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Getting Started: Processing Honey

Honey is sold as "extracted" honey - bottled, liquid honey that has been extracted from the combs; "comb" honey – honey still in its natural comb; and "chunk" honey – a bottled combination of extracted and comb.

Extracted Honey


  1. Uncapping knife (Fig. 1) - A heated knife for slicing off the cappings from combs of honey.
  2. Uncapping tank (Fig. 2) - A container for receiving the cappings. Wet cappings fall onto a screen, and honey drips through to the bottom of the tank and out a spigot.
  3. Extractor (Fig. 3) - A drum containing a rotating wire basket. Uncapped combs are placed in the basket and the basket is turned by hand or by motor. Honey is flung out of the combs onto the sides of the tank and drains through a spigot.
  4. Storage tank (Fig. 4) - A large tank with a spigot, or "honey gate," at the bottom. As honey settles in the tank, air bubbles and small debris rise to the top and can be skimmed off, allowing honey that is bottled from the honey gate to be clear and attractive.
  5. Strainer (Fig. 5) - A mesh of coarse screen or cloth directly under the extractor spigot or on top of storage tank. This filters out large debris such as wax and dead bees.

Uncapping knife
Fig. 1

Uncapping tank
Fig. 2

Honey extractor
Fig. 3


Storage tank
Fig. 4

Fig. 5




Comb Honey



Chunk Honey

Fig. 6

Chunk honey is made by placing a piece of cut comb honey in a jar and filling up the rest of the jar with extracted honey (Fig. 6). Remember to freeze the comb honey first.









Wax Cappings

Wax cappings are a valuable by-product of extracting. After cappings have dripped dry, wash them in water to remove all honey. Melt the cappings, strain the wax through nylon and pour it into bread pans or a similar mold. Supply companies can render your beeswax bricks into new foundation at considerable savings.