Freezing and thawing whole frames of honey

[Foxhound]

Anyone have any experience storing whole frames of honey in the freezer and thawing them for cut comb honey.
How do you make sure the honey hasn't crystalized in the cells while frozen?

Do you have to thaw the frames out in the refrigerator?

Is there any harm in just thawing from frozen at room temperature?

Thanks

-Adam

[Dallasbeek]

No experience, but it seems to me honey is pretty much indestructible.  5,000-year old honey from pyramids is still honey, so looks to me like freezing and thawing however you want should work.

[Blacksheep]

Yes you can freeze and thaw at room temps.Freezing kills any larvae which might be present.

[mtnb]

I've read that some people freeze them in bags and when you thaw them, you should remove from the bag cuz they may mold on you. Doesn't freezing slow down the crystalization process? I think it does...

[jalentour]

Adam,
Anything not capped will be a little messy.  I've only used it to feed back to nucs in the spring. 
But you should have no problems.

[Michael Bush]

Freezing not only doesn't CAUSE it to crystallize but will actually prevent it.  Leave it in the freezer until you are ready to market it.  Then cut it while it's still frozen with a good sharp knife.

[chux]

Freezing not only doesn't CAUSE it to crystallize but will actually prevent it.  Leave it in the freezer until you are ready to market it.  Then cut it while it's still frozen with a good sharp knife.

Good to know. Thanks for sharing!! I thought I had read or heard someone say say that freezing would prevent crystalization. Now I know.

[Michael Bush]

57 F on the other hand will crystallize it at the maximum rate...

[Dabbler]

OK, I'll bite. 
In the interest of my continuing education . . . .What makes 57F optimum temperature for crystallization?

[Maggiesdad]

There are other sugars than just sucrose in honey, and 57? is where they precipitate best. Look up "Dyce Method" for making creamed honey.

[Michael Bush]

>What makes 57F optimum temperature for crystallization?

A lot of research by Dr. Dyce at Cornell many years ago did the research and discovered it.  Reality makes it the optimum temperature. :)

[Acebird]

Is there any harm in just thawing from frozen at room temperature?

Depending on the RH in the room you may get condensation on the frames of honey.  If you stand your boxes on edge so air can pass through it will dry this water out.  I learned this year not to stack boxes when I do my fall extraction.

[Foxhound]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I was able to pull full frames out of the freezer without any effects to the honey. Once thawed, they ran just like they came from the hive.

[Acebird]

I was able to pull full frames out of the freezer without any effects to the honey.

  You and a whole bunch of other people before you.

[Joe D]

I have put several supers in the freezer at a time waiting for some more to bee finished so I could extract all at once.  I would put them in trash bags so I didn't get honey in the freezer.  Then would take em out, I have a fiberglass cover over back of my truck, and put supers in it for a couple of days and extract. 


Good luck you old fox hunter.

Joe D

I used to competition Coon Hunt.