readily ends up dry, dense, and tough. Cooked
meat suffers less from freezing because its
tissue has already been damaged and lost fluid
when it was heated.
Cell damage and fluid loss are minimized
by freezing the meat as rapidly as possible
and keeping it as cold as possible. The faster
the meat moisture freezes, the smaller the
crystals that it forms, and the less they
protrude into the cell membranes; and the
colder the meat is kept, the less enlargement
of existing crystals will occur. Freezing can
be accelerated by setting the freezer at its
coldest temperature, dividing the meat into
small pieces, and leaving it unwrapped until
after it has solidified (wrapping acts as
insulation and can double the freezing time).
Fat Oxidation and Rancidity In addition to
inflicting physical damage, freezing causes
chemical changes that limit the storage life of
frozen meats. When ice crystals form and