Read This.....Great information for better freezer results!

How freezer burn happens, and the science behind it, and of course how to avoid it when freezing anything:

Surrounding your eggs, fish, meat etc with fluid is a good way to fix it, but its not fool proof, and yes, there are far more effective ways to prevent it, if we understand how it occurs.

The commercial fishing industry has commisioned UC Davis in the past to help them develop the absolute best product they can for market sale. In a nutshell, the most important factor of freezing according to this research is how FAST it freezes.

So, Im sure we can all assume that a small glob of eggs on a cookie sheet is going to freeze a lot faster than a 2 lb glob on the same cookie sheet would.
We can also assume that the COLDER the product is when its dilivered to the freezer, the quicker it will freeze.

First of all, "air" and oxygen have absolutely nothing to do with freezer burn. Nothing. Most commercially prepared foods are frozen with no wrappers at all, inside huge walk in freezers exposed to both air and oxygen. The product is frozen first, and THEN vaccuum packed. Dont waste you time vaccuum packing thawed eggs, fish or meat because it doesnt make a bit of difference with freezer burn. Vac it after its frozen.

When you freeze eggs, meat, fish etc. What is freezing?
The water/moisture molecules of course. Those water molecules form thousands of tiny crystals. Water/moisture will *migrate* to the most ideal location to form those crystals. It is all drawn to the coldest spot available, (often the side of your freezer, which is where most of the frost comes from)
Freezer burn is dehydration plain and simple caused by those crystals migrating to the coldest spot to form.

Commercially caught fish are placed on Ice, or in ice baths to reduce the temp of the meat to its lowest possible point without freezing.
Why?
Reducing the temp of the moisture within the meat/flesh before freezing reduces the time that moisture has to "migrate" and form larger crystals.
Those crystals are damaging the flesh as they move. The more time they have to form larger crystals, the more damage and dehydration occurs.
Ever thaw a severely freezer burned piece of fish or steak?
Ever notice how the edges are spongey and plyable, like its not even frozen? The water molecules migrated to the center and froze in one big mass, dehydrating the outer edges for one reason, and one reason only...they had time to.
The puddle of moisture in your freezer bag used to be in the flesh. How do you keep it there? GET IT COLD first.


Bottom line: Whatever you freeze, get it as cold as possible first. When you do put it in the freezer, make sure the freezer is set to its absolute coldest setting so those pesky crystals form as fast as they can without migrating out of the meat, leaving a clump in the middle.

In the scenario of, pouring fluid around already frozen fish is simply reintroducing moisture to whatever dehydration has already occured. I cant say its not a good fix...do it, but get the fish COLD before you toss them in the freezer and youll never have an issue with freezer burn, ever.

"Freeze dried" is just a fancy name for FREEZER BURNT. The process is exactly what you want to avoid.
A product is cooked or warmed, and put into a freezer set to 32 degrees on racks or screens. It takes forever to freeze which allows all the moisture to migrate out of the product. So how do you prevent it?
Do the oposite. Get it cold, and then freeze it FAST.


The proof is in the pudding.
Take two identical sponges. Wet one with warm water and toss it in the freezer.
Take the other and wet it with cold water, put it in the refer for a day and then freeze it.

When they are both frozen, take them out and examine the very obvious differences. The sponge you froze when it was cold will be evenly frozen to a uniform block. The one you froze warm will have soft edges , and the majority of the moisture will be a frozen puddle underneath it.
It has been dehydrated or....... "freezer burnt".


(If you have any left over fish that needs consumption, I'll be glad to take it off your hands )

Tower Todd