I tried to google for the answer to my question and was unsuccessful. In the past, I have frozen chicken in a marinade in a plastic bag. The last time I bought chicken, I did the same, except this time when I got it out of the freezer, the marinade hadn't froze. I used one of the pre-made marinades in the ketchup aisle. The meat froze, but there is a blob of marinade that is squishy. Do you think it is still okay to cook and eat? I figure it has some kind of oil in it and that is why it didn't freeze. Thoughts?

That's a tough one. Did you consider contacting the manufacturer of the marinade since it was store-bought? They may have a 800-number for inquiries on the label or on their website.

Why bother freezing marinade? It doesn't permiate frozen meat and probably coagulates when the ingredients thaw at different temperatures.

I don't have time to thaw and then marinade. I figure the marinade works while the meat is freezing and then thawing. Plus, I'm too scatterbrained to remember to add the marinade when I take the meat out to thaw. It's worked before, but this marinade seems to be different.

I'm not sure about store bought marinades but I do know that if you make your own marinades (which is super easy, fast, and delicious, plus you know what is in there and you control the salt content etc.) they often call for olive oil. Olive oil doesn't fair well in the freezer, not even on the top shelf of the fridge. They olive oil turns all white, like grease does. Once it thaws out, it turns back into what you would recognize as oil, and tastes fine. However, I do agree that frozen meat does not marinade, and when meat is often really really cold it doesnt even work that well.. You have to remember, meat is muscle. When meat is frozen, the muscle fibers are tightened because the liquid in the meat has frozen. When fibers(muscle) is frozen nothing can penetrate the suface, let alone infuse the flavor.

Pick up the current copy of cook's illustrated magazine, imo the finest real cooking mag out there. The monthly center fold is every thing you need to know about marinating (as a seasoned marinator, i even learned a thing or two) and provides three ez marinades. good luck.

I contacted the manuf. to see what they said. They said that there were things in there that don't freeze, but it's still okay to eat. When I went to cook the chicken, I threw it in the slow cooker so I knew it was done (I have issues with chicken). Anyway, it looked good and smelled fine before I cooked it. However, the marinade itself was the worst marinade in the history of marinades. It was lemon pepper and it smelled (cooked) and tasted like it had been soaking in Lysol. I'll never get that again.

Thanks WTLH, I'll check it out.

BB, I realize that nothing will penetrate the meat when it's frozen, it's more for flavoring it while it thaws/and before it freezes.

Lawry's makes a very nice Honey & Dijon marinade you might like. I've used it on chicken and fish.

Speaking of Lawrys, they also have a chipotle and lime flavor they just came out with that is nice. Its a tad spicy, but the lime is subtle background flavor and it makes everything inside the meat come alive, haha.

winston ...thanks for posting that link, that mag looks exception.
the thing is i couldn't find the centerfold. which page was she on?

Food porn.

Great. Something else to feel guilty over. A generation of adolescent males with copies of Taste of Home stashed beneath the mattress.