Wax cappings are saved into a plastic pail. If you are not going to process wax right away, freeze it to prevent wax moths. (c) 2018 Silver Spring Farm, LLC. All rights reserved.
Step 1: In a dishpan of cold tap water, I rinse off the capping wax. This washes off honey residue, and makes it easier to separate out the unwanted bits. (c) 2018 Silver Spring Farm, LLC. All rights reserved.
Step 2: I strain out the bits of wax with a sieve. This then goes into the crock pot. (c) 2018 Silver Spring Farm, LLC. All rights reserved.
Step 3: Crock pot with 2″ of water, set to LOW. I tie a couple layers of cheesecloth around the mouth of the stoneware crock, using sturdy twine. (Do not use elastic bands. While easier, they will melt.) Atop the cheesecloth I place a sheet of paper towel. The capping wax is piled up onto the paper towel, and I put the lid on the pot. The rising steam from the pot will gently melt the wax, which will strain through both the paper towel and cheesecloth, into the water. The goo and junk stays behind atop the paper towel. (c) 2018 Silver Spring Farm, LLC. All rights reserved.
This is the water after washing the wax – you can see what gets cleaned off. I dump this out onto the lawn, and never down the drain. Beeswax is not a friend of plumbing. (c) 2018 Silver Spring Farm, LLC. All rights reserved.
Step 4: After I’ve melted down all the beeswax, I turn off the crock pot, discarding the cheesecloth and paper toweling. When the water in the pot is cold, I simply reach in, and pull out the cake of processed wax! Then I break it up and store it in a ziplock bag. (c) 2018 Silver Spring Farm, LLC. All rights reserved.
