# freezer burn taste - what is it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-burn-taste-what-is-it/230811>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 24, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-burn-taste-what-is-it/230811 "2004-02-24T02:25:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mindwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mindwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mindwater)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-burn-taste-what-is-it/230811/1 "2004-02-24T02:25:07Z")

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Is it oxidized protein or lipids? Why can water get the taste then? Why is it that blueberries don’t get it - lots of antioxidants? But strawberries get it bad. Will BHT or ascorbic acid inhibit it? OK, you food chemists, please explain.

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**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-burn-taste-what-is-it/230811/2 "2004-02-24T03:18:02Z")

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Sorry, I can’t answer your question but food has to be properly prepared for freezing. We have had strawberries frozen for several years with no “freezer burn”. The fresh strawberries were washed, ends removed, mashed and sweeten (with sugar or aspartame) before freezing.

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**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2004, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freezer-burn-taste-what-is-it/230811/3 "2004-02-24T10:47:48Z")

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> [@mindwater](#):
>
> Is it oxidized protein or lipids? Why can water get the taste then? Why is it that blueberries don’t get it - lots of antioxidants? But strawberries get it bad. Will BHT or ascorbic acid inhibit it? OK, you food chemists, please explain.

I suspect that part of the taste comes from odors which have wandered into the fridge and condensed onto the frost. My melted fridge water is full of concentrated cooking smells from the kitchen, plus smells of weird foods in the fridge.

I’ve noticed that the thick skins of blueberries seem to prevent “freeze drying” while strawberries grow frost while at the same time drying out and starting to mummify. Maybe the blueberry skin keeps both frost and the bad smells from condensing somehow?