How can you preserve honey for an endless supply of this liquid gold? Should you freeze honey to preserve it?
Honey is a wonderful gift from nature. Although it seems to be everywhere, getting pure honey is not that easy.
If you’re lucky to have found pure honey in large quantities, you should look for ways to preserve it for a long period.
There are so many foods you can freeze and so many foods you cannot and shouldn’t freeze.
Millenora knows this and has carefully put together answers to your questions about freezing food items.
What is honey?
Honey is a sweet liquid food substance that is made by honeybees and some other species of bees.
This indulgent liquid is highly nutritious and versatile. It has both culinary and non-culinary uses. Pure, raw honey is golden, clear, and very delicious.
Honey is a product of the industrious activity of honeybees. The bees take nectar from flowers, convert it to honey, and deposit it into the honeycomb.
Nectar goes through digestion, enzymatic activity, regurgitation, and evaporation before it becomes honey. Furthermore, the viscous liquid is a mixture of glucose, fructose, other sugars, and complex carbohydrates.
Honey is good for food. It is used as a spread for bread and biscuits; dipping sauce for cheese, apples, and chicken; and as a condiment for salad and chicken dressing.
Can you freeze honey?
Yes, you can freeze honey to preserve it for as long as a lifetime.
Unlike some other food items, honey will not lose its taste, texture, or flavor after freezing. In reality, pure honey doesn’t freeze. It only solidifies and runs slowly after freezing.
Naturally, pure honey lasts long whether out of the freezer or not. But, freezing honey gives double assurance of the quality and freshness of the honey.
Also, the temperature in the freezer prevents bacterial action on the honey and keeps all its good stuff intact.
Can you freeze honeydew melon?
Yes, you can.
Freezing honeydew melons allows you to enjoy fresh melons at their best for up to six months.
However, when frozen honeydew melons thaw, they become softer and mushy because of their original high water content. Frozen melons are only good for smoothies and sorbets.
In addition, when freezing honeydew melons, cut them open, remove the seeds, and cut them into cubes. Then, put them into freezer bags and freeze them.
Can you freeze honey-baked ham?
Yes, you can.
Freezing honey-baked ham is the best way to keep ham fresh for up to six weeks. You can freeze already thawed or leftover honey-baked ham.
Store honey-baked ham in an airtight container or a freezer bag. If you’re using a freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
Can you freeze honey-baked turkey?
Yes, you can.
Honey-baked turkey will stay frozen and fresh for up to six weeks. When you take it out of the freezer, you will be surprised that it retains its quality.
Just make sure you first thaw it in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature.
Can you freeze honey butter?
Freezing honey butter is your best bet at preserving it against the day it’s all you crave.
You can also store it in the freezer to keep yourself from having too much. Honey butter can stay frozen for two to three months and remain safe to eat.
Frozen honey butter retains its goodness after it thaws. When you’re ready to take it out of the refrigerator, make sure you thaw it overnight before bringing it to room temperature.
Can you freeze honey cakes?
Yes, you can freeze honey cakes to keep them for up to three months.
The honey in the cake keeps it moist while it freezes. Cut the cake into slices and put them in an airtight container. To freeze a whole cake, wrap it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil before you freeze.
Can you freeze honey roast parsnips?
Yes, you can.
Honey roast parsnips will stay frozen and fresh for a few more days or a week. Keep them in an airtight container to prevent bacterial activity and contamination.
Can you freeze honey mustard chicken?
You may but it’s not advisable.
The honey mustard chicken recipe contains mayonnaise, and mayonnaise doesn’t freeze so well.
To avoid losing the quality and freshness of your recipe, freeze the chicken and sauce in separate bags.
Can you freeze honey joys?
No. Freezing honey joys will make them lose their crunch.
Moreover, they do not keep for so long. Therefore, keeping honey joys in a freezer is not a good idea.
To keep these treats beyond the day you made them, keep them in an airtight container and refrigerate them instead.
How to freeze honey
Use glass jars
Store honey in transparent glass jars to prevent oxidation. Pour the honey into as many jars as you want to use and clean the necks of the jars if there is spillage.
Remember to leave about an inch of headspace in the jar to allow room for expansion (although honey doesn’t expand much). Afterward, cover the jars firmly and clean the body of the jars.
Double proof
Put the glass jars in freezer bags to double-proof the jars. This also prevents the honey from absorbing smells from other foods in the freezer.
Also, the freezer bag helps to contain honey spills from any crack in the jar.
Freeze
Put the bags at the back of the freezer and set the freezer to your desired temperature. Avoid opening the freezer too frequently to keep the temperature stable.
Additionally, when you are ready to thaw the honey, take out as much as you need and leave the rest in the freezer. Most importantly, do not refreeze thawed honey.
How long can you freeze honey?
Honey can stay frozen for as long as a lifetime.
Honey lasts very long, with or without freezing. Freezing will only extend its shelf life and prevent crystallization and contamination.
Pros of freezing honey
- Freezing honey helps to prevent color and flavor changes that naturally occur as honey ages
- Also, freezing honey prevents exposure to moisture that can encourage bacterial growth and consequent contamination
- Storing honey in a freezer allows you to enjoy honey in all seasons and for a long time too
- Additionally, storing honey in the freezer prevents crystallization
Cons of freezing honey
- Frozen honey can be tempting to eat. Eating too much of it can result in sugar overload
- If you thaw frozen honey with a rapid change in temperature, it’ll lose its texture
FAQs
Does honey expand when it freezes?
No. Honey doesn’t expand when it freezes, at least not so much, because of its low moisture content.
Can you freeze honey in glass jars?
Yes, you can.
Glass jars are the best containers for freezing honey. They help to prevent the oxidation of honey, which happens if you store honey in metal or plastic containers.
Can you eat frozen honey?
Yes, you can but it’s not advisable to do so.
Eating frozen honey can give you diarrhea when you have too much of it.
Does honey go bad?
Honey rarely goes bad but it can go bad under the wrong storage conditions.
If honey gets contaminated from scooping with stained utensils, it will go bad. Also, honey oxidizes quickly in metal and plastic containers. Therefore, preserve honey from spoilage by storing it in airtight glass jars.
Conclusion
Yes, you can freeze honey to protect it from exposure to moisture and prevent crystallization.
Although it’s not necessary to freeze honey, freezing helps to keep the honey fresh. Store your honey in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.
When you’re ready to use frozen honey, make sure it thaws completely, preferably without heat. So, with all this information, you can stock up on honey.
Finally, if you run out of honey amid cooking, here are some perfect honey alternatives you can make do with. Remember to stock up on a few of them too.
Thanks for reading.
