Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying

IntroductionVacuum-microwave drying (VMD) can lead to undesirable effects in persimmons, such as browning, charring, surface wrinkling, and structural collapse, all of which significantly reduce product quality.MethodsThis study proposed and evaluated a freezing pretreatment at an optimized temperat...

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Main Authors: Xiaoxian Tang, Min Zhao, Aiqing Ren, Zhenhua Duan, Yan Liu, Zhaokun Xian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1523548/full
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author Xiaoxian Tang
Min Zhao
Aiqing Ren
Zhenhua Duan
Yan Liu
Zhaokun Xian
Zhaokun Xian
author_facet Xiaoxian Tang
Min Zhao
Aiqing Ren
Zhenhua Duan
Yan Liu
Zhaokun Xian
Zhaokun Xian
author_sort Xiaoxian Tang
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionVacuum-microwave drying (VMD) can lead to undesirable effects in persimmons, such as browning, charring, surface wrinkling, and structural collapse, all of which significantly reduce product quality.MethodsThis study proposed and evaluated a freezing pretreatment at an optimized temperature of −80°C prior to VMD. Persimmon slices with and without pretreatment were assessed in terms of appearance, physical properties, processing and quality indicators, sensory texture characteristics, and pore structure.ResultsThe freezing pretreatment improved color uniformity by 64.5% and reduced the browning index growth rate by 21.4%. It also increased expansion rate and rehydration capacity by 15.7% and 21.5%, respectively. In terms of texture, hardness and chewiness decreased by 84.4% and 91.6%, while crispness improved by 40.4%.DiscussionIntegrating freezing pretreatment with VMD effectively mitigates browning and texture degradation in persimmons. These results demonstrate a promising approach for producing high-quality persimmon crisps. Future studies should explore the optimal freezing duration and temperature, and assess the applicability of this method to other fruits and vegetables.
format Article
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institution DOAJ
issn 2571-581X
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
spelling doaj-art-c6c36f9807eb43c2a917992a1f3edee62025-08-20T03:12:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-05-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.15235481523548Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave dryingXiaoxian Tang0Min Zhao1Aiqing Ren2Zhenhua Duan3Yan Liu4Zhaokun Xian5Zhaokun Xian6College of Food and Bioengineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaCollege of Food and Bioengineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaCollege of Food and Bioengineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaCollege of Food and Bioengineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaCollege of Food and Bioengineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaCollege of Food and Bioengineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, ChinaCollege of Mechanical and Control Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, Guangxi, ChinaIntroductionVacuum-microwave drying (VMD) can lead to undesirable effects in persimmons, such as browning, charring, surface wrinkling, and structural collapse, all of which significantly reduce product quality.MethodsThis study proposed and evaluated a freezing pretreatment at an optimized temperature of −80°C prior to VMD. Persimmon slices with and without pretreatment were assessed in terms of appearance, physical properties, processing and quality indicators, sensory texture characteristics, and pore structure.ResultsThe freezing pretreatment improved color uniformity by 64.5% and reduced the browning index growth rate by 21.4%. It also increased expansion rate and rehydration capacity by 15.7% and 21.5%, respectively. In terms of texture, hardness and chewiness decreased by 84.4% and 91.6%, while crispness improved by 40.4%.DiscussionIntegrating freezing pretreatment with VMD effectively mitigates browning and texture degradation in persimmons. These results demonstrate a promising approach for producing high-quality persimmon crisps. Future studies should explore the optimal freezing duration and temperature, and assess the applicability of this method to other fruits and vegetables.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1523548/fullfreezing pretreatmentpersimmon crispsvacuum-microwave dryingbrowningtexturephysicochemical properties
spellingShingle Xiaoxian Tang
Min Zhao
Aiqing Ren
Zhenhua Duan
Yan Liu
Zhaokun Xian
Zhaokun Xian
Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
freezing pretreatment
persimmon crisps
vacuum-microwave drying
browning
texture
physicochemical properties
title Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
title_full Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
title_fullStr Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
title_full_unstemmed Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
title_short Mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons: the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
title_sort mitigating browning and improving texture issues in persimmons the impact of freezing pretreatment on vacuum microwave drying
topic freezing pretreatment
persimmon crisps
vacuum-microwave drying
browning
texture
physicochemical properties
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1523548/full
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