Honey is probably the most miraculous product in the world! Created by the bees, it is the all-natural foodstuff that is not just sweet and has a pleasant taste. This goodie is known for having tons of beneficial qualities, some of them are even healing. No wonder people searched for the way to preserve it for centuries.
Can you freeze honey? Let’s see whether it is possible.
What Is Honey?
We all know it but how many of us are aware of how exactly it is produced? Probably, not so many people.
Honey, therefore, is a real miracle! It is produced by the honeybees. They collect sugar (mostly the sugar-filled nectar of certain flowers) from the area around the hive and bring it into their home.
Once there, the nectar is repeatedly consumed, digested, and regurgitated. The end product of this process is honey, a thick and sweet liquid, and bees use it as a stored food.
Why Is Honey So Different?
You probably noticed that honey can be of different colors, from transparent golden to the thick amber-yellow, with the taste and aroma varying, as well. This is because the nectar was collected from different sorts of flowers and plants.
There are about three hundred sorts of this foodstuff existing today, and among them, the most popular ones are the flower honey, herbal honey, acacia honey, buckwheat sort, dandelion sort, heather honey, linden sort, and even the pine tree honey!
Honey Health Benefits And Profit
People have been introduced to honey for thousands of years. This natural bee product was used both as a foodstuff and as a medicine since it does indeed include a lot of beneficial compounds received from the plants and herbs it was made of.
This foodstuff contains nutrients
Honey is originally empty of fiber, fat, and protein, however, some minor doses of vitamins and minerals can be traced in it.
What really makes it stand out is the number of antioxidants and bioactive compounds it received from plants. Darker sorts of the product are richer in those than the light ones.
Source of antioxidants
Eating honey daily will let us have our heart stronger, eyes healthier, and will decrease the risk of getting cancer since this foodstuff is rich in antioxidants that protect our bodies from all those troubles.
A good sugar substitute
Yes, this goodie is sweet but this sweetness has nothing to do with white sugar which is all about empty calories.
Some say that it can be used by the people with diabetes but this statement can be questioned: some sorts of honey can indeed bring down the number of harmful elements like cholesterol, however, other sorts will boost the sugar in the blood.
Honey will balance the blood pressure
Eating a bit of this sweet stuff every day will keep our pressure balanced which will positively affect the wellbeing of our hearts.
It can heal wounds
Centuries ago, honey was used for curing people, too. It was especially good on wounds and burns, and even nowadays this product is applied to infected half-healed wounds due to the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects it has.
Besides, honey is a good remedy for various skin diseases and it is able to make the overall skin state better.
Cough suppressor
People who often suffer from upper respiratory infections often go for a dollop of honey to relieve the symptoms. Moreover, it contributes to better sleep which is an extra benefit.
Nevertheless, despite all these positive features, honey is still full of calories and must be consumed reasonably. Besides, this foodstuff must not be given to children under one year old because it may cause allergic and other harmful reactions.
Briefly About The Shelf Life And Storage
The worst enemies of this natural bee product are heat, air, and moisture. For this reason, to keep your golden treasure always fresh, stock it in glass tanks tightly sealed. Like this, the content will be protected from oxidation, excessive heat, and moisturizing. All in one.
As for the storage spot, this foodstuff is the least picky one: just find a cool shady place for it, and let it be there.
Can Honey Spoil?
Let’s be clear at once: true, all-natural raw honey will not spoil. It is almost all sugar which makes it impossible for bacteria to develop and grow. Besides, it has a very low moisture content which protects honey from the development of any living organisms.
Finally, it is acidic, and that makes this sweet liquid the worst place for bacteria to dwell.
Nevertheless, if the product was harvested too early, if it was spoiled, or if it is a processed sort of it, such honey can go bad.
Can Honey Be Frozen?
Being aware of all the beneficial qualities honey has, people often ask themselves whether it would be possible to freeze some for the future. By the way, what temperature does honey freeze?
Unfortunately, the truth is that this natural product can not be frosted! The pure raw honey, if stocked at -4 F, will solidify eventually and can seem to be frozen but in fact, some components in it will keep on flowing very slowly. So technically it will still not be frosted.
Since most of our home frosting cameras are set to -4 C only, this is not enough to become a honey freezing point.
Nevertheless, even if reaching the freezing point of honey is impossible, nobody forbids us to toss a jar into the frosting camera. Some people are afraid that this will destroy all the beneficial properties of the foodstuff, but we can assure everyone: cold will not harm it, on the contrary, it will contribute to preserving the nutrients and positive features of the product!
Only one issue can scare you off from the idea of frosting a jar of this golden treasure, and this is crystallization. Honey, when being kept both frozen or not for long enough, will solidify naturally. Some people don’t like it solid, so consider that before tossing it into the coldest place in your fridge!
Freezing Honey. A To Z Instruction
Since this wonderful bee-made foodstuff will not freeze no matter what we do to it, there will be no strict instructions on how to freeze honey.
However, certain tricks are better to keep in mind if you want this delicious liquid to stay the same tasty and healthy longer.
- Always keep it frozen in the airtight tank. Oxidation will result in faster degradation of the quality of the product.
- Glass tanks are the best ones for storing honey since they will protect it from absorbing the odors from outside. Ensure they have tight lids, and stock the delicious treat safely.
- If you want to freeze honey frames, cover them tightly in plastic film to protect from moisture and air.
Defrosting Frozen Honey Correctly
Honey is very sensitive to heat fluctuations. When being repeatedly warmed up, it will most likely lose much of its nutrients, moreover, the overall quality will also degrade.
For this reason, remember that this foodstuff must be defrosted all at once and never reheated!
For unfreezing, let it melt slowly until it becomes room temperature. It is ok to warm it up slightly, but never put it on the stove to heat!
Why It Crystallizes And How To Prevent That
Most of us have seen that amber-yellow thick and solid honey sold. Some people would think that hardened foodstuff went bad, but in fact, this is a natural process.
Honey begins to solidify when the glucose starts separating from water. It mostly takes place if the liquid is cooled, however, old honey will also get harder.
If this is what you’d like to escape, stock it in glass tanks tightly sealed in a pantry and remember: once it is cooled more than to 50F, it will start crystallizing.
If it did happen, simply immerse the glass tank into hot water and wait until the content is liquid again. Never do that to plastic since we don’t know what can be eliminated from it under the impact of heat!
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