What causes freezer burn and why does it make food taste so horrible?
In: Chemistry
Freezer burn that you find from items too long in the freezer is caused by two things: sublimation and enzymatic activity. First, the enzyme activity present in foods like meat is slowed considerably in frozen foods, but it still continues. Meats left long enough in the freezer will suffer quality issues from this. The other and more common problem is sublimation, where the water as ice in the food changes directly to vapor and then back to ice (outside the food) again. This dries out the food and makes it yucky. Sublimation can be largely prevented by eliminating an air space between the food and its container (vacuum sealing or similar).
Latest Answers