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QUALITY HONEY
PREPARING, JUDGING, & EXHIBITING
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as represented?
food poisoning, adulterated?
Packaging Quantity
and handling
shelf life
cleanliness,
visual appeal
Consistency
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USDA, FDA, states, regulate food preparation Then: Consumers were on their own County fair competitions:
Assisted consumers with an expert opinion Offered a way to rate and rank goods Educated producers on qualities consumers cared about Encouraged producers to raise own standards Freemarket incentive: top $ for top product Entertainment No NSACAR on TV; Desperate Housewives meant something else
visual appeal
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Consistency
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yourself, check your quality Get honey moisture score educational Bragging rights, personal satisfaction Experience a fair from a new, historic perspective
Appropriate
Beginning beekeepers (learn good techniques early) Advanced (an interesting challenge, take your game to a new level)
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Rating Honey
ONLY
of crystals Cleanliness (lint, dirt, wax, foam) Flavor (burnt, fermented, Bee-B-Gone) Uniformity & accuracy of filling Container appearance
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Rating Honey
Level
playing field
Anonymous
(no labels; some exceptions) Same jar (Classic glass 1-LB honey jar) Honey color classes
100
point scale Standard Score Sheet Rules and criteria weighting vary slightly
Density
Above18.6%
Measured
HONEY ONLY the bees know! Dry equipment Dry extracting day Hold super in dry location before extracting
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Absence of Crystals
Crystals
concentrate sugars: separated liquid could be above 18.6% moisture (and therefore ferment)
Evaluated
using a strong light or polarized light shows crystals not visible in regular light What to do:
Warm Filter Watch
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for:
Lint,
Wax Dust
Evaluate:
Visual
Polariscope Interfere
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a lot of points
With
What
to do: Minimize particulates at every step (including in honey supers) Clean everything touching honey. While drying equipment, avoid lint Lint free straining material Extra fine strainer (usually fabric) 13 No pet hair !!! 13
Here and here: sheets of polarized film. Place honey jar between them in box
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Naked eye
Shows residual foam - every tiny bubble shows. Microscopic crystals sparkle like stars in the sky
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and foam float Dirt settles Let honey settle before filling jars Honey in center of tank is often cleanest
Remove
possible
as much as
Fill
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Flavor
Beekeeper
Judge
tastes sample (on toothpick or stick) Points off for flavors caused by beekeeper Flavor due to floral source not judged What to do:
Follow
directions if using chemicals in the hive Avoid high moisture/fermented honey Avoid overheating honey Watch uncapping knife temperature (scorch)
Somethings
points here!
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rules call for 1 pound honey: provide exactly 1 lb of honey Classic honey jar ONLY for extracted honey
Pints
Evaluated
Look
lid).
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* Fill line or ring is a continuous ring molded into the glass around lower jar mouth
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to do:
for the middle of the fill ring. Mind the meniscus Be precise: +/- 1 millimeter often the difference between 1st prize and 2nd prize Judges differ. Do your best, the rest is luck
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Container Appearance
Immaculate,
Sticky,
shiny, perfect jar suggests good sanitation and long shelf life
smudgy, stained jar is unappealing, messy, attracts ants Chipped jar, or scratched/dented lid, or re-used lid seal can affect storage life
judges subtract points if the jar has been tipped over (honey on the lid interior). Controversial. Be prepared for this possibility. Some people change the lid just before entering show
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Container Appearance
What
to do about it:
Clean
everything Choose most perfect jars and lids Watch out for water marks, soap scum, adhesive Learn to fill perfectly with no honey on threads or rim: absorbs moisture from air and eventually runs down jar (sticky!); wiping can leave lint Take precautions against finger prints on glass Overall presentation counts Mfgrs ID# etched into jar is normal, no points off
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honey Comb honey Chunk honey Bees wax (block; candles = craft) Honey cookery Fair theme (2012: Live Green, Learn Green) Other Frame of honey comb* Labeled honey or set of jars* Mead and specialty items* More. * At larger fairs
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colors
* Most typical in
Northern VA
standards exist but are not widely used (expensive and hard to find) You may enter one tem per class Judge may rearrange entries (to make more even distribution between classes)
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August
9-12, 2012 (Thursday-Sunday) All BANV members eligible for honey show regardless of residence Free entry
PLEASE
Fair
ENTER!
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RULES! Internet search Arlington County Fair 2012 competitive entries Drop off honey sample in 1 lb jar
Wednesday
1) Stop at registration
Fill
out entry form (available online or at fair) Fill out hang-tag (available at Arlington libraries or at fair; tie onto jar neck)
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you cannot watch if you entered Judges are arranged by Fair Board through State Apiarist or VA Cooperative Extension
Experienced
This
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Three
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up your entries Sunday afternoon Usually someone can help pick up yours if you cant make it
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honey sales booth runs concurrently. Observation hive You can sell honey or volunteer to be a helper.
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Observation hives green commute after the fair Yes, the bees are still in there!
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More Information
Honey
Use
search engine Honey judging and Honey show Eastern Apiculture Society new web page on honey competitions (Resources pages) http://www.easternapiculture.org/ U.K. sites have some detailed information and advice
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More Information
Other
Honey Shows
Maryland
State Fair has allowed VA residents to enter in past years Eastern Apiculture Society August 13-17, 2012 Vermont (different state each year) For kids: 4-H Fair in Fairfax County Some local beekeeping associations sponsor events in MD and VA Virginia State Fair (2012 cancelled)
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