Honeycomb is an amazing source of fresh and unpolluted honey. Some use it in foods and sweets, some use it for cosmetics. The beeswax in it is edible, even if it's not exactly tasty.
What about using it in tea, though ?
Would honeycomb be safe to use in tea ?
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So can you put honeycomb in your cup of tea ?
Yes, you can add honeycomb to your cup of tea. You can put the whole comb, honey and wax all together and let it melt there.
Just be warned that your cup of tea should be at or just below 42 C/107 F , in order for the healing properties of honey to be accessible to you. Otherwise the honey no only loses nutrients, but can become hard to digest.
You can ingest the beeswax as well. It won't have much of a taste, but it will not be harmful to you. Beeswax is used in many cosmetics and sometimes foods or medicine, so you will be alright.
Be careful to keep your tea just warm, not hot
What's this about not adding honey to hot tea ? Or hot anything ? Wouldn't it dissolve better if the liquid were hot ?
Yes, it would dissolve better. It's just that the many health benefits of honey are lost when it's brought to a temperature above 42 C/107 F. It will lose many of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Actually, high temperatures change honey at a molecular level and completely change its structure. This makes it lose its nutrients, and it won't even be properly digestible for your stomach.
This means that if you ever get honey that became solid - as honey tends to do when left in cold places - you can still use it. Just spoon out however much you need and it will melt nicely in your cup of tea. Again, remember to keep your tea within the limit mentioned above.
You can check if the tea is 42 C/107 F by using a thermometer, or you can check by holding a sip of the liquid in your mouth. If you can comfortable hold it for more than a few seconds without it feeling like it burns, then it's alright to put the honey in.
This also applies for most essential oils, by the way. A high temperature will make them evaporate and lose their punch, so adding them to very hot tea will do almost nothing for you. This includes slices of lemon, which will just taste sour and odd in a very hot tea.
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How to add the honeycomb to your tea
You can add the whole thing, or you can add just the honey. It's completely up to you. Just know that the honey inside the honeycomb is not one that's even been exposed to air, so it will retain its flavor.
This means honey can and will absorb scents from around it, so the sealed honey in the comb is going to be just like it was meant to be.
Of course, once you cut or break the comb honey will come spilling out. It's satisfying, and makes you want to eat everything right then and there.
Add however much honeycomb you want to your tea, but I recommend getting ready for a bit of a mess when you cut into the comb.
Adding honey to green tea is an especially helpful way to use honeycomb.
The beeswax will melt into your tea, but you will still notice it. Your tea will become cloudy, but it's still safe to drink. You could find bits of wax in your mouth after drinking it, so be warned.
If you really don't like the idea of beeswax in your tea, you can skim the wax off the top of the tea. Or, if you're very patient and gentle, you can scrape just the honey from the honeycomb.
Look for organic honeycombs if possible
When you're looking for the perfect honeycomb to add to your tea, do a bit of extra shopping. Look for organic honeycomb, and try to get it locally if possible.
All this means is that your honeycomb was harvested without harming the bees, their welfare, or the nature surrounding them. It also has to do with the feed the bees have been given. In that, they have been allowed to roam the greens for flowers to make honey with.
This doesn't mean the honey will taste necessarily better, but it will be closer to the real thing.
It also means that you can find a vast rainbow of honey colors. For example mountain flowers tend to produce a darker honey than those found on plains or large flat fields.
And depending on where the bee hives were left to mind their business, you might get a multiflower honey, acacia (my personal favorite), rose honey, chestnut honey, or any other specific kind of flower.
If you're looking for a recommendation, then this honeycomb will make a good fit.
Do keep in mind that honeycomb is not a factory-made product, and as such may vary in size and weight slightly. It depends on the bees themselves, and how much honey and wax they put inside that particular comb.
This one is between 10-14 oz/283-396 gr, so it's fair to know from the get-go. The wax is safe to chew and swallow, as in it does not hurt the human body. The honey itself is usually a wildflower honey.
You can check the listing on Amazon here, and read the reviews as well.
Final thoughts
I hope I helped you out a bit here. Honeycomb is a wonderful thing to have in your home, but it's not for everyone. Some might shy away from the fact that the honey was touched by the bees themselves, or the beeswax.
To be honest I wouldn't intentionally eat beeswax, but that's just me. I know people who have actually eaten whole honeycombs (as in with the wax) as were just fine. It's just a matter of taste.
It's great however with a bit of fresh bread, especially the kid with lots of seeds, a bit of Brie or Camembert to go along with the honey. I guess the beeswax could be excused of overlooked then.
So you add beeswax if you want, you don't if you don't. It is safe, however.
If you want to know more about coffee or tea, feel free to check the related articles below. Who knows what else you might find ?
