Have just been given some honey that is still in the wax comb.

I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the bottom (or the top?)

Is this the way to best go about it? Any tips I might want to know about?
Thanks.

john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:

> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
> bottom (or the top?)

I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but I'm sure
the information could be googled.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:56:15 -0400, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>
>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
>> bottom (or the top?)
>
>I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
>How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb?

'Extraction' is the term they use. Centrifugal force is how the only
extractor I ever saw worked. Slice off the caps- and spin until you
had pure honey dripping down the sides to a catch basin-- and clean
wax in the center.

searching for 'honey extraction' ought to get you some ideas and
warnings about other methods.

Jim

The Cook > wrote:
-snip-
>
>BTW you can chew the wax to get some honey out. Remember the wax
>candies that you chewed to get the sweet stuff out of. Or am I the
>only one who went to the Saturday afternoon double feature movies?

Well, I'm not old enough to remember those.<BG> But I enjoy eating
the honey, comb and all. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches with the
comb on last forever.

Jim
[that would be crunchy peanut butter on whole oat bread, BTW]

On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:31:41 -0500, The Cook wrote:

> BTW you can chew the wax to get some honey out. Remember the wax
> candies that you chewed to get the sweet stuff out of. Or am I the
> only one who went to the Saturday afternoon double feature movies?
> --
> Susan N.

i remember nik-l-nips

<http://www.amazon.com/Nik-L-Nip-Wax-Bottles-Candy-Oz/dp/B000I0CLK4>

....but they sound a little different.

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:56:15 -0400, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>
>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
>> bottom (or the top?)
>
>I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
>How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but I'm sure
>the information could be googled.

Centrifugul force. Comb honey will eventually separate via gravity.
Some folks eat the wax.

On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:56:15 -0400, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>
>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
>> bottom (or the top?)
>
>I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
>How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb?

Extractor, which is just a centrifuge.

The process is to slice the seals off of the cells, put the rest of
the comb into an extractor and crank. I imagine that today's bee
keepers have electric extractors, but many years ago when I got to
help my aunts, it was powered by any arms that could be coerced into
working.

I have been so lucky this year. My next door neighbor came over with
a quart of sourwood honey (my absolute favorite) and the air
conditioning repair man gave us a quart of another honey, probably a
mixture of whatever bloomed this year.

BTW you can chew the wax to get some honey out. Remember the wax
candies that you chewed to get the sweet stuff out of. Or am I the
only one who went to the Saturday afternoon double feature movies?
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On 01/11/2010 10:29 AM, john hamilton wrote:
> Have just been given some honey that is still in the wax comb.
>
> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the bottom (or the top?)
>
> Is this the way to best go about it? Any tips I might want to know about?
> Thanks



Why do you want to separate the honey from the wax. The wax is quite
edible and adds a wonderful texture. I occasionally treat myself to a
chunk of comb honey and pay a premium price for it.

On 01/11/2010 10:56 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>
>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
>> bottom (or the top?)
>
> I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
> How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but I'm sure
> the information could be googled.
>
They put big chunks of it in a centrifuge and spin it out.

James Silverton wrote:
> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>
>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
>> bottom (or the top?)
>
> I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
> How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but I'm sure
> the information could be googled.
>


They cut across the comb with a hot knife to open up the cells, then
put it through an "extractor" which spins the honey out with centrifugal
force.

If I were John, I'd cut across the comb to open the cells, then hang the
comb open side down in a bowl to let the honey flow out by gravity.
Warming it slightly (not enough to melt the wax) would speed the flow.
If wax does get mixed in, straining would work.

gloria p

On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000, "john hamilton"
> wrote:

> Have just been given some honey that is still in the wax comb.
>
> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the bottom (or the top?)
>
> Is this the way to best go about it? Any tips I might want to know about?
> Thanks.
>
Why would you want to do that? Do you know how expensive comb honey
is??? Eat it the way it came or give it as Christmas gifts and see how
happy you make the recipients. Buy the cheap stuff when you want to
cook with liquid honey.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 01/11/2010 5:46 PM, gloria.p wrote:
> James Silverton wrote:
>> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>>
>>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
>>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
>>> bottom (or the top?)
>>
>> I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain
>> it. How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but
>> I'm sure the information could be googled.
>>
>
>
> They cut across the comb with a hot knife to open up the cells, then
> put it through an "extractor" which spins the honey out with centrifugal
> force.
>
> If I were John, I'd cut across the comb to open the cells, then hang the
> comb open side down in a bowl to let the honey flow out by gravity.
> Warming it slightly (not enough to melt the wax) would speed the flow.
> If wax does get mixed in, straining would work.


