The Magic of Honeycomb

                                                 
What is honeycomb? Honeycomb is the structure that bees build from beeswax. But it's much more. It's an architectural masterpiece constructed to geometric perfection.  It's food storage. It's home. Even more than that it is the innate collective genius of the family of bees. It's pieced together with cooperation. It's the result of the solid collaboration of the colony working from the very definition of selflessness.

Does taking it harm the bees? This honeycomb is collected from a special honey box known as a "super" that is added to the hive after the bees have filled up their brood chambers with enough honey to see them through winter. The honey they store also serves as insulation to help them keep the queen at a perfect 92 degrees no matter how low the outside temperature drops. Removing the box of honeycomb does not disturb the bees' home where they store food and raise young.

How do I eat honeycomb? The entire honeycomb is edible. This comb pairs well with sharp cheeses and tangy Granny Smith apples but is also the perfect topping for a most elegant bowl of oatmeal or yogurt.

How long will my honeycomb last? Forever. Due to the low content of moisture along with other factors honey properly sealed will last indefinitely. Honey stored in the tombs of the pharaohs was still edible 3.000 years later.

I hope you enjoy this magical piece of natural food. It holds the secrets of the hive. It's worth is the lives of the thousands of bees it took to make it. It contains the dances of a thousand foragers, the mystical nectar of a million flowers, and the pulsing song of a queen,

Enjoy.

For more about honey, bees, and to see pictures and read about the bees that made this honeycomb buzz over to penandhive.com and click on the tab that says "bees." 

Never give honey to an infant under one year old. 

If you are giving Pen & Hive Honeycomb for a gift this season feel free to print out this post and include it in your packaging.