Continueing Ed

Preseason's the time to catch up on advances in sugar making techniques and tools.  So, Pat and Don attended the Addison County Maple Sugar Maker's Annual Convention in Middlebury.  They listened to lectures on 3/16th tubing, tapping below the lateral,  the State certification program  and more.  They also were able to talk with lots of local sugar makers over lunch and at display booths.  Here, Pat picks up some literature from Bascom, one of Vermont's biggest sugar making operations.

January, 2017 Chapped Lips

 

Capping each honey filled hexagonal cell of the honeycomb is a bit of golden wax. For us to harvest the honey, Don carefully scrapes off the  wax 'caps' with a hot planer.  We save all those wax caps, clean them up a bit by heating and filtering out the stray honey or other debris that may have gotten caught up in them.   Then the wax gets melted and molded into beautiful golden blocks that are saved to use for making candles, lip balm, soaps, massage bars and other sumptuous creations.

 

In the middle of winter, when farm work slows down and the bees have been wrapped up tight, is when I have time to mix up some silky lip balm from the saved wax. 

 

Using a recipe calling for beeswax, sweet almond oil, castor oil, shea butter and cocoa butter, I melt together a a luxurious concoction in a steamy water bath. 

 

 

When everything is liquid and uniform, I pour it into little 1/2 ounce tins and let it cool. 

 

 

The resulting lip balm is just the perfect thing to protect your lips from the drying winds of winter.  When you put it on, it's barely- honey scented aroma sits right under your nose, reminding you of summer!