1. Select the honey you wish to enter:
Pass the honey through the finest filter you have. The set of three sieves sold for this
purpose by bee supply houses work very well when the honey is warm from the hive on
extracting day. Don’t use cheesecloth because it has many loose fibers. Also be very
cautious with old pantyhose; they contain dyes that can affect the color of your honey.
Allow the honey to sit in a warm place for as long as possible so that debris and air
bubbles rise to the top. Skim off the foam and debris with a spoon, and repeat the process
a couple of more times if possible.

2. Select the jars you will use:
Never, at any time throughout this process, use Windex or any other cleaning aid on the
inside or outside of the jars. The slightest residue of fragrance will be noticed by the
judges. No Q Tips ever.
The standard container for honey judging is the 1 lb., #2 glass Queenline jar. If you are
choosing three or four jars from a large number of jars, try to find ones with as few
blemishes in the glass as possible. The judges, however, recognize the difference
between blemishes in the glass and faults in the honey. Your actual entry will be three
identical jars, but it is wise to prepare four jars, just in case there is a problem with one or
you need extra identical honey to add to one of your three competition jars. The molded
white plastic lids are by far the nicest.
Wash the jars thoroughly inside and out with detergent, either by hand or in a dishwasher.
Check each jar for tiny numbers put on at the factory. These can be in a single line about
one inch down from the top, or in a square pattern about two inches from the bottom, in
both cases, on the flat surface. These can be removed with a non scratching cleanser.
identical jars, but it is wise to prepare four jars, just in case there is a problem with one or
you need extra identical honey to add to one of your three competition jars. The molded
white plastic lids are by far the nicest.
Wash the jars thoroughly inside and out with detergent, either by hand or in a dishwasher.
Check each jar for tiny numbers put on at the factory. These can be in a single line about
one inch down from the top, or in a square pattern about two inches from the bottom, in
both cases, on the flat surface. These can be removed with a non scratching cleanser.
Rinse in very hot or boiling water, and allow to air dry upside down. Do not dry inside
the jar with a cloth because this can leave behind fibers that will show up in the judging.
However, look very carefully for a drop of water that may be lurking in the dip where the
inside wall of the jar meets the bottom. This can be hard to see. A flat weave cotton or
linen cloth folded around the tip of a table knife can be used to dab this up.

3. Fill your three or four selected jars:
Pour the honey into your jars, from the bottom up as much as possible, to minimize the
number of air bubbles trapped in the honey. Fill right up to within a couple of hairs of
the rim, almost to the point of overflowing. Cover with a small piece of plastic wrap, put
on the lid, and set aside in a warm place. (A good trick is to wrap the jars carefully in
cloth or paper, pack securely in a carton, and put in the trunk of your car. The warmth
and jiggling encourages bubbles and impurities to rise to the top.) Check once a week,
removing the plastic wrap, skimming any foam or particles that have risen to the top, and
recovering with a new piece of plastic wrap. If there isn’t much time until the
competition, the jars may be placed in a container of hot water, not hotter than 120
degrees, to encourage the bubbles to rise. Keep in mind that exposing honey to high
temperatures changes the flavor. For this reason, avoid micro -waving the honey; the
temperature is too difficult to control in a microwave. Look at the honey with a strong
light behind the jar to check for bubbles and other impurities. These can sometimes be
teased out with a thin wire or skewer.

4. Make final preparations for the competition:
A week or two before the competition, set out your jars, and locate what looks like a
round ring of glass on the outside of the jar that falls just at the bottom of the lid when the
lid is screwed on. Your goal is to have the surface of the honey precisely at the top of
this ring when you set the jars on the competition table. First, remove the lids and the
piece of plastic wrap. Remove any bubbles or other bits that are on the surface of the
honey and around the mouth of the jar. Once this has been done, using a small spoon, the
tip of a knife, or a chopstick, dip out honey to lower the level of the honey in the jar to
just above the glass ring. Clean the rim of the jar carefully, using a barely damp, lint free
cloth. A very, very old, oft’ laundered man’s handkerchief works well for this and all the
rest of the jar cleaning you will want to do from here on. Cover the jar with a new piece
of plastic wrap, wash the lid, rinse with very hot water, dry well, and screw onto the jar.
Set aside in a warm place. Check the surface of the honey the day before the contest, just
in case. Put on a new piece of plastic wrap, and reclose the jar.

5. The day of the competition, at home or in the hotel:
Prepare a small box in which to carry your jars of honey to the competition, or use the
same one in which you transported the honey to the hotel. Include cloths to protect the
jars in transit, lint free cloths to wipe the outsides of the jars, damp lint free cloths in a
plastic bag if you won’t have access to water at the competition site, and some tooth
picks or skewers. Open the jars, remove the plastic wrap, with a toothpick lift out any
bits that may be on the surface of the honey, and carefully dip out the last few drops of
honey to make the level perfectly aligned with the glass ring on the neck of the jar. Wipe
the neck of jars with a slightly damp lint free cloth, dry, place a new piece of plastic wrap
on each jar, clean the outer lid, dry, and screw onto the jar. Pack carefully into the box.

6. In the honey judging area
Unpack the jars, remove the outer lids, then the plastic wrap. The neck of the jars should
be very clean at this point, but rewipe with a slightly damp, lint free cloth, and dry. You
don’t want any stickiness on the jar, inside or out, or on the lid. Look one last time for
any particles on the surface of the honey, and screw on the lids, not too tight and not too
loose. From this point on, keep the jars upright at all times. Carefully wipe the outside
of each jar with a slightly damp lint-free cloth, removing any fingerprints or other marks,
and dry with another lint free cloth. It is not a good idea to have “a special” cloth for
wiping the jars. Instead have one clean cloth that has been laundered in very hot water
and unscented laundry detergent for every one or two jars. From this point on, handle the
jars only by the lid, perhaps with a cloth between your fingers and the lid if your fingers
are the least bit sticky or dirty. Check the honey in with the clerk, and…wait for the
decision of the judges!