5 Partial Frames of Uncapped Honey

[utahbeekeeper]

I am using a used but free deep freezer to store my 9 supers.  I have been stewing over 5 frames that are mostly drawn, and 1/4  to  1/3  full of uncapped honey.  I chose not to extract them and combine with crop out of the usual concerns.  It was pretty fresh from the field.  However, what will become of that honey that will be crystalized by next April?  Will the bees just lay in new nectar over the old?  Am I doomed to have a few frames with rock honey in them forever?  I don't put wet supers back on hive to bee cleaned, just plop them in the freezer.  Should I have chanced getting the bees to clean out the green honey?  Thanks   JP

[annette]

I have many frozen frames of honey full and partially full. I was under the impression that freezing will keep the honey from crystallizing, so no problems.

Annette

[Brian D. Bray]

Freezing honey in the combs is a good way to preserve it for later use.  Uncapped honey wil freeze just like cured and capped honey but it will begin the crystalize or ferment sooner after it is thawed.  If your only use is to feed the frames back to your bees in the spring be sure to give a day or two for thawing out before putting on the hive.

[JP]

I find that last seasons honey when left in the hive will crystalize, and this is honey that has wintered, so I would assume that frozen honey from a freezer would crystalize as well, although I've never actually deliberately frozen honey myself.

[Scadsobees]

I've put frames of crystallized honey in hives, and put swarms on frames of crystallized honey.  If it is during the nectar season, I usually see lots of sugar crystals on the SBB insert afterward, so assume that they clean a lot of this out.  Although if capped...then I don't know.

But if kept frozen then it won't crystallize anyway although it will dry it out a bit.  Although, IMHO, if the freezer is sealed, then you shouldn't need to keep the freezer on all the time, just give them a good week of sub zero temps and turn it off.

Rick