Come on. The OP was gifted with comb honey and doesn't know what to do
with it. It seems obvious that he has never had it before and doesn't
realize what a treat it is. Given a choice between a jar of honey and
comb, I would take the comb. No doubt about it. The only reason that I
don't buy comb honey all the time is that it costs about 10 times are
much as liquid.

On 01/11/2010 6:12 PM, sf wrote:

> Why would you want to do that? Do you know how expensive comb honey
> is??? Eat it the way it came or give it as Christmas gifts and see how
> happy you make the recipients. Buy the cheap stuff when you want to
> cook with liquid honey.


We took a big chunk or comb honey to some good friends as a host/hostess
gift when we spent the weekend at their cottage. Big mistake. They were
foodies. He is my wine guru, and she was always trying wonderful new
recipes on us. it just never occurred to me that they would not like
honey and think that comb honey was about the most disgusting thing
imaginable. I love comb honey. I get my comb honey at my local drug
store/ holistic products store. He has the best prices around for honey,
A pound and a half of local honey is $4.59, compared to $6.95 for stores
charge for local honey. A 3 inch square piece of comb honey is $6.

Dave Smith wrote:

>
> We took a big chunk or comb honey to some good friends as a host/hostess
> gift when we spent the weekend at their cottage. Big mistake. They were
> foodies. He is my wine guru, and she was always trying wonderful new
> recipes on us. it just never occurred to me that they would not like
> honey and think that comb honey was about the most disgusting thing
> imaginable.



Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.

gloria p

On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:47:53 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> A 3 inch square piece of comb honey is $6.

I hear ya! That stuff is *expensive*.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

In article > ,
Dave Smith > wrote:

> On 01/11/2010 5:46 PM, gloria.p wrote:
> > James Silverton wrote:
> >> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
> >>
> >>> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
> >>> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
> >>> bottom (or the top?)
> >>
> >> I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain
> >> it. How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but
> >> I'm sure the information could be googled.
> >>
> >
> >
> > They cut across the comb with a hot knife to open up the cells, then
> > put it through an "extractor" which spins the honey out with centrifugal
> > force.
> >
> > If I were John, I'd cut across the comb to open the cells, then hang the
> > comb open side down in a bowl to let the honey flow out by gravity.
> > Warming it slightly (not enough to melt the wax) would speed the flow.
> > If wax does get mixed in, straining would work.
>
>
> Come on. The OP was gifted with comb honey and doesn't know what to do
> with it. It seems obvious that he has never had it before and doesn't
> realize what a treat it is. Given a choice between a jar of honey and
> comb, I would take the comb. No doubt about it. The only reason that I
> don't buy comb honey all the time is that it costs about 10 times are
> much as liquid.

I'm fortunate to have a source for comb honey at only $10/kg (call it
$5/pound). It really is the best thing out there.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:03:02 -0600, "gloria.p" >
wrote:

> Dave Smith wrote:
>
> >
> > We took a big chunk or comb honey to some good friends as a host/hostess
> > gift when we spent the weekend at their cottage. Big mistake. They were
> > foodies. He is my wine guru, and she was always trying wonderful new
> > recipes on us. it just never occurred to me that they would not like
> > honey and think that comb honey was about the most disgusting thing
> > imaginable.
>
>
>
> Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
> Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
> centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
> never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.
>
Dave has a lot of "colorful characters" in his life and that's why he
has so many good stories to tell us.

You're right about those honey flavors. I bought a "spring mix" from
the farmer's market that I can only take in small doses.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 01/11/2010 7:03 PM, gloria.p wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
>>
>> We took a big chunk or comb honey to some good friends as a
>> host/hostess gift when we spent the weekend at their cottage. Big
>> mistake. They were foodies. He is my wine guru, and she was always
>> trying wonderful new recipes on us. it just never occurred to me that
>> they would not like honey and think that comb honey was about the most
>> disgusting thing imaginable.
>
>
>
> Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
> Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
> centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
> never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.


I was surprised by their reaction. I love honey and can't imagine
people not liking it, not a whole family.

On 01/11/2010 7:06 PM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:47:53 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> A 3 inch square piece of comb honey is $6.
>
> I hear ya! That stuff is *expensive*.
>
Yep. It's a damned waste to get a chunk of expensive comb honey and to
throw away all that good stuff. It is a real treat.

On 01/11/2010 7:47 PM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:03:02 -0600, >

>>
>> Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
>> Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
>> centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
>> never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.
>>
> Dave has a lot of "colorful characters" in his life and that's why he
> has so many good stories to tell us.

They make life interesting ;-) Actually, in this case I was really
surprised. They are really nice people. They used to have us up to
their cottage for a weekend every year and we used to spend New Years
Eve with them and be royally entertained. I was really surprised by the
lack of enthusiasm for the comb honey.



> You're right about those honey flavors. I bought a "spring mix" from
> the farmer's market that I can only take in small doses.


