Comb honey is another way to present honey by cutting a piece of comb from the hive’s frames and then packaging it. Comb honey is popular because it retains the natural flavor of the honey and the wax comb. Some people believe it’s the purest way to consume honey as it doesn’t go through any additional process as regular honey does.
What Is Comb Honey Used For?
Comb honey has several uses. One of the most popular reasons to use comb honey is because it is a more interesting way to eat honey. The experience is enriched by the honeycomb’s unique texture, flavors, and aroma.
Another reason to use comb honey is that it has not been altered in any way. This means the taste and smell will be richer than pasteurized honey found in supermarkets.
Comb honey can also be used as garnish making meals look more appealing and sophisticated. It’s especially useful when adorning liquid meals like smoothies and parfaits, as the wax comb allows the honey to stay in place instead of getting lost or watered.
Benefits Of Comb Honey
When most people think of honey, they think of the sticky sweet substance often used as a topping on foods or as a sweetener in drinks. However, honey is much more than just a sweetener. Honey is a natural product made by bees and has various health benefits.
One of the best ways to enjoy these health benefits is to eat comb honey. The benefits of comb honey come mostly from raw capped honey as it’s honey that hasn’t been filtered or processed in any way after taking the frame from the beehive.
Another advantage of comb honey is the beeswax comb which preserves the original antioxidants and nutrients. These compounds may help reduce diabetes, heart disease, and cancer risk.
Even though more studies are needed, beeswax shows promise of benefiting our health in other ways like lowering cholesterol thanks to its long-chain fatty acids and alcohols.
Is Honey With Comb Better?
In terms of purity and preservation, comb honey can be considered better.
Why?
Honey that comes in the comb will have a much lower chance of having other components that can reduce the quality like artificial sweeteners and syrups. Additionally, the capped honey in the comb isn’t altered or processed with heat, which means it will still have its famous natural properties like rich taste, aroma, and beneficial nutrients.
How Much Is Comb Honey?
Comb honey is usually more expensive than regular honey.
On average, 1lb (453 g or 16 oz) of comb honey can be around $26-$29.
The cheapest I could find was 0.93/oz, so about $14.85 for 1 lb.
The most expensive was 3.38/oz – $54 for 1 lb!
Depending on a few factors like where the honey comes from (floral source), you may find liquid honey more expensive than comb honey. For example, Manuka honey is one of the most expensive types of honey. But as a general rule, expect comb honey to cost more than a jar of honey you can buy at a supermarket.
Why Is It More Expensive Than Regular Honey?
There are a few reasons why comb honey is more expensive than extracted honey.
- The usefulness of a drawn comb in beekeeping cannot be overstated. Before the useless honeycomb structure is discarded, it’s utilized several times. As a result, when producing comb honey, only one honeycomb is employed and its cost is spread across many harvests.
- Beeswax is a valuable commodity. You could sell the beeswax and honey separately and probably make a decent profit as a beekeeper. Therefore, you’d have to price comb honey sufficiently to compensate for the difference to offset this potential loss.
- Comb honey, as opposed to extracted honey, has a higher perceived value because of the associations it evokes in consumers’ minds with “pure,” “natural” and “straight from the beehive to your table.”
- The appearance of comb honey is another reason why it is so popular. As a result, avoiding harming the honeycomb structure as little as possible is critical, which demands much attention in the production process.
- You’ll generally need a significant nectar flow to get the bees to make honeycomb. Bees make wax after metabolizing honey so plenty of nectar is a must.
- Finally, some beekeepers and comb honey producers employ special equipment and processes to have more control over the end product.
Comb Honey Vs Chunk Honey: What’s The Difference?
Chunk honey and comb honey are similar but not the same. Chunk honey typically comes in a jar and includes a piece of comb with capped cells as well as liquid extracted honey.
In contrast, comb honey usually consists only of a piece of honeycomb packaged in a square or round container.
Can You Make Comb Honey At Home?
Making comb honey can be as simple as cutting a portion of honeycomb from one of your frames and packaging it. This is also known as cut comb. However, there are a few recommendations you need to keep in mind before deciding to do this.
- First, use shallow frames with a thin wax foundation rather than plastic. The thin foundation will provide a better texture when chewed.
- Make sure to remove the frame with capped honeycomb as soon as possible. This will ensure you’ll get that nice white wax comb. The longer you leave the frame inside the hive, the higher the chance the comb will darken.
- Always use a sharp knife to cut through the comb. This will make your cuts nice and clean.
- Wipe the knife with a paper towel in between cuts.
- To ensure that all stages of wax moth and hive beetle are destroyed, place the honeycomb in the freezer for 24 to 48 hours within two days after removing it. If fitting the frames in your freezer is not possible, you can always freeze the cut portions once they’re already packaged.
Conclusion
Comb honey is honey that is still in the comb. The honeycomb is made of beeswax and the honey is stored in the cells of the comb. Comb honey is usually cut into pieces, packaged, and sold.
Comb honey is popular because of its associations with “pure,” “natural” and “straight from the beehive to your table.” That’s one of the reasons why it’s usually more expensive than regular honey.
Making comb honey at home is simple, but you need to keep a few things in mind like using shallow frames and thin wax foundation.