E-Mail IMAGE: Ice recrystallization affects the quality and functional properties of anything stored in a freezer for an extended period, such as the vanilla ice cream in the image. view more Credit: Photo by V. Dia, courtesy UTIA. Have you ever wondered why ice grows 'out of nowhere' on that pizza or ice cream you forgot about in the back of your freezer? The phenomenon is called ice recrystallization, and it's a problem that affects the quality and functional properties of anything stored in a freezer for an extended period. That could include that long-overlooked pizza, ice cream and other foods, and even items and materials stored at commercial facilities like biomedical tissues, cell cultures and certain chemicals.