comb honey last yearā¦ what was interesting was the outer liquid honey set in a fine creamed manner while the comb honey stayed clear!!
Have you any thoughts on thatā¦ would love to know why.
Sue
Sounds like the outer honey just crystallized, maybe more smoothly than usual? And I guess the honey that remains inside cells either never would or would take longer because itās not as exposed to air.
What a perfect, tidy square of comb! Are you selling those - I bet theyāll go fast.
I will be once I get surplus, but I have to make sure I have enough to last for myself and family through the long cold winters first! Our preferred breakfast is a slice of toast with almond butter and a slice of comb honey.
All these prepackaged honey comb ways are great, but the way things go, one way use plastic is a no no no. Bad idea to invest any more into plastic packaging, unless it can be returned, washed and reused.
The bent wooden sections by @sbaillie are great, yet, the packaging is plastic.
How else can one pack honey comb? Any ideas?
I looked at glass jars, but the sizes arenāt right.
Absolutely. I have seen the War on Waste series and that opened my eyes to plastic and how it is choking our planet to death. And I donāt say that lightly.
I like the idea of mason jar Supers. Anyone can make them and you use glass jars for pre-packaged honeycomb honey.
Or couldnāt you use bent bamboo etc, and then transfer to a glass jar if you donāt want to use plastic?
@Faroe, exactly my thought, bent bamboo slivers. The glass jar size suitable isnāt invented yet though, Iāve been looking and put plasdene onto it. Havenāt had the time to experiment with the bamboo yet. We have many types of bamboo growing, one of those should work.
My concern would be mould.
Itās not so much that I donāt want to use plastic, but the local health food store doesnāt want my comb cases because they have a policy for not accepting single use plastic packaging any more.
I agree with that policy.
People could return the plastic bits for reuse. Another option.
The mason jars are cool. But imagine the poor bees working inside those jars on our hot days. No air circulation. And how do you know if there are hive beetles between the jar comb if all you do is put a lid on?
Without plastic, honeycomb packaging needs a total rethink.
Iāve been using these to store and give away comb honey. In addition to the side clips, they have rubber seals around the rims. One friend said a little bit leaked during air travel (she wisely put it into a ziplock baggie). But overall I think they look good and perform well. People can reuse them for just about anything! My daughter packs school snacks in them, we put leftovers in them, and I even have my Flow tubes & caps stored in one!
this is sadly true- I use a small lightweight plastic tub that is completely perfect for the comb sections- But I feel bad about the waste. The ones we use are so nicely made they are easy to re-use- so we put a label on the bottom that says āplease re-use me- or recycle meā. The issue with glass- even if you could find something suitable is itās too expensive generally. It is also relatively energy intensive to make- and heavy for transport- so itās not a perfect solution at all. Also vast quantities of glass in Australia are not being recycled and are being stored in vast mountainsā¦
I really hope that soon new āeco plasticsā are more widely developed and implemented. The curse of plastic is that it is so useful- our society has become completely dependent on it. For many food items it is very hard to think of a suitable alternative?
Iām looking. Found some ikea containers of good reusable quality and good size for comb.
Will post pic tomorrow.
Did you ever post that pic?
No. Will go take one today.
Hope the pics with those reusable ikea containers came out ok.
The lid fit is tight and sufficient. Never had a leak.
One could buy honeycomb containers fit for the purpose for a similar price, but they are not reusable.
Unfortunately, many people treat reusable plastic containers as disposable. It is insane. Especially if they get them for free, or they are buying the content rather than the packaging.
They are too cheap. Same story for reusable bottles.
At my wifeās workplace, every week dozens of good quality plastic boxes like the Sistema etc get thrown in the bin because people get lunch in them, and donāt bother to take them home and reuse them. My wife picks them up and gives to charity shops when she can.
I donāt sell fancy honeycomb, but when I give away excess honey I do so in second hand mason jars.
Sorry for going off-topic, but plastic waste is one of my biggest pet hates.
So discouraging. Bothers me enough as it is to see plastic water bottles and recyclable paper goods thrown into the trash!
So far everyone Iāve given honey comb to has given back the containers - in hopes of a refill
Have you got any results from your hogg cassette to let us know about yet, Cameron?