Cryogenic Freezing: |
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| Cryogenic freezing is an advanced, accelerated form of blast freezing in which products are exposed to very cold air or, more commonly, to sprays of liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide at temperatures of minus 150 degrees F or colder. Also known as ultra-rapid freezing, cryogenic freezing is accomplished much more quickly than traditional blast freezing,especially for products less than 2" thick (five minutes for small shrimp or small fish fillets). It offers distinct quality benefits, including a taste and texture more resembling fresh seafood. Cryogenically frozen seafood usually exhibits minimal dehydration and avoids the "cardboard" taste associated with improperly or slowly frozen products. A down side to Cryogenically frozen seafood (especially fillets) is that it can develop a chalky appearance and become quite brittle, shattering easily if dropped. In addition, cryogenically frozen seafood may be a bit more expensive than seafood frozen by other methods. |
