Snap freezing (or cook-chill or blast freezing) is the process of rapid cooling of a substance for the purpose of preservation. It is widely used in the culinary and scientific industries.
Scientific use
Snap-freeze is a term often used in scientific papers to describe a process by which a sample is very quickly lowered to temperatures below -70 °C. This is often accomplished by submerging a sample in liquid nitrogen. This prevents water from crystallising when it forms ice, and so better preserves the structure of the sample (e.g. RNA, protein, or live cells).1
References
References
- "Collection, Storage, Retrieval and Distribution of Biological Materials for Research". Cell Preservation Technology. 6 (1): 3–58. 1 March 2008. doi:10.1089/cpt.2008.9997.