Freezing super frames for later extraction???

[tchu]

Good morning

*EDIT* the bees haven’t capped any of the frames, in case this detail makes any difference to your answers

A fellow beekeeper asked me if it would be ok if she collected her super frames now and freeze them for a few days before extracting. She has a very tight timetable that can’t be changed.

I’ve never heard of such a thing, except that I know that once something is thawed then you aren’t suppose to refreeze it and perhaps it should be consumed within a certain period of time?
So here I am, after the wise advice of the forum members.

Thanks in advance

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

why freeze them at all? it's better they stand around for a few days at room temperature than in a sub zero atmosphere - they're going to be a b*gger to extract after defrosting, as it will be as viscous as heck.
That 'rule' about refreezing is applicable to perishable foodstuffs not honey, after honey is defrosted, it will again last forever.

 

[pargyle]

As per JBM above but tell them to make sure they are stored somewhere that the bees can't get to and that there are no gaps in the stack that the little beggars can get in to - otherwise - they will smell the honey and they will be all over it. If there is as much as a bee sized gap in the stack anywhere and they can get to it it will be goodbye to the honey in that super in a matter of hours.

I made the mistake once .... a super robbed out in a single afternoon ..... could not believe how fast they can strip honey out ...

 

[The Poot]

As per JBM above but tell them to make sure they are stored somewhere that the bees can't get to and that there are no gaps in the stack that the little beggars can get in to - otherwise - they will smell the honey and they will be all over it. If there is as much as a bee sized gap in the stack anywhere and they can get to it it will be goodbye to the honey in that super in a matter of hours.

I made the mistake once .... a super robbed out in a single afternoon ..... could not believe how fast they can strip honey out ...

An opportunity for you Phil - find the colony that stole it and take it back from them. Sell it as “Twice bee processed honey“ or “Honey, quality tested by second colony”
I‘m sure you could come up with a good marketing strap line for it and sell at twice the price

 

[enrico]

Yes your edit does make a difference. Is the honey ripe? Had it been tested with a refractometer. If not then leave it with the bees.

 

[pargyle]

An opportunity for you Phil - find the colony that stole it and take it back from them. Sell it as “Twice bee processed honey“ or “Honey, quality tested by second colony”
I‘m sure you could come up with a good marketing strap line for it and sell at twice the price

Welllll ... if posh restaurants can charge a premium for re-fried potatoes..... there's hope for me yet ! Double Processed Raw Unfiltered Unheated Artisan Real Honey has a certain ring to it ... I'll have to sell it in 2 lb jars to get the label to fit on ....

 

[Redcap]

Welllll ... if posh restaurants can charge a premium for re-fried potatoes..... there's hope for me yet ! Double Processed Raw Unfiltered Unheated Artisan Real Honey has a certain ring to it ... I'll have to sell it in 2 lb jars to get the label to fit on ....

Don't forget to include 'Organic' for extra prestige..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Welllll ... if posh restaurants can charge a premium for re-fried potatoes..... there's hope for me yet ! Double Processed Raw Unfiltered Unheated Artisan Real Honey has a certain ring to it ... I'll have to sell it in 2 lb jars to get the label to fit on ....

Double UNPROCESSED

 

[The Poot]

Double UNPROCESSED

Well corrected

 

[tchu]

Yes your edit does make a difference. Is the honey ripe? Had it been tested with a refractometer. If not then leave it with the bees.

Good point. As far as I’m aware, it hasn’t been tested. However, the bees started to draw out the super frames quite late in the season and this would be the very first honey crop of that colony. So my guess would be that the honey in the great majority of the frames isn’t ripe, although I believe that there are a couple of frames that had some of the cells already capped.