General Question

arnbev959's avatar

Why does ice get a saltly taste sometimes?

Asked by arnbev959 (10908points) December 10th, 2008
8 responses
“Great Question” (4points)

It usually happens when I freeze water bottles. After it unfreezes the water has a salty taste to it. Sometimes ice cubes have the same taste. Does it happen to anyone else? What’s up with that?

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Answers

asmonet's avatar

Check the water bottles nutritional information, some companies add sodium ‘for taste’. I’ve never understood that. Since it’s only your bottled water I think that’s the reason. ;)

xxporkxsodaxx's avatar

What I want to know is that how can water that has been flowing though the mountains for thousands of years have an expiration date.

asmonet's avatar

@porky: Once it’s pulled out of that spring it’s ‘purified’ and sodium is sometimes added to it. You aren’t buying spring water you’re buying an altered product. :)

Also, lol at ‘saltly’.

La_chica_gomela's avatar

@ “porky” : It also comes in contact with a lot of surfaces in the collecting and bottling process. These surfaces may or may not have a lot of bacteria on them that can multiply in a closed container, such as a plastic bottle.

@ pete: i think it may have something to do with the particles from the plastic leaching into the water. freezing #1 and #2 plastics is not a good idea, because it can cause leaching of carcinogens just like heating them up.

Remember the Nalgene scare? The same stuff (BPA) and a lot of other much icker crap is in #1 and #2 plastics, and it leaches out much more easily, which is one reason why these plastics are sold as disposable, not as a reusable container. they are not meant to be frozen, heated, or used more than one time.

Nimis's avatar

Things tend to separate when you freeze them.
Maybe it tastes saltier because the salt is in its own layer
(versus being evenly dissolved in its former state)?

Like the bottom of frozen drinks will taste sweeter than the top
because all of the gooey syrup and sugar goes to the bottom.

Actually, that would only apply to the ice.
Maybe the salt isn’t fully re-absorbed when it melts?
[scratches head]

windex's avatar

Pee

Knotmyday's avatar

Windex is right. Water is the ultimate recyclable…a little disconcerting to think that we’re drinking the end product of millions of years of excreta. “Enjoy your dinosaur pee!”

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