The Effect of Pre-Treatment (Blanching, Ultrasound and Freezing) on Quality of Freeze-Dried Red Beets

This paper presents the influence of blanching, ultrasonic processing and freezing conditions on selected physical properties of freeze-dried red beet, i.e., water activity, structure, porosity and shrinkage. Red beets subjected to a selected pre-treatment using its various parameters were frozen by three methods and then freeze-dried. Ultrasound reduced the water activity of samples. Blanching in water reduced shrinkage and improved porosity. In addition to the type of pre-treatment applied, the quality was also affected by freezing conditions before drying. Combined freezing resulted in the highest shrinkage and the lowest porosity and water activity. Slowly frozen samples were characterized by the best porosity.

Automated summary

The physical properties of freeze-dried red beet, such as water activity, structure, porosity, and shrinkage, were affected by blanching, ultrasonic processing, and freezing conditions. Ultrasound was found to reduce water activity, while blanching in water decreased shrinkage and improved porosity. The quality of the red beet post-treatment was also influenced by the freezing conditions before drying, with slowly frozen samples showing the best porosity.