Why does sauce go watery after freezing?
If I freeze a sauce, particularly something with mince in it, when defrosted it produces excess water.
The sauce before frozen is nicely thickened.
I think it might be because the proteins in the meat are damaged in some way by the ice crystals so that they are unable to retain as much water.
EDIT The sauce I'm referring to is bolonaise and the only thickening agent I used is a bit of tomatoe puree.
Best Answer
Sauces separate when frozen for several reasons.
- If it contains vegetables, the plant cells rupture when the water in them freezes. This means the sauce gets watery and the taste changes as the contents of the cells escape.
- With emulsions, the oil/fat microdroplets clump together when they freeze. When you thaw the sauce, the emulsion is wrecked, giving a runny consistency. You can defeat this by re-emulsifying as you thaw the sauce. See How can I prevent bacon mayonnaise from splitting when above fridge temperature?
- Due to colligative properties, areas of less concentrated solution will freeze first, and more concentrated solution freeze last. As the solution gradually freezes, this has the effect of concentrating dissolved thickening agents in the last regions to freeze. When the solution thaws, the thickener isn't as evenly mixed.
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Quick Answer about "Why does sauce go watery after freezing?"
The water and fat separate out when it freezes. This should just stir back in when it's reheated fine without affecting the thickness of the fully heated sauce. Water could be getting into your food in the freezer though.Why does frozen food go watery?
The critical factor when freezing food is to freeze it as quickly as possible. Food that takes a long time to freeze will grow larger ice crystals. These sharp-edged crystals damage the cell structure, resulting in a mushy texture when thawed. If you place hot food directly in the freezer it will take longer to freeze.What happens to sauce when frozen?
Though most sauces can be frozen with great thawing results, emulsified sauces, like mayonnaise or homemade vinaigrette, should not be frozen, as it's nearly impossible to thaw properly and return the sauce to its original texture and flavor.What is the best way to freeze sauces?
If you have small amounts of sauce left (or want single servings), freeze leftover sauce in ice cube trays or greased muffin cups, freeze, then transfer to plastic bags. Don't forget to label each bag with the name and date. Most sauces defrost perfectly overnight in the fridge.Can you freeze jar sauce?
You can freeze your homemade spaghetti sauce in glass jars but you need to make sure there is headspace (empty space) above the sauce, as the sauce expands as it freezes. What is this? Most twist-off lid jars used for foods like jam, honey, and fruit can be used.Why does water expand when it freezes? - Naked Science Scrapbook
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Answer 2
Some thickeners loose their ability to thicken if frozen. Wheat flour and cornstarch both have problems with freezing after used as thickenters.
Tapioca, arrowroot, rice flour and xanthan gum don't suffer from this problem.
Answer 3
The water and fat separate out when it freezes. This should just stir back in when it's reheated fine without affecting the thickness of the fully heated sauce.
Water could be getting into your food in the freezer though. If you have a large quantity of ice on the top when you remove things from the freezer then you should remove that before defrosting and look at using better sealed containers. You might also need to defrost your freezer.
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