HONEY PROCESSING

HONEY PROCESSING

There different procedures used in processing honey, the most common ones are:

1. Dripping method.

This is the most common method in Malawi, where a cloth is tied on top of a pail and the honey cobs are put / placed on the cloth and honey ooze into the pail through the cloth.

This processing method requires the following equipment:

• Clean waster
• Knives
• Spoon
• Pails
• Rubber
• Gloves

Processing steps in Dripping method:

• Make sure the place is clean and neat
• Have clean and enough water
• Tie a cloth on top of the pail as demonstrated in picture
• Put the honey cobs on top of the cloth and allow honey to ooze into the pail
• After oozing remove the cobs and keep them safe, then put new ones on the cloth to let them ooze also
• Once honey has finished dripping, remove the pail and cover the pail and keep on a safe cool place.

This processing gives good quality honey however, the extraction rate is low and a significant amount of honey is left in the honey combs.

2. Pressing method

• This is another method used in honey processing but it is expensive as compared to the dripping method.
• The extraction rate of honey through the pressing method is higher compared to the dripping method. Almost all honey is extracted from combs using this method and its faster.

A simple machine is used to compress and extract the honey from the combs. The size of the machine will determine the batch of honey combs that can be fed into it for extraction.