[Q] Frozen peas and clumping

[paigetheoracle]

Why do frozen peas clump together, when I pour cold water on them?

[freeztar]

Can you be more specific?

The frozen peas I have encountered are frozen together. They are already clumped.

[lemit]

It's the temperature.

 

Most freezers are kept at a temperature well below freezing. When you coat the super-cooled peas with water, the thin layer of water freezes very quickly, causing clumping because the thin layers come into contact with each other. If the temperature of the peas is near 0 degrees centigrade, the peas don't stick.

 

--lemit

 

p.s. I had a very strange childhood. For that matter, my adulthood hasn't been that normal.

[paigetheoracle]

It's the temperature.

 

Most freezers are kept at a temperature well below freezing. When you coat the super-cooled peas with water, the thin layer of water freezes very quickly, causing clumping because the thin layers come into contact with each other. If the temperature of the peas is near 0 degrees centigrade, the peas don't stick.

 

--lemit

 

p.s. I had a very strange childhood. For that matter, my adulthood hasn't been that normal.

 

Thanks for that answer! By the way are we related as your childhood and adulthood sound 'strangely' familiar....