Why is it when you unfreeze meat, you get a plate full of 'juice'?

[megalithic]

Crikey medusa....can you explain in English please?...hahaha....Are you saying the bags are never truly waterproof?....

 

For a simplified version see my post above.

[taxman]

That's it.

 

The cells are full of water, that expands to sharp ice crystals when frozen & breaks the cell walls. It leaks out when defrosted & leaves you with dry meat with a poor texture after it's been cooked.

 

Medusa is saying the bags get damaged or torn in the freezer by ice too.

 

That's it.

 

It's called the freeze thaw effect. Frozen water expands, disrupts the texture of the meat (or rock in classic geographical terms) then melts producing an excess of water...then freezes again causing more expansion and so on and so on.

 

It's why rocks can shatter due to freeze thaw and why meat isn't quite like it should be after freezing/thawing.

[boyfriday]

For a simplified version see my post above.

 

To be fair mega your answer doesn't explain why juices leak from the bag the meat's contained in

[avidcameron]

Most frozen items are sprayed when frozen to add bulk- a recent economy pack of Cambodian shrimps boasted 140g dry matter retailing at a weight of 250g,making a water content of 44per cent.They were bought from Hillsborough's answer to Smithfield market,Mark Fulcrums,in the penny ardcade.

 

Ps they were rather tasteless.

[anywebsite]

But in my experience (limited as it is), I can put any meat, whatever in the freezer, in a really strong bag, and I always end up with a plate / bowl full of meat juice...I can't believe every bag, just leaks cos it's been frozen...Or does it?

 

Plastic freezer bags aren't very strong. If you wrap it too tight they'll rip when the contents freeze & expend, too loose & they'll snag on sharp bits of ice, moisture on the bag could freeze & cause small holes too. A lot of liquid will come out, it only needs to find a tiny hole in the bag.

 

Just make sure you always use a plate or bowl big enough to contain any juice.

[Allen]

Why not just take it out of the bag to defrost.

[adamf]

That's it.

 

The cells are full of water, that expands to sharp ice crystals when frozen & breaks the cell walls. It leaks out when defrosted & leaves you with dry meat with a poor texture after it's been cooked.

 

The same thing happens to the cell walls in fruits --- that's why they go mushy when you freeze & thaw them.

[melthebell]

It's probably more coloured water than concentrated blood.

 

Pour it in your gravy making tin.

i was gonna say its more likely water thats got juice / colour in it