# Marinating Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 18, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124 "2020-02-18T21:30:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124/1 "2020-02-18T21:30:49Z")

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My wife claims that food, specifically red meat, will marinate while it is in the freezer. I tried to explain that after a few hours the meat, and perhaps even the marinade, will be frozen so no marinating will be happening. I told her if you want to marinate something overnight just leave it in fridge. Who’s right?

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**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124/2 "2020-02-18T21:54:45Z")

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I once put steak and a red wine marinade in a freezer bag, and then into the freezer.

When I remembered it, the steak was practically pickled. So that’s one data point.

[Winespectator.com](http://Winespectator.com) says  
“It depends on the alcohol content, but most wine will freeze at about 15 to 20 degrees F, and it would need to stay at that temperature for a while before it freezes solidly.”

So, before it freezes, it will have quite a bit of marination time. And then, I have to wonder if the action of the water crystallizing would force the marinade into the meat

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124/3 "2020-02-18T22:00:43Z")

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I’ve done both. Both work well.

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**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124/4 "2020-02-18T23:55:17Z")

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I’ve never marinated in the freezer, but I’ve marinated meat while still frozen and moved to the fridge and I’ve marinated once it’s been defrosted. I haven’t noticed a difference either way.

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**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marinating-question/848124/5 "2020-02-19T01:08:05Z")

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While you’re right that the marinating process will “stop”, (for all practical purposes) when frozen, it will marinate until it freezes and start again when thawing.

The constitution of the marinade and the size/cut of the meat will determine how the acid and salt in the marinade interact with the fibre and muscle cells in the meat that’s been ruptured from ice crystals. If done properly, it could fasten the intake of the marinade for a more tender and flavourful meat. If the marinade is off, the texture will be too mushy and/or too salty.

But as in your case if you’re just marinating overnight, leaving it refrigerated is the better choice.