this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2026
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First year growing beans, and they've been doing really good. I've blanched them for about 2 minutes, followed by an ice bath. Dried and then put in bags to freeze. First batch I don't think I fully dried before freezing and had a lot of ice crystals in the bag. Second batch was much more dry after blanching, but still had a bunch of ice crystals. Wondering if thats normal, or will reduce how long they stay good?

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[–] SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Uhhh.. That’s just wrong from the start.

Freezer burn is from contact with unconditioned air, every time you open the door, any small leak, etc. all lead to it. Stocking the shelves, moving it from the truck to truck in distribution centers, etc.

A defrost cycle is just one of the very many things that cause it.

This is the “reading a brochure” and not comprehending how it actually works.

And that’s not how water coating works, it’s just one reasoning, it also helps set it off faster since it’s a starting point. That food may last 6 months instead of 12 with the water coating. The main reason for water coating is to add weight for purchasing. Same reasoning chicken breasts are injected with saline before freezing. It’s to “protect it” but try freezing breasts without the saline, it lasts longer.

The water coating is to maintain its “presentability” for it to sell by the time that reaches its best before time, it doesn’t mean it’s the best practice for freezing stuff longer term. It’s purely for looks and money.