Can You Freeze Honey?
You can put almost anything in a freezer, which is why many people have found themselves holding and wondering — “Can I put this in the freezer? And, more importantly, should I?” If you are one of those people, you have come to the right place. Today, we are answering all your burning questions about freezing raw honey, from whether or not it is scientifically possible to what potential drawbacks it can have.
Can You Freeze Honey?
There are two different ways to approach this question. The first is, “Can you put honey in the freezer?” And the answer is yes, you can technically put honey in your freezer at home. As for whether or not this is beneficial or if it has any drawbacks, we will tackle that more in the next section.
The second way to approach this question is: “Will honey freeze in a standard freezer?” And the answer is no, natural honey will not freeze from a purely scientific standpoint. That is because the technical definition of freezing refers to the process of a substance passing from a liquid to solid state, and at-home freezers are not cold enough to make honey do this.
Most at-home freezers are set to temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is low enough to cause the honey to crystallize and develop a cloudy appearance. However, this is not the same as freezing solid. In fact, honey will still be liquid enough to flow, albeit more slowly than at room temperature, when kept at zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Once you enter the temperature range between -4 and -60 degrees Fahrenheit, the honey enters into a glassy transitional stage where it is neither fully solid nor fully liquid. Once you get down to -60 degrees, the honey finally becomes an amorphous solid that resembles glass.
Enough with the science talk. We will move on to discussing whether or not you should be putting honey in the freezer.
Should You Freeze Honey?
Many people store meals in the freezer to keep them from spoiling since the super cold temperatures prevent or slow the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. Some people take this approach one step further and apply the same reasoning to honey, figuring that putting the honey jar in the freezer will prolong its shelf life.
While it may seem logical at a glance, this extra step is completely unnecessary. That is because raw, unadulterated honey has an extremely low moisture content, which naturally prohibits the growth of bacteria that plagues other foods. Thus, as long as the honey is kept free from moisture and contamination, it will continue to keep on the shelf indefinitely.
In fact, putting honey in the freezer can actually expose it to moisture, since freezers tend to be full of ice and thus the environment is pretty wet. Other foods in the freezer could also potentially contain germs and bacteria that could get transferred to the honey. Therefore, we recommend storing the honey in a cool, dry place when not using it. Check out our guide that explains how to store raw honey for more details.
Freezing honey will not impact its nutritional value, but it can alter the texture and sometimes the taste as well. That is because cool temperatures can speed along the process of crystallization, which occurs when sugar molecules precipitate out of the honey, forming tiny little clumps. The presence of water also contributes to crystallization, making the cold, damp environment of a freezer an almost surefire way to cause crystallization. See our instructions for how to decrystallize honey for a more thorough breakdown of how to reverse this process.
Raw honey tastes delicious and has excellent nutritional benefits, which is why we recommend keeping a jar on hand in the pantry (not the freezer) at all times. If you are looking for some high quality honey, check out our raw honey set, The Couplet, which features two unique and tasty flavors. Be sure to explore our other elevated pantry staples while you are at it.
