When it comes to increased efficiency and food safety and decreased food waste, a blast chiller or freezer can be a huge advantage to your business. Blast chillers and freezers work by rapidly decreasing temperatures of food products. Rapid cooling minimizes loss from evaporation compared to a normal cool process (like within a refrigerator). In addition, rapid cooling helps decrease the size of ice crystals that form in food when it is cooled and frozen. Larger ice crystals damage food when the food is defrosted and cause excess moisture release that can ruin flavor and texture.
Blast chillers and freezers also allow businesses and restaurants to purchase seasonal items that can be frozen for long periods of time. Seasonal ingredients and products that are placed in a blast chiller or freezer thaw very well and barely lose any freshness so they can be served at any time.
Check out these additional awesome applications your blast chiller or freezer can be used for below:
QUICKLY COOL DOWN BAKED GOODS AND BAKED PASTA
Rapid cool down of baked goods helps them retain their shape. More specifically, pies keep their flaky texture and their crusts are less likely to fall flat. Blast chillers and freezers also help prepare and cool down baked pasta ahead of time for sauces and braises.
MAKE EXTRA SMOOTH ICE CREAMS AND SORBETS
As stated above, rapid cooling means smaller ice crystals. These smaller crystals allow for the creation of extra smooth and creamy ice creams and sorbets. Smooth textures help with more complicated dessert recipes like ice cream cakes and bombes.
RAPIDLY COOL DOWN BEER AND WINE
Blast chillers are great for quickly cooling down back stock of inventory that hasn’t been stored in a refrigerator. This comes in handy for beer and wine that is ordered by a customer but has been stored at room temperature.
EXPERIMENT IN CRYO-SHUCKING
A more niche use for blast chillers and freezers is cryo-shucking clams, oysters, and mussels. Shellfish can be frozen in the blast freezer and then thawed in a refrigerator and no one will ever know they were once frozen. The come out as fresh as the day they were caught!
While a blast chiller or freezer isn’t a kitchen essential, it can really up your restaurant’s ability to be efficient and cuts down on inventory loss. Contact us today with any questions regarding blast chillers and freezers. At Bush Refrigeration, we can help you find the perfect blast chiller or freezer for your kitchen!
Sources:
https://www.koolmaxgroup.com/blog/the-many-advantages-of-having-a-blast-freezer/
https://www.pjponline.com/help/article/should-you-invest-in-a-blast-chiller-or-freezer