Influence of sucrose concentration on osmodehydration of whole strawberry (fragarie chiloensis duch) variety Chandler

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the effect of sucrose concentration on the osmodehydration of whole Chandler strawberries, in order to present a possibility of extending the shelf life of a product of intermediate moisture content and facilitating its use in the food industry. To this end, small strawberries (5 and 15 grams in weight) were subjected to an osmodehydration process with sucrose syrups (50, 60 and 70 °Brix) and temperatures of 25 and 35 °C. The process was monitored for 24 hours, taking measurements every hour. The fruit:syrup ratio was 2:1. Initial and final physicochemical parameters (% moisture content, Brix, pH and acidity) of the strawberries were analyzed, and from them the kinetics of osmodehydration was determined. The results obtained indicated that a temperature of 25°C was more effective in reducing strawberry moisture than a temperature of 35°C. A temperature of 35°C allowed for greater solids gain by the strawberry. The pH and initial acidity of the strawberry were not affected by the osmodic hydration process under the different conditions. The optimal result was a treatment with 50 Brix at a temperature of 25°C for seven hours.