My love of beeswax began with honeycomb left over from a honey extraction my father-in-law let me help with. He gave me plenty of the comb and I studied up on it. There are many healthy qualities to the comb, like these, but I really like to use it in topical recipes. I use it to make lip balms, salves, and lotions.
For some strange reason, I find it rewarding to refine the comb into a beautiful yellow solid mass of pure beeswax. I have no need to refine beeswax, since I have all I need for a while stored up. It is a messy process, a little too messy to do when I don't actually need it, yet.
Here is a run down of how to refine beeswax (without how-to pictures since I'm not planning in doing it at the present.) After I've gotten as much honey out of the comb as I can, I place it in a double broiler of some sort. I use a small pan resting in a larger pan with enough water at the bottom for the small pan to float. FYI- I now cannot use the small pan for anything except honeycomb because it sticks like glue and I can never get it all cleaned out.
Let the honeycomb melt down in the double broiler. There will be pollen, gunk, even bee parts floating around. Now, I make a strainer from one of those cross stitch rings and sheer fabric (like sheer curtains). Holding the strainer over a container that can handle the heat of the melted wax, I carefully pour the wax through it, into the container. I often use old cottage cheese tubs.
I let it cool for a while, usually overnight. It will pop out if you use a flexible plastic container. Be careful, it can get stuck in non-flexible containers. For smaller chunks (which are easier to melt down when I need them), I pour it into styrofoam cups which can be torn off if need be. It is also fun to use those little flexible ice cube tray with shapes, but I line those with shortening first for easier removal. Any small particles and honey sinks, so it can be cut off after it cools.
Seeing this goopy slop turn into a solid chunk of beeswax somehow makes me feel accomplished. Its a calming process in some way. Weird, I know.
Here are a few more cautions when working with beeswax:
It is a great fire starter- so be care not to get it on a burner or flame. I've never had a problem, but maybe that's because I've been cautious. In fact, some people have coated paper towels with it and taken it along for a fire starter on camping trips.
It sticks, VERY stubbornly to many surfaces and dishes. It is like a glue. Don't plan on using most of the same utensils for anything else. Disposable, wooden chopsticks are great for stirring.
A homemade solar wax melter can be made for low cost if you want to keep the mess out of the kitchen. I did not find it as effective, but I don't think I used the best method. Maybe I'll try again one of these days.
