Safe to put honeycomb in tea?
I put a big chunk of honeycomb in my tea. And it looks like my boiling tea completely melted the comb. But now the water has a weird texture to it. And now I'm worried about drinking the wax. Is it bad?
Best Answer
Honeycombs are the bees’ “storage containers”, i.e. cells out of beeswax filled with honey. Beeswax melts at around 62-64 C (144-147 F), so its no surprise that the combs melted in hot tea.
From a food-safety perspective, beeswax is totally harmless. The (purified) wax “cera alba” is used in foods, medicine (even in bone surgery!) and cosmetics. The European Union has not given a maximum allowed daily intake.
As you are using honeycomb (as opposed to brood cells), the amount of “dirt” or debris that might be in the combs is minimal, certainly nothing worth worrying about.
In short, enjoy your tea! If you dislike the texture, e.g. the small hardening wax chips floating on the cooling tea, skim them off.
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Quick Answer about "Safe to put honeycomb in tea?"
Honeycomb can and will cause your tea to become cloudy – this isn't dangerous or harmful in any way and is completely edible. The cloudiness comes from the dissolved beeswax in the translucent tea, what you're seeing is the tiny dissolved wax particles. Yes, this is entirely safe to drink!How do you use raw honeycomb in tea?
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.Can you drink honeycomb?
It is perfectly safe (and delicious) to consume both the honey and the waxy hexagonal containers of the comb. In fact, the added chewy texture of the comb is a bonus. Honeycomb varies in taste (just like honey) depending on the environment and which flowers the bees predominantly pollinated to produce nectar.Is it OK to drink beeswax?
When taken by mouth: Beeswax is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth as food or as a medicine. While rare, some people may have an allergic reaction to beeswax.Can you eat honeycomb and swallow it?
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.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Allan Mas, Gustavo Fring, cottonbro, Monstera