Effects of cold plasma, high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, and high-pressure carbon dioxide pretreatments on the quality characteristics of vacuum freeze-dried jujube slices

Effects of ultrasonication and freeze–thaw pretreatments on the vacuum freeze-drying process and quality characteristics of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. cv. Diaoganxing)

“…Changes in the quality characteristics of dried foods, such as texture, color, and rehydration rate, are closely related to changes in their microstructure during drying ( Yuan et al, 2022 ). SEM images of the samples are shown in Fig.…”

“…4 A, the RR for the US, FT, and FT-US groups are higher than that of the control group, especially that for FT-US (5.58%). US pretreatment promotes the transfer of external moisture to the interior of the sample due to the microchannels generated by ultrasonic cavitation ( Yuan et al, 2022 ), improving the rehydration ability of the dried apricot slices. The formation of ice crystals during FT pretreatment results in disruption of the internal structure of the sample, and the resulting porous network structure also benefits rehydration owing to the capillary effect.…”

“…The method of Yuan, Lao, Shi, Zhang, and Wu (2022) . with some modifications was used to determine the AA contents of the apricot slices Briefly, 1 g of apricot powder was accurately weighed, ground in 5 mL 0.2% metaphosphate cooled in an ice bath, and centrifuged at 8000 rpm for 10 min at 4 °C.…”

“…The samples were prepared according to the method of Yuan et al (2022) with slight modifications. Briefly, 2 g of apricot powder was weighed into a 50 mL beaker, then 20 mL of 70% ethanol solution ( v/v ) was added, and the mixture was agitated in an ultrasonication bath (KQ-400DE, Kunshan Ultrasonic Instrument Co., Ltd., China) for 30 min (100 W, 40 kHz).…”

“…The sensory evaluation was conducted using the method of Yuan et al (2022) with slight modifications, and a total of 12 experienced group members from Shihezi University (Xinjiang, Shihezi) were invited for sensory evaluation. The appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall quality of apricot slices were evaluated using a nine point hedonic method.…”