Bee glue, or propolis, is considered one of the most useful beekeeping products. Healing ointments, cosmetics, infusions and decoctions are made from this natural gift at home. Once removed from the hive, bee glue contains wax and many foreign additives. But how to properly separate propolis from wax and get a pure, healthy product, we will look into the details further.
What is it for
In the course of their life, insects collect tree resin, which, after treatment with bee secretions, turns into an adhesive substance called uzu, or propolis. In the hive, the product is mixed with wax and other foreign substances.
After removing the glue from the hive, the bond must be cleaned before use and use. To obtain a pure, healing product, there are several stages and methods for cleaning the bee gift.
Important! When propolis is removed from the hive, wood particles, dirt, dust and other foreign substances enter it, reducing the value of the beekeeping product.
How to clean propolis from impurities at home
Purified bee glue is characterized by the following characteristics:
- a well-cleaned uza has an amber tint, greenish inclusions are possible;
- the product has a tart taste, with notes of bitterness, a pleasant aroma and aftertaste;
- Fresh bee glue sticks to your teeth when used.
Primary cleaning
Initially, bee glue is cleaned of large foreign bodies that got there during the process of extracting the substance from the hive. To do this, wood particles, large pieces of wax, dried insects and other foreign objects visible to the naked eye are removed from the collected propolis.
Important! Primary cleaning is the initial stage in preparing propolis for further use, because there are still many small particles left in the glue that also need to be gotten rid of.
Using water
Bee glue is cleaned of foreign ingredients using ordinary cold water.
For the procedure you will need:
- beekeeping product that has undergone primary purification;
- large capacity;
- sharp knife or regular grater;
- paper or natural fabric on which the propolis will dry after cleaning.
Small balls are molded from the finished product, sorted into bags or small containers and stored in the refrigerator.
Advice! For high-quality cleaning, bee glue is left in water for 60-90 minutes, periodically stirring the glue.
In a water bath
When heated, propolis does not lose its healing and beneficial properties, so the product can be cleaned of wax particles using a water bath.
To do this, place pieces of glue in a convenient container and place them in water heated to 70-80 degrees. Over low heat, the bond melts, remaining at the bottom, and wax and excess substances float to the surface. Next, the water and wax are drained, and the pure propolis is dried and stored in the refrigerator.
Using a home refrigerator
You can also clean bee glue using your home refrigerator, namely the freezer.Having passed the first stage of purification, the product is placed in the freezer for a day. Next, the frozen uza is ground on a grater. Wax, when frozen and crushed, turns into fine flour or dust, which is sifted out through a sieve. Large peeled pieces of propolis remain on the surface of the sieve, which are placed in bags for further storage in the refrigerator.
Important! Purifying propolis by freezing does not guarantee the removal of all additional impurities in the product.
Application of centrifuge
To thoroughly clean bee glue, use a special device called a centrifuge. In this case, propolis is initially frozen, crushed and sifted. The propolis remaining in the sieve after sifting is placed in a centrifuge for final purification from foreign impurities.
How to clean the product collected from the canvases
Small pieces of canvas fabric are specially placed in the hive to collect valuable product. As a result, the canvas is completely saturated with glue and it will not be possible to simply remove it from the surface of the fabric.
To obtain the desired propolis, tissue from the hive is placed in the freezer and left for a day. Frozen propolis is fragile and comes off easily from the canvas, while the wax remains on the fabric. For deeper cleaning of bee glue, use any of the previously listed methods.
