Between settling and bottling, honey is held in vessels. At larger quantities the choice of vessel determines the quality.

Material

• Stainless steel: Durable, takes up no smells, easy to clean
• Food-grade plastic: Lighter and cheaper; check suitability for foods

Galvanised metal, copper, zinc and untreated steel are unsuitable — honey is acidic and attacks them.

The seal

Honey draws moisture from the air. A vessel that does not seal well lets the moisture content rise, and honey that is too wet ferments.

With vessels that are transported the seal counts double: honey that leaks on the way is lost and makes everything sticky.

Tap or no tap

A tap at the bottom makes drawing off simple. It is also where most remains and what is most often insufficiently cleaned.

Tapless vessels are scooped or tipped out — more awkward but easier to keep clean.

Keeping batches separate

Several smaller vessels are better than one large one. They keep batches separate by flow period and apiary — the precondition for any origin claim.

Combining everything loses both the character and the traceability.

Transport

• Secure vessels; shifting damages the seal
• Keep upright
• Not in full sun; heat accelerates ageing
• In cold, honey sets solid and becomes hard to handle

Storage

Dry, cool, dark and odour-free. Vessels off the floor and not against a cold outside wall.

Labelling

On each vessel: apiary, flow period, harvest date and the measured moisture content. That last saves measuring again later.