There have never been more challenges than during the summer. TikTok is an ideal place for a fun summer. Food trends are becoming increasingly popular on this platform. Frozen honey is a trend that seems to have marked the summer of 2021.
Honestly, I didn’t think too much about frozen honey until this trend emerged. I researched the topic of leaving honey in cold rooms, in the refrigerator, storage during the winter, but about the “method” of freezing honey … hm. Not really. Probably because I had no need for it because in previous years I had worked with quantities that were sufficient for both sale and home use.
However, if you can’t use your honey in the nearest future, can you freeze the honey instead?
Does honey freeze? How to freeze honey? What happens when you freeze honey? Is frozen honey bad for you? In this article, I will answer these and other interesting questions, so keep reading to learn more about this way of storing honey.
But first of all, a few sentences about the TikTok trend from the beginning of this story.
Frozen Honey Trend
The frozen honey challenge was started by a user of TikTok, where he leaves the honey to cool for 8-9 hours in a silicone mold or plastic bottle, which can be cut and chewed like candy. The video quickly became popular, garnering millions of views and comments. Of course, many other users filmed the same challenge.
Internet users are divided over the results of this challenge. While some believe that the frozen honey trend is quite fine and a great way to enjoy honey, others have experienced the downside of this challenge, which is pointed out by medical experts.
Freezing or storing honey in the refrigerator is not new, but the effect of licking and chewing frozen pieces of honey may not be as good as it seems!
Licking frozen honey had a bad effect on the digestive system of many users, causing cramps, discomfort and other ailments that you can read about in the rest of the article.
Read the article: How Bees Make Honey?
Does Honey Freeze?
Real pure honey will never completely freeze. The reason is that honey is a substance that consists mainly of sugar, not water. Most home freezers only cool to -4C, which is not nearly cold enough to freeze honey.
At this temperature, the honey will harden and look frozen, but some components of the honey will continue to flow, very slowly. So it will not be frozen, but for our needs we can consider that the honey is frozen.
Can You Freeze Honey?
Of course you can. Storing honey is an important part of beekeeping. For some beekeepers, this is a great way to sweeten large amounts of honey. An additional reason for this method is that honey will not crystallize at appropriate temperatures, bacterial growth will be inhibited, and freezing will not affect the texture or taste of honey.
Honey can be stored at room temperature for years. But if you want to store it for a very long time, you will need an effective method for that, such as freezing.
How Long Does Honey Take To Freeze?
Most freezers available to beekeepers and other honey consumers maintain a temperature between -40 C and -200 C. Some can reach -300 C. These temperatures are not adequate for completely freezing honey to a glassy state. However, they are adequate to keep honey fresh for a long time.
It is important that frozen honey does not experience large temperature changes.
What Happens When You Freeze Honey?
Honey tolerates different temperatures well. However, it may lose some of its properties if it is subjected to extremely variable temperatures in a short period of time. Cold temperatures can cause honey to crystallize, while high temperatures will make it more liquid.
If you suspect that the area where you plan to store honey will experience drastic temperature changes, then freezing honey can be a great way to avoid the negative effects of temperature changes.
Let’s see what happens when you freeze honey. Honey is a viscous liquid because it is a saturated solution of sugar. It does not contain much water, so it will not freeze when the temperature reaches the freezing point of water. However, as the temperature gets lower, your honey will become much more viscous.
As the temperature drops, honey goes through several phases.
Phase 1: <-20 ° C: Honey remains in liquid form but flows slowly. Unlike water, the temperature of honey can drop so low and still remain viscous.
Phase 2: -20 ° C to -51 ° C: Honey will undergo a glassy transition state between liquid and solid.
Phase 3: <-51 ° C: Honey will become an amorphous glass-like solid.
Tip: It is best to have a special freezer, intended exclusively for storing honey, as this will avoid a drop in temperature from opening / closing the freezer door(s).
Once you decide to defrost your honey, you should not freeze it again. This will cause it to lose both its nutrients and flavor.
Read the article: Does Honey Expire And Does Honey Go Bad?
How To Freeze Honey?
To make sure that the honey keeps its quality, you must make sure that it is stored properly in the freezer.
Here are some tips on how to freeze honey properly.
- Close the jar tightly before freezing the honey. This will prevent air from entering the jar. Air leads to oxidation and eventual fermentation of honey.
- Clean the outside of the container from any dripping or stickiness.
- Be sure to leave some space in the jar as the honey will expand when you freeze it.
- Do not open the freezer unless necessary to avoid temperature changes.
- Use glass jars when freezing honey. This will protect your honey by absorbing all nearby flavors and odors, and also help prevent moisture from penetrating through the container into your honey.
- When you are ready to use your frozen honey, take it out of the freezer and leave the jar to stand in a warm water bath for a few hours.
How Long Can You Freeze Honey?
As I mentioned earlier, honey can be stored at room temperature for a very long time, all due to its very low water content and pH value, which gives it its well-known antibacterial properties.
So, for how long can you freeze honey? Frozen honey can be stored for hundreds if not thousands of years, as long as the temperature remains stable. There is no need to worry about whether your honey stays in the freezer for too long.
How To Thaw Frozen Honey?
To defrost frozen honey, all you have to do is take it out and leave it at room temperature to warm up slowly. Do not heat the honey directly, as this will destroy its nutrients and antimicrobial properties.
If you are really in need then you can put a jar of honey in a bowl of warm water.
Do not re-freeze thawed honey as this can ruin all its values. There may be a change in the color and taste of honey.
Thawed honey lasts indefinitely, so you won’t even have to put it back in the freezer.
Read the article: Do Bees Poop, Pee Or Vomit And Is Honey Bee Poop?
Is Frozen Honey Bad For You?
The answer to the question of whether frozen honey is bad for you refers to the use of honey from viral videos, i.e. in the form of a lollipop. Dietary trends and challenges are very appealing to people. The trend that appeared on TikTok last year as #frozenhoney shows the freezing of a bottle full of honey that you can later enjoy like ice cream.
Although this challenge has gone viral, experts warn of consuming honey in the frozen state.
Many doctors have agreed that frozen honey or raw honey stored in the refrigerator (50 degrees Fahrenheit) is not safe.
Honey should be consumed only in small quantities and at room temperature.
Dr. Navneet Kauru, general practitioner at Apollo Spectra Nehru Enclave, Delhi, considers the trend of eating frozen honey “dangerous” because diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, joint pain, and tooth damage can occur.
Even a small consumption of frozen honey can negatively affect blood sugar, cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, obesity and more.
Consuming frozen honey leads to cough, cold or throat infection. So this will only result from the opposite effect of honey. Instead of eliminating cough, this use of honey will cause more coughing and congestion in the respiratory tract.
The Final Word
I would certainly write about freezing honey, but probably when the period of extracting large quantities of honey from hives and its proper storage comes. This article is the result of another “wrong” challenge on TikTok. But I certainly gave the answer to the most important questions about freezing honey, which I would write about later.
The answer to the question ‘can you freeze honey’ is certainly yes, but in the way beekeepers do it as a solution for long-term storage. Freezing honey is the right way for this.
And when it comes to licking frozen honey, don’t blindly follow any trend. Health should come first and it is quite okay to even miss some challenges that can be dangerous to your health.
“Certain trends can be risky. So be careful before you become their prey,” doctors advise.
