At Grydle & Sync, we would like to introduce our readers to the vast world of food service equipment, and we will start with some of our more innovative product lines. Our first series of article will comprise of a comprehensive guide for blast Freezers and Chillers.
Blast Freezers are the most versatile and among the most productive refrigeration equipment to preserve the taste and texture of food products. Blast freezing is achieved by forcing very cold air at high velocity across a food product in order to freeze the product as fast as possible.
The primary function of a blast freezer is to reduce the freeze time. Short freeze time allows kitchens to increase their output from the same space. It also allows chefs to preserve the original texture & taste of raw food so as to fetch a higher food quality and price.
How Does Shorter Freeze Time Enhance Food Quality?
The answer lies in the fact that water molecules freeze differently in the case of blast refrigerators as compared to normal freezer chambers. During cooling, as the kinetic energy in cellular content reduces, the water molecules in the food start freezing to ice. These water molecules do not freeze at their fixed locations but start bonding with other molecules in the vicinity to form ice crystals within the cells.
Once the water molecules move away, there is an increase in the concentration of enzymes and electrolytes present in the food which in turn damages the walls of cells. This damage is far more if the freeze time is long as there is more time for water molecules to move away to form large water crystals.
In case of shorter freeze times, water molecules have less time to bond and only smaller water crystals are formed. In this case, cell membranes are not harmed much by the enzymes and electrolytes as their concentration is lower. Therefore, when the product is thawed, the original texture is reproduced and the food remains firm. However, the product frozen without a blast freezer when thawed has damaged cells and food becomes soft, mushy and wilted – a quality which is less acceptable to the customer.
