"Wildflower" in a tanker?

First, I have seen a disparaging reference or two towards wildflower honey. Why is this? I understand there's no pedigree, wildflower from here is nothing like wildflower from there (or then) but is it so bad or is it just unpredictable? I've had some of my best meads made with wildflower.

Second, how many bees does it take to fill a tanker truck??! I scored some very well priced honey from a tanker driver. I never dreamed that enough honey flowed around the country to fill a tanker. I guess he hauls honey from up in the Dakota's somewhere and after it is pumped out of the truck he puts a bucket (yes food grade) under the drain before he goes to a washout.

All he knows is what's on the manifest: wildflower honey, certified no pesticides. It tastes awesome IMHO, dark, with a lot of character. All I know is it tastes great and so far has made nice mead. A little extra cash for him, a little extra (cheap) honey for me, the world is happy.

Well I'd suggest the opposite to what it sounds like you've been led to believe.

Wild flower would at least be more natural than a varietal that has been unnaturally produced from a man made monoculture.

It would likely vary in colour and strength of taste from year to year. Lots of variables.....

So to me, it sounds like an excellent score. The only thing you can't know is what level of processing its already been subjected to.

I like to feel that if you like the taste of it then you should be able to make a nice tasting mead from it.

As for not knowing about how much honey there might be "sloshing around" ? When I first went to look for buckwheat honey (not easy to get here) I found an agent/importer in Hamburg, the downside was that I only wanted something like 5 gallons/60lb or so, the agent/importer would only sell a minimum of 5 tonnes/5000 kg.

So a tanker with maybe 25tonnes would still not be a huge amount....

Buckwheat has been on my "to do" list for quite some time. Someday I'll happen across some. That and Tupelo of course. Got to do the classics.

I suspect that not much processing has been done yet, because there were more than a few "bee parts" in the must. At least I hope they were bee parts and not roach parts :cross: Time will tell.

LBussy said:

Buckwheat has been on my "to do" list for quite some time. Someday I'll happen across some. That and Tupelo of course. Got to do the classics.

I suspect that not much processing has been done yet, because there were more than a few "bee parts" in the must. At least I hope they were bee parts and not roach parts :cross: Time will tell.

Click to expand...

That suggests that you acquaintance may have been delivering to a blending and/or bottling plant, plus the likelihood that the honey had only had a course filter if at all.

When honey is cheap, I say its got to be tried but equally you have to try and think on why its cheap and whether the story/reasons etc stack up.

Sounds to me that its highly probable that its good and you got a bargain. After all, if its was gonna connected to anyone trying to produce fraudulent honey, anyone involved other than yourself would be shifty as hell. The potential for a massive $$$ margin would suggest that they wouldn't chance using anyone who might be looking for a quick buck.....

So IMO, good on ya for what sounds like an excellent result....