You shouldn’t try to freeze honey because it has such a long shelf life it’s not necessary to do so. However, freezing honey won’t cause any issues with the honey and is acceptable if you want to store it that way.
In this article, I will discuss why freezing honey isn’t necessary and give some other tips on storing honey if you want to freeze it. I will also explore if you can eat frozen honey and freeze a honeycomb. So, let’s get started!
Why Freezing Honey Isn’t Necessary
Honey doesn’t need to be frozen because it has an extremely long shelf life. You can keep honey stored in your cupboard almost indefinitely. So, if you find a jar tucked away in the back of your cabinet a few years later, you can still eat it!
The only issue with the shelf life of honey is that, over time, it can become crystallized. Most don’t like to use it when this happens because it’s not smooth and syrupy anymore.
However, it takes quite some time for honey to crystallize. When this happens, the honey hasn’t gone bad; its form has changed due to its sugar.
You would need to freeze honey to increase its shelf life if you were buying large quantities of honey at a time, such as stocking up on honey for only yourself or a few people. Then it would surely crystallize before you could use the large amount.
If you’re buying a jar or two of honey, you can store it at room temperature in your cabinet without issue.
Putting honey in the fridge is unnecessary because this will not help the shelf life. Rather, the lower temperatures will change the texture of honey, making it much harder to get honey out and spread it on anything. The colder honey gets, the thicker it becomes.
Can You Eat Honey After It’s Been Frozen?
You can eat honey after it’s frozen with no problems. Freezing the honey is perfectly safe and won’t spoil the honey by any means. When freezing honey, the consistency will return to normal once it’s thawed out.
Honey has very little water, so there is no water to expand during the freezing process. And when it thaws out, there isn’t enough water to water down the honey.
If you wish, you can freeze honey in a jar. There’s no need to freeze it in a different container. It’s safest in a jar that is tightly sealed as long as the jar is freezer safe.
If you want, you can pour honey into an ice cube tray to make honey cubes. These are beneficial for your skincare as you can use frozen cubes of honey on your face. You could also freeze them into cubes to easily add them to your cooking or put them in a smoothie as a natural sweetener.
When thawing the frozen honey, it’s best to set it out and let it thaw at room temperature.
You can also set the honey jar in a pot of lukewarm water to bring it to room temperature in cold climates. Make sure the jar is fully sealed and the opening is above the water level to prevent moisture from entering the jar and spoiling your honey.
Frozen Honey Tiktok Trend
Recently there has been a TikTok trend of consuming large quantities of frozen honey in a water bottle added to corn syrup or other things.
Doing this is highly unrecommended as the high sugar content can cause you to become physically ill. Honey can be good for you if it’s not eaten in large quantities. Too much sugar from any source can cause an upset stomach.
You can get headaches or an upset stomach. It’s not the frozen honey that’s the issue; it’s the trend of eating frozen honey in large quantities that’s the issue.
Does Honey Ever Go Bad?
Honey can go bad if too much moisture get into the jar or bottle. Otherwise, its shelf life is quite long. Honey doesn’t have much water in it, to begin with. So, when moisture gets into the honey, this can cause significant problems.
Moisture can completely change the consistency of honey. According to Killer Bees Honey, too much moisture can cause the honey to ferment and make it extremely sour. So it’s essential to keep your honey in a sealed container and away from moisture.
Over time honey can crystallize, but this doesn’t mean it’s gone bad. You can prevent this by storing it at room temperature or freezing it.
Lower temperatures promote crystallization, but when frozen, the temperature is too low for honey to crystallize. However, when honey is placed in the refrigerator, it’s the perfect temperature for crystallization.
When honey is kept for a long time, it may change color and appear darker. The flavor can also be affected and not be as strong when this occurs. You can still consume it, and it won’t harm you, but it may not taste as good.
Crystallized Honey Can Be Saved
You might run into crystallization when keeping honey for a long time. This crystallization is completely normal because of the sugar content of the honey.
Most might discard their honey when this happens, but you don’t have to do this. There is a way to fix crystallized honey and return it to its natural form.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Grab your honey, a pan, light corn syrup, water, and a clean jar.
- Put your crystallized honey in a pan with a few tablespoons of light corn syrup, and then add about an inch of water.
- Gradually heat the mixture until your honey returns to its smooth, syrupy form.
- Pour your honey into a clean jar and seal.
Now your honey is as good as new, and you won’t have to buy more.
How to Properly Store Honey
Storing honey the right way is an excellent way to ensure you get the most out of your honey’s shelf life. Proper storage will ensure no moisture gets in and the honey doesn’t go bad.
You should store your honey in a glass jar with a tight seal. According to Sioux Honey, It’s not recommended to store your honey in plastic or metal containers; because those materials can cause the oxidization of honey.
It’s also essential that your jars have a tight seal to keep any type of moisture out.
You will probably find honey sold in plastic containers at the store. However, these won’t keep as long due to the plastic container. So, look for honey sold in glass jars and pay a little extra to ensure your honey keeps for a very long time.
