Tips from beekeepers: can honey be stored in the cold?
Honey is a natural product that has a rich composition and is used not only as a tasty treat, but also to boost immunity.
Traditionally, it is bought in season for future use and used for many months without losing its beneficial qualities.
One way to extend the shelf life of various foods is to freeze them, but is it safe for honey?
We will tell you in the article whether it is possible to store honey in the cold or freeze it.
Content
Effect of freezing
Most often, honey is stored in a cool, dark place for the entire time it is used. In such conditions he can lie for a year or two. When placed in the freezer, the product first acquires viscosity.
The quality of flower nectar will not be affected, but only if there is no exposure to even lower temperatures.
If the thermometer drops even lower, during deep freezing, the honey will harden. In this case, there will be a loss of beneficial properties for which it is valuable. After this, the product will be edible, but can no longer be considered healing.
At what degrees does it freeze?
Each product has its own freezing temperature. For honey it is -36°C and below.
In this case, a transition to a solid state occurs, with a decrease in volume by a tenth. The disadvantage of this storage option is the loss of almost all medicinal properties..
The time required for freezing depends on the volume of the product in the container, the temperature and the initial qualities of the flower nectar.
Is it worth keeping it at sub-zero temperatures?
Freezing honey is a controversial issue. This product can easily be kept simply in a cool place for many months, even without using a refrigerator. If there is no urgent need for freezing, it is better not to do this.
On the balcony (street) in winter
An open balcony as a place to store honey is not the best choice.. In such conditions, it is impossible to maintain a stable temperature, because everything depends on the weather.
In the freezer
The freezer provides stable conditions. This allows you to keep honey throughout its shelf life. The main requirement is that the container is sealed and the temperature is maintained at about -15-20°C.
Frozen shelf life
Shelf life of frozen honey is no more than 12 months. During this time, the product will retain beneficial substances.
If flower nectar lies longer, it will remain suitable for use as food, but will no longer have a therapeutic or preventive effect.
How to freeze?
To freeze honey, you should choose a suitable container.Glass jars, in which sweet supplies are usually stored, are not suitable for this purpose, as they can burst at low temperatures. The best option is to choose small food-grade plastic containers.
The honey is placed in prepared containers and placed in the freezer. The temperature in the chamber should be about -15 or -20°C. This is due to the fact that at very low temperatures the product loses its beneficial qualities.
Additional recommendations:
Repeated defrosting and re-freezing should not be allowed. This will lead to a decrease in the taste and nutritional properties of the product.- Honey should be isolated from meat, fish, etc.
- Defrosting should be carried out at a temperature no higher than +40°C, since if this rule is violated, honey loses its beneficial qualities.
- Conditions in the freezer should be stable, without sudden changes.
- Each freezer container should only hold one type of product. Mixing several varieties together is not advisable.
Additionally, it is advisable to attach a label to each container indicating the type of honey and the date of freezing. This will help keep the product's expiration date under control and use it on time.
Minimum temperature readings
Honey tolerates slight negative temperatures well, and retains its unique composition of natural nutrients down to -20°C. At lower rates, there will be a loss of these qualities.
Conclusion
Honey has the property of hardening even at above-zero temperatures. This is a natural process known as sugaring.Freezing, especially deep freezing, leads to a decrease in beneficial qualities, so it is not recommended by beekeepers.
