How to Enjoy Honeycomb

If the only honey you have ever had is from a bear-shaped jar at the grocery--you poor thing!-- then honey in its natural state (in the comb) might intimidate you a bit. You are going to be a big fan.

Trust me.

When people ask about how to use honey that has the comb in it, my first response is just to tell them to eat it out of the jar. Other than that one of my favorite things is a crisp tart apple and a piece of sharp cheese. The sharper the better. All that tangy and sharp cuts the sweet and makes it even more enjoyable. 

But better yet, get yourself some hives so you can eat it right off the frame. That is actually my most favorite way. Is Honey Vegan? Read about it here.

So far this week we've had it on yogurt. And oatmeal. Okay, and spoons. Here's the recipe for my Tipsy Honeybee Cocktail.

While I think of filtered honey as a sweetener to add to something else, like tea or cocktails, I appreciate honeycomb as real food. A delicacy that is amazing paired with other things I like to eat. The wax isn't noticeable this way the way it would be if bits of it are floating on top of your afternoon chai. There really isn't any wrong way to enjoy honey except using if for cooking. All beekeepers and honey lovers frown upon that because heat destroys some of the magical natural properties of the honey and wax.

If I want to use a natural sweetener that will be cooked I use maple syrup instead of honey. I'm just not a Stevia fan. Raw honey contains enzymes that allow it to break down in your system over time instead of spiking your blood sugar and then crashing like processed sugar. Some of  these are destroyed when the honey is heated. 

Read this if you want to nerd out over the technical information about honey.

While honey is chemically sugar and should be treated as such if you are eliminating all sugar from your diet, it has some beneficial properties. It is these enzymes, probiotics, and antioxidants that I'm trying to preserve as a beekeeper by treating it gently. Raw honey contains not only enzymes from the bees but also the enzymes from nectar they collected. 

That's right. Eating honey means you are eating like a god.

Everyone always wants to know if you can eat the wax. The answer is yes. It's easiest to consume along with food but you can also chew it until it loses it's flavor and then spit it out like gum. This was a common and fun thing for kids to enjoy before chewing gum became popular. I cannot tell you how the faces of older people light up when asked about honeycomb. I love hearing stories that start with "Oh, my uncle had some hives..."

Now if you are ready to look for some honey with comb in it you are going to want to find a local beekeeper to buy from. It's fun to try honeys from all over the world but if you want it for allergy relief, remember, you need it to contain pollen from your area to be effective. If you don't know any beeks then check out at your farmer's market.  There is a whole sweet dimension to honey you have been missing. 

Are you a fan of honeycomb? What's your favorite way to eat it?