I used to get fall flower honey at our local farm market but haven't
been able to get that for years. I occasionally buy a small jar of
buckwheat honey. It is incredible stuff but very strong tasting and I
can only handle it for a short time. Then I switch back to the regular
stuff.


FWIW.... I was told that eating local honey is a good way to fight
allergies. I have some allergies but don't suffer much from air borne
allergens. Maybe it's because I eat local honey 3-4 times per week. My
wife rarely eats honey and she suffers from her allergies.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:03:02 -0600, "gloria.p" >
> wrote:
>
> > Dave Smith wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > We took a big chunk or comb honey to some good friends as a host/hostess
> > > gift when we spent the weekend at their cottage. Big mistake. They were
> > > foodies. He is my wine guru, and she was always trying wonderful new
> > > recipes on us. it just never occurred to me that they would not like
> > > honey and think that comb honey was about the most disgusting thing
> > > imaginable.
> >
> >
> >
> > Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
> > Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
> > centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
> > never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.
> >
> Dave has a lot of "colorful characters" in his life and that's why he
> has so many good stories to tell us.
>
> You're right about those honey flavors. I bought a "spring mix" from
> the farmer's market that I can only take in small doses.

Heh. You should try NZ bush honey.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:38:38 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> FWIW.... I was told that eating local honey is a good way to fight
> allergies. I have some allergies but don't suffer much from air borne
> allergens. Maybe it's because I eat local honey 3-4 times per week. My
> wife rarely eats honey and she suffers from her allergies.

I heard that you build up your immunities by eating the black stuff...
(pollen?). In any case, the honey connection is probably just bull
hockey.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

Miche wrote:
> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:03:02 -0600, "gloria.p" >
>> wrote:
>>

>>>
>>> Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
>>> Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
>>> centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
>>> never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.
>>>

>>
>> You're right about those honey flavors. I bought a "spring mix" from
>> the farmer's market that I can only take in small doses.
>
> Heh. You should try NZ bush honey.
>
> Miche
>

Manuka/teatree honey? I wasn't crazy about it. It's very strong.
I think I bought borage honey there instead. It was quite good.

gloria p

James Silverton wrote:
>
> john wrote on Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:29:05 -0000:
>
> > I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
> > heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the
> > bottom (or the top?)
>
> I'd think you could warm up the mixture to say 120F and then strain it.
> How do bee-keepers remove honey from the comb? I don't know but I'm sure
> the information could be googled.
>

They centrifuge it.

Warming it up so the wax melts should work, to some extent. The wax will
float on top when cooled. Or just chew the wax along with the honey. A
jar of honey with a piece of the comb in it is very pricey around here.

On 11/1/2010 8:14 PM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:38:38 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> FWIW.... I was told that eating local honey is a good way to fight
>> allergies. I have some allergies but don't suffer much from air borne
>> allergens. Maybe it's because I eat local honey 3-4 times per week. My
>> wife rarely eats honey and she suffers from her allergies.
>
> I heard that you build up your immunities by eating the black stuff...
> (pollen?). In any case, the honey connection is probably just bull
> hockey.

I've heard tale that eating "local" honey can help folks with allergies
- dosage about 1-tsp/day. The 'local' honey helps to build up the
immunities to the 'local' pollens! That makes sense to me

Sky

P.S. NEVER, EVER feed honey to a baby or toddler less than two-years
old! Or so I've heard/read in medical literature.

--

Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

In article >,
"gloria.p" > wrote:

> Miche wrote:
> > In article >,
> > sf > wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:03:02 -0600, "gloria.p" >
> >> wrote:
> >>
>
> >>>
> >>> Isn't it strange how people over-react to perfectly normal things?
> >>> Honeycomb is a really natural thing, and honey has been used for
> >>> centuries. I'm not crazy about the flavor of many honeys, but I would
> >>> never call it disgusting. Your friends are nuts.
> >>>
>
> >>
> >> You're right about those honey flavors. I bought a "spring mix" from
> >> the farmer's market that I can only take in small doses.
> >
> > Heh. You should try NZ bush honey.
> >
> Manuka/teatree honey? I wasn't crazy about it. It's very strong.
> I think I bought borage honey there instead. It was quite good.

Manuka honey's strong, but I don't think a lot of people buy it to eat.
It's very useful for healing wounds, especially the stuff with a high
UMF factor.

Bush honey is strong like manuka honey but IMO has a more agreeable
flavour, due to the inclusion of nectar from other plants.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:08:26 -0500, Sky >
wrote:

> I've heard tale that eating "local" honey can help folks with allergies
> - dosage about 1-tsp/day. The 'local' honey helps to build up the
> immunities to the 'local' pollens! That makes sense to me

It wouldn't make any sense to eat pollen (or honey) from somewhere
else and expect to build up immunities to local allergens.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

john hamilton wrote:
> Have just been given some honey that is still in the wax comb.
>
> I would like to separate the honey from the wax. I'm thinking of just
> heating it all and hoping the wax will settle on the bottom (or the
> top?)
> Is this the way to best go about it? Any tips I might want to know
> about? Thanks.

