Influences of different freezing and thawing methods on the physico-chemical, flavor, and sensory properties of durian puree (cv. Monthong)

Abstract

Influences of air blast freezing (AF method), cryogenic freezing (CF method), and freezing by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN method) and thawing by refrigerator (RG method) and microwave (MW method) on qualities of durian puree (cv. Monthong) were investigated. After the freezing process and frozen storage, all frozen samples greatly tended to change physico-chemical parameters; drip loss (7.94–97.98%) and a* (17.45–69.75%), flavor properties; aldehydes (1.35–136.99%) and alcohols (4.86–107.22%), and sensory scores; overall flavor (4.76–26.89%) and overall liking (4.48–22.19%) from zero months of storage. However, the lowest change in almost all parameters resulted from using the CF method. Furthermore, at zero months of frozen storage, the MW method changed some physico-chemical properties less than the RG method, but there were no differences in any parameters between both methods after 6 months. Moreover, during frozen storage the MW method developed a new volatile compound, namely 3-methylbutanal, which presented an off-flavor. Practical applications Determining the shelf life of fresh fruit and processed fruit has been much more important in research and development for providing the best quality for consumers as well as international fruit trade. However, some reports have studied preserving durian, no studies are available on the influence of freezing and thawing methods on physico-chemical, flavor, and sensory changes in durian puree (cv. Monthong). Therefore, in the current study, freezing methods (air blast freezing, cryogenic freezing, and freezing by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen) and thawing methods (refrigerator and microwave) were used to study their effects on the quality changes of durian puree after the freezing process and frozen storage. The results could provide best practice and guidance for the fruit industry.