We all buy meat from the market. Either fresh or frozen.
But we all have noticed that the weight of the meat is different when frozen.
Not too much, just a slight difference.
Is this difference real, or is it just a misconception made by us?
A lot of us distinguish it as a myth.
But surely there is some kind of scientific explanation for proving the truth as we freeze the meat using science.
But yes, frozen meat weighs more because of the stuck ice and frozen air inside of it.
When you freeze the meat, you also freeze the small air bubbles inside of it, that makes the meat weigh more than when it was not frozen.
Well, that is what we are going to find out today in detail in our discussion of “Does frozen meat weigh more?”.
Are Things Heavier When Frozen?
Things weigh similar whatever be the temperature.
But you can notice little difference between the fresh and frozen things.
As they have more water stuck to them as ice, instead of dripping off.
In some cases, there are also air bubbles that are too small. It makes the difference in weight but it will be very little.
So, you may feel a little heavier when it is frozen.
So, yes, things are heavier when frozen.
Does Frozen Meat Weigh More?
Now we know that things can get heavier when frozen, it will be quite easier for us to understand the same for frozen meat.
Meat is not solid, nor liquid.
It has gaps in it which are big enough to house a small amount of water and air in it.
The water and air inside make all the difference.
When the meat is processed and packed, there is air and water inside of the meat.
So, when they are frozen, the water inside them gets frozen and turned into ice.
Even though liquid and frozen water/ ice weigh the same, the water is now stuck in the meat and adds up to the weight of the meat.
The air pockets in the meat also get frozen (It is possible to freeze air and turn them into ice. They become slightly heavy when frozen).
This frozen air adds up to the weight of the meat.
So, when we weigh frozen meat, we are weighing the meat plus the weight of the ice/ frozen water plus the frozen air inside.
The sum of the weight of the ice and air inside may not be too much, but it is good enough to be noticeable.
You can understand the difference even more after cooking the meat.
When we cook the meat, we heart it.
This vaporizes all the water inside the meat.
Also, it evaporates the remaining trace of blood and any other juice (mostly) in it.
Also, the meat shrinks in size.
This makes the air pocket inside it shrink and vanish.
All of this eliminates the excessive water and air to go away and thus the meat weighs much less when it is frozen.
So yes, frozen meat weighs more because of the stuck ice and frozen air inside of it.
Does Frozen Meat Weigh More Than Thawed Meat?
Frozen meat has more excessive water and frozen air stuck inside of it.
That is why it weighs more than non-frozen meat.
But that is a slight difference.
The difference in weight is more evident when we are comparing it with thawed meat.
When meat is thawed, the frozen water and air are taken out of it.
The loss of mixture causes the meat to shrink a little and weigh less.
Not only the weight is lost, but the quality of the meat is also lost to some extent.
It turns out that the loss of mixture during thawing reduces the quality of the meat, but it remains safe to eat.
Does Frozen Meat Weigh More Than Fresh Meat?
Fresh meat is those meats that have not gone under the process of preserving or thawing. They may be frozen or chilled.
But let’s keep our discussion limited to frozen meat vs unfrozen fresh meat.
If we compare the weight of these two, then we can get a very slight difference in weight.
If we consider that, then the frozen meat will weigh more.
Both of them may have the same amount of water in them.
Frozen water or ice has the same weight as liquid water.
But the frozen meat will have some frozen air in it.
That will add up to the weight of the meat and make it weigh more.
Check Out Here Our Top Recommendations Of Best Freezer for Storing Meat.
Does The Weight of Meat Change When Frozen?
When meat is frozen, the weight increases.
But the increase is so little that it will be a slight weight change.
We know that frozen water and liquid water weigh the same.
So, the frozen water inside the meat should not have made any difference.
But it turns out that meat loses moisture when thawed.
This loss of moisture makes the frozen meat weigh more.
But there is another reason why meat weighs more when they are frozen.
Meat is not solid. It houses water, and some small air bubbles as well.
Those air bubbles make the real difference.
It is possible to freeze air and make it ice.
While the air may weigh to 0, frozen air does add up some weight.
So, when you freeze the meat, you also freeze the small air bubbles inside of it, which makes the meat weigh more than when it was not frozen.
Does a Pound of Meat Weigh More When Frozen?
A pound, or a gram. All meat weighs slightly more when they are frozen.
The water inside of it froze and got stuck. That adds up to the weight.
Then we have the small air bubbles. These air bubbles will freeze and turn into ice, which will add up to the weight of the meat.
Because the air bubbles are too small, the difference in weight will be very little.
So, if you precisely take a pound of meat and freeze it, it will weigh slightly more than a pound.
When you thaw it, it will weigh less than a pound.