The Rormket 1.5oz 6-pack Mini Glass Hexagon Jars Gold Lids (available on Amazon.com) are an excellent option for storing honey. They are a cute mini size and come with a honey dipper to easily get your honey out. The screw-on jars allow for a tight seal to keep your honey safe.
You can also use the basic mason jars to store your honey, such as the Kamota Mason Jars 12 oz With Regular Lids and Bands (available on Amazon.com). These have a great seal and are made of glass to keep your honey from oxidizing.
Related How to Package and Ship Honey in the Mail.
Can You Freeze Honeycomb?
Honeycomb can be frozen if you need to store it for a long time. If you have a lot of honeycombs or don’t think you’re going to eat it within a month or so, it’s best to freeze it. Don’t store a honeycomb in the refrigerator, as this can make it harder to chew and make the texture unpleasant.
Honeycomb is made of honey and beeswax created by the bees themselves. All parts of the honeycomb are edible. So, even the waxy part is edible; however, it is very chewy, so it’s not appealing to some. It, like honey, has a long shelf life because its contents don’t spoil easily.
If you consume your honeycomb within a few months, you can keep it stored at room temperature, wrapped, and sealed.
Make sure to keep it away from any moisture or bugs that might want to take a bite of the sweet honey. When the honeycomb goes bad, it will no longer be soft and chewy and will become lighter in color.
When freezing a honeycomb, it’s essential to let it thaw out correctly. Simply take the honeycomb out of the freezer and set it at room temperature. Let it completely thaw on its own.
Do not heat the honeycomb in the microwave or put it in warm water to thaw. Doing so can affect its consistency. Moisture getting to the honeycomb will affect the flavor and texture, just like honey in a jar.
It’s smart to store your honeycomb correctly no matter how long it will be stored because they can be quite expensive, especially if you’ve sourced good-quality combs.
If you want to try honeycomb, you can try the Great Bazaar All Natural Raw Honeycomb 100% Honey Pure Turkish Raw Honey Comb (available on Amazon.com). It’s a great affordable choice, and it’s all-natural. So, the flavor should be delicious. In addition, you’re helping support a bee farm.
Honeycombs and How To Use Them
You may wonder what honeycomb is used for since it’s not just liquid honey. Honeycomb has become more popular and is a delicious treat to add to numerous foods.
Honeycomb can be used as a spread or natural sweetener in various desserts. You can also add it to a charcuterie board of fruits and cheeses.
Health Benefits Of Honeycomb
Necessary supplements that are in a honeycomb are:
- Niacin
- Potassium
- Vanillin
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
There are several health benefits to eating honeycomb. Honeycomb has been known to improve liver function and be a natural cough syrup for those with a cold or sinus infection.
It is also an excellent alternative for those who have diabetes and have to be careful with the sugars they use. It is also great for digestive tract health and soothing a sore throat.
If you’re not a fan of the texture of a honeycomb, don’t worry; there are many other uses for it other than eating it.
Honey for Health and Skincare
Believe it or not, honey and honeycomb are great for things besides eating and can be used in various skincare items.
Honeycombs are full of antioxidants, making them a great addition to skincare. Honey is also very soothing. You may already see honey additives in some of your skincare items.
In case you want to try out skincare products with honeycomb, you can try the Farmacy Store Honey Potion Plus Face Mask – Antioxidant Rich Hydration Mask (available on Amazon.com). This face mask is filled with excellent natural and high-quality ingredients such as honeycomb, which justifies the steep price.
You can also use honey or honeycomb at home to make your facemask. You can mix honey with various ingredients you probably already have in your pantry to make a mask that suits your needs.
- Honey/honeycomb is most commonly mixed with turmeric and lemon juice to create a face mask.
- Oatmeal is often used for face masks; mixing it with honey makes for a super soothing mask.
- Lavender and honey is another great combination for great-looking skin.
You can also apply honey alone to your face and receive great benefits. As mentioned earlier, you can freeze honey into ice cubes to rub on your face during your skincare routine.
Final Thoughts
Freezing honey is not necessary because it has such a long shelf life. You should store honey at room temperature unless you’re trying to store insanely large amounts. However, you can freeze honey and honeycomb without any issues if you need to, such as when you need to store them for longer than a few months.
You can eat honey after it’s been frozen, but be careful not to overeat as this can make you sick. Ensure your honey and honeycomb are stored in properly sealed containers to avoid moisture from getting them.
Thanks for stoppin’ by!
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (bartending), and making jelly.
Anne has a professional canning business, has been featured in the local newspaper as well as on the Hershey website, and has been her family canner for decades. Anyone growing up in the South knows that there is always a person in the family who has knowledge of the “old ways,” and this is exactly what Anne is.
With over 55 years of experience in these endeavors, she brings a level of hands-on knowledge that is hard to surpass. Amazingly, she doesn’t need to reference many resources due to her vast wealth of experience. She IS the source.
Anne wants nothing more than to pass on her extensive knowledge to the next generations, whether that be family or anyone visiting her website, her YouTube channel, or survivalfreedom.com.
Recent Posts
Molasses is a bit healthier than honey, but both are natural products much healthier than granulated sugar. Both are fine sweeteners, and the choice of which to use is a matter of personal...