Why does frozen food seem to have lost its original taste and texture after reheating?
I usually freeze my leftovers.
Then, when I reheat them, the flavors are diminished - less salt, less chili, less everything.
Any ideas why?
Best Answer
There are a variety of factors at work here:
Freezing foods "improperly" (i.e. not flash-frozen, not vacuum-sealed) causes ice crystals to form within the food, damaging the molecular structures. This is what causes many frozen leftovers to become "mushy" or change in texture.
Again due to the formation of ice and the movement of water when the food is reheated, tiny particles such as spices can be lost in steam and/or runoff water.
Extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) can denature enzymes in the food, changing their flavor, texture, etc.
As food sits, flavors in the food may blend together in different ways, causing the food to have less distinct flavors.
If your freezer isn't especially clean and your food not well-sealed, your food may be absorbing other odors which are again "masking" the original flavor of your food.
Hope that gives you some ideas.
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Why does frozen food lose its flavor?
Because water expands when it's frozen, cells rupture, and flavor is often lost in the process. Additionally, because foods have needed to be heated before freezing to kill harmful bacteria and then reheated again before serving, flavor has been sacrificed.What happens when you heat up frozen food?
During thawing the microwave raises the temperature of food and if it enters the danger zone, 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria begins to grow and multiply. Remember frozen food still contains bacteria even though they are inactive. When a food's temperature rises, bacteria becomes active once again.Does freezing food change the texture?
Changes in texture during freezing When the water freezes, it expands and the ice crystals cause the cell walls to rupture. So the texture of thawed produce is much softer than when it was raw. This is particularly true of food that is usually eaten raw.Why does meat taste different when reheated?
The flavor is variously described as "rancid," "stale," and like "cardboard," and even compared to "damp dog hair." Warmed-over flavor is caused by the oxidative decomposition of lipids (fatty substances) in the meat into chemicals (short-chain aldehydes or ketones) which have an unpleasant taste or odor.You Can't Reheat Some Foods Under Any Circumstances
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Answer 2
I asked this to a Swedish food guru and got the explication that freezing and reheating often softens the food. The effect is that each food piece has less time in the mouth before swallowing and therefore has less time to be tasted.
Not fully convinced but it might be worth experimenting with.
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