Because thawing causes loss of moisture.
What Size Freezer For Storing Deer Meat? Check Out Here.
How Much More Does Frozen Meat Weigh?
How much more does frozen meat weigh?
That depends on the amount of water and air bubbles the meat has in it before freezing it.
As we have discussed, frozen meat has ice (frozen water), and frozen air in it.
Frozen water and frozen liquid weigh the same.
But air and frozen air have a difference in weight.
So, in short, the difference in weight should be the weight of the frozen air in the meat.
Usually, this difference is very little.
So little that it does not consider the price of the meat.
Now let us think of a scenario where a pound of meat was frozen, then thawed, then frozen again.
In this case, the weight of the meat will differ considerably.
Because when the meat is thawed, it loses moisture (water).
This causes the meat to lose its original weight and quality.
Freezing this meat will add up a little weight since the meat has already shrunken in the process of thawing.
Does Frozen Meat Weigh More Than Defrosted?
The difference in weight is more evident when you are comparing a pound of frozen meat with a pound of defrosted meat.
When frozen, the meat has frozen water and air stuck inside of it. Those are excessive weight.
When that meat is defrosted, it will likely go under the process of heating and thawing.
This will allow the water inside it to emerge out of the meat.
The meat will shrink a little, causing the air bubbles inside to go away.
As all the excess water and air bubbles are gone, the weight of the defrosted meat will be less than the weight of frozen meat.
Should I Weigh My Food Frozen or Thawed?
In our opinion, you should weigh your food when it is frozen.
Thawed food loses its quality due to loss of moisture.
Be it meat or fruit or any other item, thawing them will make them lose their quality.
It will be very unfair to weigh them then since they have already lost some quality.
Besides, the general rule of thumb suggests weighing the food when they are packed/ frozen.
So, you should weigh your food when they are frozen.
But if there are some other instructions for weighing the food in the package, then follow that.
Is Chicken Heavier When Frozen?
Frozen chicken does not weigh more than it is thawed.
Frozen water collecting on the chicken might add a very little amount of weight.
The weight is not going to be different when it is frozen and thawed.
So, you can go ahead and weigh them frozen if you are using a scale.
But generally, the weight of a product is determined before freezing, so it will weigh the same thawed out as it did before a freeze.
For health reasons, it is best not to freeze and eat bought cooked chicken but rather cook it yourself and then freeze for later consumption.
Does Cooked Chicken Weigh Less Than Frozen?
Yes actually, the cooked chicken weighs less than frozen.
Chicken, meat, poultry, and fish will shrink about 25 percent when they are cooked.
Therefore, sixteen ounces i.e., 1 pound of raw boneless, skinless chicken breast will yield about 12 ounces of cooked chicken.
As comparing the calories, 4 ounces raw is comparable to 3 ounces cooked chicken.
How Much Does an Average Frozen Chicken Weigh?
The average chicken, that you most often find in meat stores, usually weighs around 3 – 3.5 pounds.
A larger chicken carcass will include more fat than a smaller chicken.
Does Frozen Chicken Breast Weigh More Than Thawed?
Frozen chicken breast can usually weigh more than the thawed as there is a thick layer of ice on the breast.
But the difference is little, it won’t matter much as the water evaporates when you cook it.
When you are making any recipe, then it can lead to some problems as it can increase the amount of water content in the final dish.
So, always make sure that you are keeping it at room temperature for a few minutes before going to use it.
Is Frozen Fish Heavier Than Thawed?
The simple answer is yes. But as we mentioned above, there is a little difference in weight.
Generally, when a frozen fish is thawed on the countertop, water vapor condenses on it.
First, it makes the white frost, and then it gets melted and leaves a puddle of water around the fish.
The frozen fish itself may have bit ice crystals that will melt and flow away eventually.
You have to always assure that all the little bits of water are weighed before and after thawing the fish.
There are and no extra bits should be added, and then only you will get pretty much the same weight.
Does Frozen Shrimp Weigh More Than Thawed?
Like all other meat and fish, frozen shrimp weigh more when they are frozen.
Frozen shrimp has a noticeable difference in weight when frozen and thawed.
Then when you cook/ fry them, the weight becomes less.
This may make you feel like you are being cheated.
But the general rule of thumb suggests that you should weigh your food when they are frozen/ packed.
But in the case of shrimps (frozen or thawed), we would suggest you not weigh them.
Instead, count how many shrimps you need and buy them.
Conclusion
So that is the end of our “Does Frozen Meat Weigh More?” discussion.
From what we have learned is that frozen meat does weigh more.
But the difference is so little. It does not matter in the case of money.
Source Link
https://www.chowhound.com/post/weighing-frozen-food-861738
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