{"id":2745,"date":"2023-12-16T15:51:08","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T20:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=2745"},"modified":"2023-12-16T15:51:10","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T20:51:10","slug":"eating-honeycomb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/eating-honeycomb\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Eat Honeycomb? | How To Eat Honeycomb"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Honeycomb” often refers to the wax structure bees use to store food and raise brood. Since we’re talking about eating here, we mean that portion of the comb that contains capped honey, also called “comb honey.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can eat honeycomb as beeswax is 100% edible. As for how to eat honeycomb: chew it comb to release the honey, then spit out or swallow the wax (thinner pieces are easier to swallow); spread honeycomb on something hot (like toast) to soften the wax; or crush the comb and let the honey drain through a strainer.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comb honey is the purest form of raw honey<\/strong>. It’s the natural state you’ll find honey in a beehive. Raw honey may contain pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and other materials (like teeny tiny bee parts) that are beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See our article What Is Raw Honey?<\/a><\/strong> for more information<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll explain how to eat honeycomb for those of you unsure about it. We will also cover the benefits and risks of eating honeycomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Eat Honeycomb?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People question if you can eat honeycomb because of the wax component. (I think we all know that honey is edible\u2026Yummy!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beeswax Is Edible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can eat honeycomb, including the beeswax. Honey bees produce wax naturally for brood and food storage. This beeswax, consisting mainly of fatty acids and fatty alcohols, is edible by humans.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Harvested
Comb honey harvested from one of our hives.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration includes beeswax on\nits list\nof food for human consumption and generally recognized as safe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important exception: do NOT feed any honey (or honey comb) to infants under one year of age<\/strong> (Mayo Clinic<\/a>). Infants that young have not developed the beneficial bacteria to protect them from spores that cause botulism. Also, some recommend avoiding honey during pregnancy<\/strong> for similar reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See our article What Is Honeycomb? (Talking Beeswax) <\/a><\/strong>for more information about how bees make and use their hexagonal (six-sided) wax structures.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How To Eat Honeycomb<\/h2>\n\n\n