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February in the Honeyfarm and CandleShop

 

In the Candleshop

We are very busy in the Candleshop making candles this time of the year. We use the cool weather and the "off" season to catch up on the candle work. We have a few new projects in the fire that you will learn about next month.

Valentines Day is coming up soon - what could be better than giving someone you love a beeswax heart - only $9.95. Order one now!

We do a lot of candle making in January & February and we just finished up making hundreds of hand-dipped tapers. During the process we took pictures after every dip and hope to have a candle dipping pictorial ready by next month.

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Candle Burning Tips

Burning candles is an art and each person does it a bit differently. However, there are some key items to remember when burning candles:

Keep your candles out of a draft. If your flame is flickering then your candle is in a draft and it will burn unevenly and/or drip.

Keep your wicks trimmed. Candles need oxygen to burn properly. If the wick is too long or contaminated it will impede the flow of oxygen and cause your candle to smoke.

How long should wicks be trimmed? The 1/4" length is the starting point. 1/8" is way too short for any candle larger than a birthday cake candle! I find candles burn better if the wick is longer, but 1/4" is a good length for first lighting the wick. If you observe carefully, you can find an optimal burning length for the candles you make and trim your wick accordingly. If 1/4" is too short, 1/2" will work great once burning.

Our wick is designed to curl when burned, so the edge of the flame burns off the carbonized wick, usually keeping it at an optimal length. The optimal length will vary according to the ambient temperature, too. I just trim to 1/2" every now and then, and if the candle starts smoking. Before I relight a candle I usually trim the wick to 1/4" or so.

Hugging! The candle wick in a candle is constantly feeding fuel (the wax) to the flame and a pool of wax is created around it due to the heat. The size of this wax pool can vary due to wick size, ambient air temperature, thickness of candle, how long it has been burning and other variables.

While a taper will rarely leak on the sides, pillar candles need more attention. Some will burn forever, some need to be "hugged" (folding some of the wax along the edge in closer to the wick), and some can only be burned for a few hours or they may leak over the side causing a mess and impairing the looks of a decorative candle.

Some decorative candles should only be burned for a short period of time since they are designed more for artistic reasons than to produce light for an extended period of time.

Beeswax will naturally form a dusty coating over time called Bloom. Bloom, as it is referred to, rises to the surface of a candle when some of the low melting point components of the wax migrate to the surface of the candle. The colder the temperature is ( in the environment), the bloom will appear faster ( for example at 32 degrees it will appear within 24 hours). The bloom is easily removed by wiping the candle with a soft cloth or, if there is a lot of detail in the candle, use a hair dryer for about 15 seconds , you can also run the candle under warm water (but not too hot)

It might surprise you to know that paraffin is basically the grayish left over sludge produced by petroleum refineries. This paraffin residue is bleached with toxic chemicals and then used to mass produce your average candle. Paraffin waxes contain aromatic compounds which are released when a candle is burned. These compounds have been proven to be carcinogenic. As paraffin wax burns it creates a black soot that coats your walls ceilings and lungs. This petro-soot is as harmful as second-hand tobacco smoke.

It turns out that some paraffin candles emit such hazardous pollutants as acetone, benzene and lead. These harmful substances impair the quality of indoor air. The National Candle Association has recognized the fact that beeswax candles burn cleaner and drips less than those made with paraffin wax (the fumes of which have also caused kidney and bladder tumors in laboratory animals). If you have noticed sooty deposits in your house, paraffin wax candles may be at fault. Initially beeswax candles may seem to be more expensive than paraffin candles yet this is not so. Paraffin wax burns away much quicker than beeswax nullifying any price disparity

 

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At the Honey Farm

In February we will start checking the colonies for winter survival and also to see if the need any feeding.

As we continue into our new year and the some cold months are still ahead of us, we seek out things that are warm and cozy to keep the winter chills away.

When the snow starts to fall outside, curl up on the sofa with a blanket, a good book and a cup of Hot Spiced Honey Tea and enjoy the warmth and comfort this hot drink provides.

And what would the winter months be without a sore throat? According to a recent consumer study, people reach in their cabinets for honey when the feel a sore throat coming on. Because of its humectant properties, honey may help soothe dry, irritated throats. So the next time your throat is feeling out of sorts, try the warm, Honey Citrus Soother to banish those sore throat blues away.

Beverage Recipes (from the National Honey Board):

Honey-Citrus Soother
Honey Mulled Cider
Hot Spiced Tea
Mexican Coffee

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What honey do we sell at our farm?   Raw & unprocessed? Wildflower?   Pasteurized ?

 

Our Product line is being revised. New this year is a 5 lb decorative plastic container. They have convenient hand holds, the plastic has an attractive honey comb emblem embedded in it, they have a plastic honeybear flip lid on the top and they are easy to ship. Have one shipped to you now!

A new line of 12 oz (pint) glass containers filled with creamed honey and a pint size container beeswax candle will also be introduced later in the year.

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