Is honey affected negatively from cold storage?

[Dirtslinger2]

I read somewhere that honey can be safely stored in the freezer- supposedly it will not granulate if stored frozen.
Question is- will this damage any antibiotic properties, OR flavour, colour, etc?
This would be unpasteurized honey.
Thanks.

[J-Bees]

I had a jar on the dash of the truck, it gets cold here sure it has frozen a time or two:}:} it is still good as I am now using it:}

JB:}

[beedeetee]

I have stored honey for a couple of years in a freezer. I am beginning to think that it might be the best long term storage solution for honey. I put it in gallon and quart glass jars and put it in the freezer. It does not expand so you don't have to worry about the glass breaking.

When I did it I didn't have my refrigerator converted to a honey warmer with a thermostat and light bulb/fan. In the freezer the honey did not granulate. The honey was a bright yellow color. As I took in out over about two years the color never changed and it thawed to liquid honey without granulation except on the glass. There was a fine layer of crystals on the inside surface of the glass.

In my warmer, which I keep at 85-95f degrees, my honey darkens slightly over a year. It doesn't do that in the freezer.

[Dirtslinger2]

I have had a similar experience with freezing honey.
But still curious if antibiotic properties are damaged from freezing as it would be from pasturization?
Thanks.

[alpha6]

If you store honey in a cool dark place it will last forever. They have pulled honey out of Egyptian tombs that was still good. Sure you can freeze it, but there is really no need. I suspect that freezing will effect some of the properties of the honey, but I don't have proof to back this up. As far as long term storage...I can't keep honey the demand for it is so high and what I do keep at the house only lasts till next harvest.

[GRIMBEE]

Cold stored honey will crystalize faster. But it will still be fine, just warm it back up. Some varities of honey will crystalize faster than others.

[beedeetee]

A cool dark place will be a nice place to store honey but it will crystalize fastest there and then you have to warm to reliquify. I read somewhere (I can't find it right now but I thought it was in The Hive and the Honey Bee or ABC/XYZ) that time + temp is what affects enzymes in honey. As I remember 15 minutes at 150 was less damage than 105 degrees for a couple of months. It seems that they said that freezing honey had the lesser affect other than just letting it crystalize and eating it that way. (I do creamed honey for this reason).

I used to keep my long term (year) storage honey in an old refrigerator at about 95-105 degrees. There was a noticable darkening as time passed compared to my frozen honey. I don't know personally about the affect on enzymes). I still keep some honey in there but I try to keep the temp 85-95 degrees. It stays pretty liquid at that temp but I can see some cloudiness as time passes.

[sqkcrk]

Cold stored honey will crystalize faster.

No it will not. The optimum temperature for the promotion of crystalization is 55 degrees ferenhite. Anything above or below that will retard the process. Contrary observations are anicdotal.

Putting honey in a freezer is a waste of freezer space. Put stuff in your freezer that benefit from being there. Unless it is more convenient.

[Sprig]

I got to put in my $.02 worth on this as I have two years experience now. I am a nebee still! I have asked the question “what is the best long term storage of honey” to scores of so called experienced beeks and I always seem to get a different answer. I have honey from 07 and 08 stored in the freezer. The 07 jar has crystallized but not as fast as the jars that were stored at room temperature. Again in 08 the honey at room temp is just starting to crystallize, but the jar in the freezer is still clear. I am trying to keep vintage years of honey for myself to compare the difference several years from now. My 08 honey was much lighter than 07. So my experience is that honey in the freezer will still crystallize but not as fast as at room temperature. As far as any damage any antibiotic properties I am not a chemist. But I do not see freezing changing the flavor or color.

[BGhoney]

I read 47 degrees was best for crystilizing, that is the number for making creamed honey. Probably a good sized window around the temp.. We keep several gallons in the freezer year round. Pull it out for a day, refill a few of our 12 oz bears and put it back. I can't taste a difference from fresh.. I can taste a diff, if its crystilized and reliqified. But I'm probably hypersensitive.. oh We keep that freezer at 0

[LtlWilli]

...I inadvertantly left mine in a room that dipped into the 30's one night, and made a couple of observations; the honey from my Russian Hybrid hives was totally unaffected. On the other hand, aged honey from an Italian hybrid hive a failed to harvest from last year, crystallized like crazy. Quite ugly to the eye for sure. The taste is the same, but that grittiness was an oddity, so I have stopped selling it and have plenty to put in my coffee and to make peanut butter/honey sandwiches with. Only one customer requests it now, because it has a coffee-like hint in it's flavor, and he is like me---really enjoys it in that morning coffee.
Rick~LtlWilli

[MAXANT]

Cold stored honey will crystalize faster. But it will still be fine, just warm it back up. Some varities of honey will crystalize faster than others.

Seems to be the case here!

[Mountain Gold]

I agree that if you need freezer space for something that really needs it then get the honey out.
On the other hand, if you have space, the freezer is an excellent spot for it. When you let it
"thaw" it goes right back to liquid state.
As far as enzymes etc., I think freezing would cause very little, if any damage. No data to back that up though.
I think the real damage happens when re-liquifiing crystallized honey. If done too fast/too hot it can definitely affect the vitamin and enzyme stability.