Gelatin-Filtered Consomme: A Practical Demonstration of the Freezing and Thawing Processes

Freezing is a key food processing and preservation technique widely used in the food industry. Application of best freezing and storage practices extends the shelf-life of foods for several months, while retaining much of the original quality of the fresh food. During freezing, as well as its counterpart process, thawing, a number of critical physiochemical processes take place, including freeze concentration and freezing-point depression. As a start to understanding the complexities associated with frozen foods, Food Science students should be able to describe and explain what occurs during the freezing and thawing of an aqueous solution. A modern cooking technique, gelatin-filtered consomme, illustrates all of the phenomena associated with the freezing and thawing processes in a memorable, edible, hands-on fashion.