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When it comes to edible ice, it is like a fantasy cube that sticks with us in our lives. Do you know the importance of ice in the food industry? Today we will get to know the importance and functions that ice plays in the food industry.
Poultry & Meat
Ice is indispensable in the preservation of poultry as well as meat, where it keeps the temperature at a low and hygienic level during the meat processing. If ice is not used, the rise in temperature caused by the speed and friction of the blender can adversely affect its colour and lead to the formation of bacteria. This makes the food inedible, so it is essential to use ice to prevent spoilage and tastelessness.
Sea Food
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When we shop for seafood in supermarkets, we see seafood wrapped in ice rather than cold water, why is this? As cold water is used on a daily basis, its temperature is between 2 and 15°C, during which time seafood is prone to spoilage, and in the process of transport, if there is a lot of water, it not only affect the volume, but also not convenient for transport.
So it will be sold in the seafood around a thin layer of ice, which can play around the temperature down to 0℃ below, and that not only can effectively maintain the seafood products validity period, but also can make seafood products keep fresh. The main thing is to play the role of seafood preservation, when the quality of seafood becomes better, the natural selling process will be easier to make customers more like, and increase the desire to buy.
Dairy & Fruit & Vegetable
To ensure that dairy & vegetables & fruit are fresh during transport, we usually put ice on top. Because the ice lowers the temperature of the surrounding air, the cold air is denser and will sink downwards, and the heat goes upwards and the cold goes downwards, making it easier to form convection currents for better preservation!
The use of ice fast maintains the ideal temperature for dairy & vegetables & fruit, to prolong the shelf life of the product and ensures that the humidity is at the level required to prolong freshness, while keeping its aesthetic and organoleptic characteristics intact.
Bakery
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Ice is also needed during the baking process. When seating the dough, the operation of the machine can cause the dough to rise in temperature and ferment early before the dough is ready to mix in place, affecting the texture of the bread, so using ice water can slow down the fermentation of the dough.
Precooked Food
Ice is also used for a wide range of applications in precooked food, let’s take a look together.
1. Use for Precooked Vegetable
When you normally cook vegetables and want them to be crunchy, take them out and put them in a bowl of ice cold water once they are cooked. The ice will help the vegetables to cool quickly, keeping them beautifully green and crispier. Similarly, you can use the ice water to cook some vegetables such as carrots and beans.
In addition to some boiled meats, you can also soak them in ice water to cool them down quickly and cut them easily. Cooking chicken feet in ice water will make it more crispy and delicious.
2. Reduce the Fat in Your Food
What if the soup is too greasy? Put some ice cubes in the soup. The ice cubes will cause the fat to solidify and float to the surface. Now just take them out and you have the perfect soup.
3. Ice Water for Reheating Rice
To reheat cold rice, stir the rice well and add some ice cubes. Cover the rice cooker and turn on the normal cooking button until the rice jumps to the keep warm button.
The ice cubes will melt quickly and penetrate the rice evenly so that it becomes soft and does not dry out. The steam released from the ice also helps to stretch the rice, but not in excess, and prevents the bottom of the pan from burning.
4. Keeps Salads Fresher
If you make salads regularly, you’re sure to see that blended salads often wilt rather than being as fresh as they used to be. So let’s change the blend a little to make this dish more appealing by putting an ice cube in it and pouring the dressing over it before blending. With this simple method, your vegetables are sure to be fresher and sweeter.
5. Make Bitter Gourd Taste Crispier
Anyone who likes bitter gourd with shrimp must know that ice cubes are essential. A layer of ice underneath the bitter melon makes it crispier, less bitter and also becomes more chummy and inviting.
Conclusion
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Now you know the importance of ice in the food industry, which brings us a lot of convenience in our daily gourmet life. Learning how to use ice properly in our daily lives can help us preserve food well, and also cook better dishes!
