The interaction of objects with a moving solidification front is a common feature of many industrial and natural processes such as metal processing, the growth of single-crystals, the cryopreservation of cells, or the formation of sea ice. Solidification fronts interact with objects with different outcomes, from the total rejection to their complete engulfment. We image the freezing of emulsions in 5D (space, time, and solute concentration) with confocal mi-croscopy. We show the solute induces long-range interactions that determine the solidification microstructure. The local increase of solute concentration enhances premelting, which controls the engulfment of droplets by the front and the evolution of grain boundaries. Freezing emulsions may be a good analogue of many solidification systems where objects interact with a solidification interface. Solidification fronts interact with hard or soft objects such as particles, bubbles, droplets, or cells, in three different ways: objects can be engulfed, rejected for some time and then encapsulated , or rejected for an extended period of time (1). Different outcomes are desired, depending 1