I don't know how people can eat the wax, but as a kid I ate fried smelts
bones and all, and I don't know how I did that.

To separate, pour through a wire mesh strainer. Then crush the wax in a
bowl to squeeze out the rest and strain that.

--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

sf wrote:
> Why would you want to do that? Do you know how expensive comb honey
> is??? Eat it the way it came or give it as Christmas gifts and see how
> happy you make the recipients. Buy the cheap stuff when you want to
> cook with liquid honey.

At Trader Joe's it's about the same price, but you get less honey in the jar
due to the wax's displacement.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

Eating at least 1 teaspoon of locally harvested raw honey per day works
wonderfully to build up summer/fall allergy resistance. For the first
week it feels as if you have the worst cold of your life, then it's all
good. Has to be raw honey, not pasteurized, etc.

On 02/11/2010 9:42 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> sf wrote:
>> Why would you want to do that? Do you know how expensive comb honey
>> is??? Eat it the way it came or give it as Christmas gifts and see how
>> happy you make the recipients. Buy the cheap stuff when you want to
>> cook with liquid honey.
>
> At Trader Joe's it's about the same price, but you get less honey in the jar
> due to the wax's displacement.

????

Are you talking about a block of comb honey or a jar of honey with a
piece of comb in it? I can get local honey in a 1.5 lb tub for $4.59 but
a 3" square piece of comb honey is $6. Other places charge at least
double. A piece of comb honey that size is only about 4 oz.

Dave Smith wrote:
> On 02/11/2010 9:42 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> > At Trader Joe's it's about the same price, but you get less honey
> > in the jar due to the wax's displacement.
>
> ????
>
> Are you talking about a block of comb honey or a jar of honey with a
> piece of comb in it? I can get local honey in a 1.5 lb tub for $4.59
> but a 3" square piece of comb honey is $6. Other places charge at
> least double. A piece of comb honey that size is only about 4 oz.

A jar, and yes it's only a few ounces.

--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

On 02/11/2010 10:25 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 02/11/2010 9:42 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>>> At Trader Joe's it's about the same price, but you get less honey
>>> in the jar due to the wax's displacement.
>>
>> ????
>>
>> Are you talking about a block of comb honey or a jar of honey with a
>> piece of comb in it? I can get local honey in a 1.5 lb tub for $4.59
>> but a 3" square piece of comb honey is $6. Other places charge at
>> least double. A piece of comb honey that size is only about 4 oz.
>
> A jar, and yes it's only a few ounces.
>
If it's the same price as regular liquid honey are they really socking
it to you on honey prices. I see some places selling pint jars of honey
for $6.95 or more. That's close to 4 times what I pay.

Sky wrote:
>
> On 11/1/2010 8:14 PM, sf wrote:
> > On Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:38:38 -0400, Dave Smith
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> FWIW.... I was told that eating local honey is a good way to fight
> >> allergies. I have some allergies but don't suffer much from air borne
> >> allergens. Maybe it's because I eat local honey 3-4 times per week. My
> >> wife rarely eats honey and she suffers from her allergies.
> >
> > I heard that you build up your immunities by eating the black stuff...
> > (pollen?). In any case, the honey connection is probably just bull
> > hockey.
>
> I've heard tale that eating "local" honey can help folks with allergies
> - dosage about 1-tsp/day. The 'local' honey helps to build up the
> immunities to the 'local' pollens! That makes sense to me
>
> Sky
>
> P.S. NEVER, EVER feed honey to a baby or toddler less than two-years
> old! Or so I've heard/read in medical literature.
>
>
That's correct. Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum.
Infants/toddlers can't handle it the way older ones can. Apparently corn
syrup can also contain spores.

On 03/11/2010 3:19 PM, john hamilton wrote:

>
> Thanks to all. I think I'll try Tom Del Rosso's method as it seems easy and
> quick to me. Is there anything useful I can use the remaining wax for? I
> was thinking maybe I could make a wax polish of some kind?
>


Please don't tell me you are going to waste that nice comb honey by
draining it. Try cutting off a chunk and spreading it on toast at least
once before ruining it.

john hamilton wrote:
>
> Thanks to all. I think I'll try Tom Del Rosso's method as it seems easy and
> quick to me. Is there anything useful I can use the remaining wax for? I
> was thinking maybe I could make a wax polish of some kind?

Some folks make candles as a hobby. Bees wax is the best candle
material hands down. Give it away to a hobbiest or make some hand made
candles for your own use or as gifts. Eat your honey - Candle light is
romantic, hand made candle light even more so.