Honey-Vanilla Granola ... & Robbing Our Bees!

Woot, woot!  We completed our get-go bee robbing of the flavour this past times weekend!  And I at 1 time came abode in addition to whipped upward a large ol' batch of this Honey-Vanilla Granola.  It's such a wonderful agency to bask the beautiful flavor of honey.

I ever bask taking pictures during our bee robbing.  This fourth dimension around, I took over 300 photos!  I bask sharing them amongst you, besides ... but don't worry, I won't part all 300.  I've picked out simply a few of my favorites.  If you'd similar to run into to a greater extent than photos in addition to process information from previous robbings, click 1 of these links:

Who Stole the Honey?
2nd Bee Robbing of the Season!


Mark loves it when I part bee robbing photos, too, 'cause it makes him experience similar a bee stud.  So without farther ado, hither is the bee stud in addition to his bees! 

(Notice that he's existence all super-studly in addition to non wearing his apiculturist suit.  Our bees are sooooo gentle, that 1 tin instruct away amongst this.  Seriously though, people - I DO NOT recommend this.  If you lot locomote amongst bees, article of apparel a apiculturist suit!)

First upward is Mark getting the smoker ready.  Our smoker is therefore super old, in addition to I love it.  I've taken about a million photos of this one-time smoker.  I simply mean value it has therefore much character.  (I'm exaggerating, of course, on the 1000000 photos ... but I do notice myself taking the smoker's flick a lot.)

The smoker

Mark loves this photograph of sending fume into the hive.  It is pretty cool.

Smoke inward action!

After he smokes the hive, he takes the exceed off the hive in addition to takes out a frame or 2 to run into if the beloved is laid upward to locomote robbed.

Frames inward the box

The cows were quite interested inward what nosotros were doing ...

Hey.  What are ya doing?

Out come upward the frames, in addition to they're laid upward for robbing!  We tin nation because they're full, in addition to they possess got that white materials (wax) sealing upward all the cells.

The beloved cells are all capped, therefore this hive is laid upward for robbing.

After Mark removes all the frames from the box, nosotros possess got them inside.  The get-go pace 1 time we're within is to cutting off the wax caps.  Usually, the wax doesn't come upward off inward prissy large sheets similar Mark got it to inward the photograph below.  He got lucky amongst that cut!

Cutting off the wax caps

Depending on what's inward bloom at unlike times, beloved tin locomote real unlike colors in addition to possess got real unlike flavors.  It was pretty cool that inward this unmarried robbing, nosotros constitute frames amongst distinctly unlike beloved color in addition to flavor.  I took the photograph below of the wax cuttings to exhibit this.

Look on the left side of the photograph --- See the real pale, almost clear-colored honey?  Now expect to the right, fifty-fifty amongst the right-side board of the frame --- See the darker, amber-colored beloved drippings?  Pretty large difference.  To me, all beloved is delicious, but I do prefer the darker materials if I possess got a choice.

Different colors of honey, equally seen inward the wax cuttings & drippings

Once the wax caps are cut, the frames instruct inward the extractor.  Spinning them inward the extractor removes all the beloved from the frames.

Extractor

Then you lot pour off all that beautiful, golden beloved into jars ...

Pouring off

... in addition to laid the jars aside to residuum for a while.  While the jars are sitting in that place taking their piffling rest, whatsoever impurities ... similar bits of wax ... volition float to the top.  We therefore skim this materials from the jounce tops earlier sealing.

Bits of wax & other impurities float to the top

When nosotros construct clean up, nosotros 'feed' whatsoever drippings on our utensils dorsum to the bees.  I went out in addition to pose some drops of beloved on the bees' front end porch.  It's amazing how fast they construct clean it upward in addition to pick out it dorsum inward the hive!  I wanted to part this photograph because you lot tin genuinely run into the bee's natural language protruding out into the honey.

Look at the bee at the bottom correct ... tin you lot run into it's tongue??

Bees are cleaning up!

Hopefully we'll locomote robbing 1 time again inward a few weeks.  Get busy, piffling bees therefore nosotros tin come upward play amongst you lot again!

So, possess got I got your rima oris watering for a beloved treat?  Well, instruct on in addition to whip upward some Honey-Vanilla Granola.  You know you lot desire to!

(Oh, in addition to delight exit a comment for my bee-stud wife ... he would love it.)

Honey-Vanilla Granola

Source:  A Tracey creation
(Printable recipe)
Ingredients

• 7 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1 c. wheat germ
• 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 c. unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. honey
• 3/4 c. canola oil
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 c. golden raisins

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds, in addition to salt.
2. Place honey, oil, in addition to vanilla inward a pocket-size bowl; stir to combine. Pour beloved mixture over oat mixture; mix together until oats are evenly coated amongst the beloved mixture.
3. Spread granola mixture onto a baking pan lined amongst parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees for thirty to xl minutes, stirring close every 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven in addition to stir inward golden raisins. Let cool completely. Store tightly covered.

NOTE:  This recipe tin easily locomote halved to brand a smaller batch.

Enjoy!