Е-Публикации
Технически университет - София

Abstract: The effect of dehydration and subsequent still air freezing on the quality characteristics of strawberries, blackcurrants and chokeberries of different varieties was investigated. Berries with moisture removal from 20 to 60% were frozen at temperatures from −24 to −40℃ in an air environment under natural convection to an average final temperature of −18℃. Depending on the content of ascorbic acid, pectin substances and drip losses after thawing, optimal process parameters were determined by means of steepest ascent and TOPSIS optimisation. Thus, the optimal removed moisture and air temperature were found out to be 40–55% and −35/−40℃ for strawberries, 35–45% and −30/−35℃ for chokeberries, and 20–25% and −30/−35℃ for blackcurrants. During a frozen storage of 12 months, the content of soluble carbohydrates and anthocyanins was measured in garden strawberries, blackcurrants and chokeberries dehydrated by 50, 20 and 40%, respectively, and then frozen in still air at −35℃ down to the standard storage temperature of −18℃. As compared with non-dehydrated samples, dehydrated and frozen berries exhibited lower anthocyanin and soluble carbohydrate levels in the first 1–3 months of storage and higher levels after long-term storage of 4–12 months. It is therefore reasonable to recommend the proposed dehydrofreezing mode and process parameters for long-term refrigerated storage of berries.

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