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Honey is on occasion known as “liquid gold” – even though I imagine it’s much more vital than that. Whether or not you’re a honey gourmand or a devoted beekeeper, you will be within the more than a few tactics to maintain honey. Despite it’s virtually everlasting shelf lifestyles, there is also scenarios the place you search a long run garage that preserves all of honey’s superb homes. Therefore, the query, “Are you able to freeze honey?”. Sure, my buddies, freezing honey is slightly simple and an just right technique to care for this reward from the beehive.
In maximum scenarios, you are going to now not wish to put your honey within the freezer. Absolutely the highest means of storing honey is in an hermetic container in a heat cupboard. However, the freezer is an possibility for long run garage. Beekeepers frequently do that with further frames of honey that they later plan to make use of.
The Science At the back of Freezing Honey
Each time we put a liquid within the freezer, we think a “rock-hard” outcome – suppose ice, proper? However, honey has an overly other composition than water.
While you put liquid honey within the freezer, it turns into an overly thick slurry. Possibly too thick to in point of fact pour from the jar however by no means a strong.
Why Honey Does Now not Freeze Forged
The explanation honey stays “semi-solid” has to do with the way in which it’s made. The 2 primary parts of honey are water and sugars.
Honey bees gather plant nectar and make it into honey. All the way through this conversion procedure, many of the water is got rid of.
Nectar with a mean moisture content material of 80% turns into ripe honey with a water content material under 20%. With a moisture content material that low, honey won’t freeze right into a strong mass like some fabrics.
Water freezes at 32° F however one of the most sugars in honey act as herbal antifreeze – combating the small quantity of water from crystallizing into ice.
This low water content material may be one explanation why honey doesn’t move dangerous – so long as it’s secure from moisture.
Advantages of Freezing Honey
You probably have the gap, there are a number of advantages of freezing honey:
- protects high quality and texture
- prevents crystallization
- simple to retailer small quantities
- give protection to freshness of honeycomb
- beekeeper support in hive control
Protects Dietary High quality and Texture
Now not handiest does freezing now not hurt any dietary advantages of honey, it protects vitamins and high quality. When it’s saved for a very long time, honey stays fit to be eaten however the colour might darken.
In selection varieties of honey (Sourwood, Orange Blossom, Clover) the flavour can alternate slightly with garage.
I’ve observed this occur in my Sourwood honey. It nonetheless tastes just right after a couple of years however the taste doesn’t pop slightly up to when freshly harvested.
Freezing protects the flavour and colour of your uncooked honey till you’re ready to thaw and use it.
Freezing Prevents Crystallization
One primary advantage of opting for to freeze your honey is to stop or sluggish crystallization. In fact, honey crystallizes naturally on account of its chemical construction.
Crystallized honey isn’t spoiled so long as it used to be ripe when processed. However, some other folks don’t want the gritty texture.
On the other hand, others like it, opting for to make their very own creamed honey to experience simple or with added flavors.
Nearly all of customers wish to stay their desk honey in a liquid state. Freezing honey at a strong temperature will save you crystallization. Thus, permitting you to thaw and experience it simply the way in which you need.
*It is very important remember the fact that honey will undergo a procedure known as fermentation if the water content material is just too top. For this reason we wish to retailer it in an air tight container secure from wet air.
Small Garage Choices
Are you any individual who infrequently reveals a technique to use honey? (perish the idea)! Freezing small quantity of honey the usage of an ice dice tray is an effective way to stay slightly readily available. As soon as frozen, the cubes may also be saved in zip lock luggage for months.
This lets you have small parts readily available. They’re helpful for making your personal honey and cinnamon cough reduction recipe or my fav – honey cough drops.
Items of honeycomb can dry out through the years. One of the vital highest tactics to retailer recent honeycomb is within the freezer. You’ll be able to stay entire frames of honey for later use or minimize it into smaller items for ease of use.
Minimize the brush into small items and wrap every one tightly with aluminum foil. When you’re in a position to make use of, take away from freezer and let it come to room temperature.
The best way to Freeze Honey
Some mavens counsel the usage of glass jars for freezer garage. That is to stop the absorption of any odors within the plastic or freezer. However, others forgo the glass and use the container it got here in – the selection is yours.
- Fill a container (with a decent sealing lid) – leaving just a little headspace to permit for any growth
- Blank the outdoor of the container of any drips or stickiness
- Position the container in a blank plastic bag and seal
- Upload to the freezer – till you’re ready to thaw and use.
It must now not amplify very a lot because of the low water content material however it’s at all times just right observe to permit area.
I put the whole lot in freezer luggage, my meals, my bee stuff corresponding to fondant, pollen patties, dry pollen replace and many others. This is a just right plan to steer clear of messes.
Stay the product at a relentless temperature (steer clear of temperature fluctuations) till you’re ready to make use of it. Then, take away from the freezer and let the jar take a seat in a bowl of heat water for a couple of hours.
Freezing Honey in Frames for Bees
There are a number of causes {that a} beekeeper would possibly need to freeze frames of honey. Now not everybody completes their honey harvest in a single extraction consultation.
Extracting generally is a quite messy activity and cleansing up the honey area or processing room is not any a laugh. You probably have a couple of frames to reap however be expecting to have extra quickly – freezing the ones frames is an effective way to offer protection to them.
This lets you dangle a part of the harvest till you might have extra. It is going to be advantageous throughout the freezer and stay secure from pests corresponding to wax moths or Small Hive Beetles that may break unprotected frames of honey.
Storing Extra Honeycomb for Your Bees
One more reason beekeepers retailer honey within the freezer is to put it aside for subsequent yr. If a colony has perished, or the beekeeper finally ends up with further honey for any reason why, those are very precious to present to a brand new colony within the Spring.
Frames of honey which might be saved over Iciness must be capped. Uncapped honey is ok within the freezer however it will ooze out sooner than it freezes after which you might have a large previous mess. Don’t inquire from me how I do know this.
If you wish to stay frames of uncapped honey within the freezer, be sure you position every one in a plastic bag or wrap it with plastic wrap sooner than including it to the freezer.
At What Temperature Does Honey Freeze?
Just like another liquids (like molasses), honey turns into thicker and no more viscous because the temperature drops.
In the event you doubt this, I problem you to check out bottling quarts of honey in a chilly room in December – these items strikes sluggish.
On the other hand, normally, the freezing level of honey is set -4°F (-20°C)-it will seem strong. At this temperature it could nonetheless transfer just a little (like a sluggish shifting glacier) however does now not waft.
FAQs
The most productive means of thawing frozen honey is to let it take a seat at room temperature. Don’t attempt to hurry the method – sluggish and stable is highest.
Honey has a shockingly lengthy shelf lifestyles naturally. When secure from moisture it’s going to final for years – proper there at the shelf. Freezing honey does lend a hand give protection to it from slight adjustments in colour and taste.
It is dependent upon the scale of the container – however generally honey freezes in about 24 hours.
No, freezing does now not motive your honey to crystallize. On the other hand, holding it in a chilly location just like the fridge will make maximum varieties of honey crystallize quicker.
Sure, if in case you have the freezer area – freezing honey is among the highest means of defending the standard.
Completely, let your frozen honey thaw and it is able to use for masses of serious recipes.
Ultimate Ideas
The science at the back of the chemistry of honey is but any other interesting tale of the wonderful thing about nature. Now we have the choice of freezing honey with out destructive any of its recommended qualities. So, the following time you end up with an overabundance of honey and no shelf room within the pantry – you already know what to do.
Assets