Evaluation of strawberry varieties for freezing suitability

Abstract

The article presents the results of organoleptical evaluation of frozen fruit of 5 strawberry varieties by characteristics of look, color, texture, aroma, taste. It was found that almost all the studied varieties of strawberry were suitable for freezing and long-term storage, while slightly losing the original characteristics.

After 6 months of storage, the loss of berries juice after thawing ranged from 0.03 to 61.36 %. The greatest loss of juice was observed for variety ‘Vicoda’ (61.36 %) when grown in raised beds, the lowest – in fruit of cv. ‘Senga-Sengana’ (0.03 %) when grown in spunbond.

With the extension of the term of storage of frozen strawberry fruit to 9 months no one cultivar was added to the first group (juice loss to 5.0 %). To the second group (5.1-10.0 %) varieties ‘Kimberly’, ‘Vima Rina’, ‘Vima Tarda’ (9.06 %; 5.62 %; 8.08 % in the average in cultivars, respectively) entered. Cv. ‘Senga-Sengana’ (11.73 %) was assigned to the third group, in which the juice loss were 10.1-20.0 %. Cv. ‘Vicoda’ was marked by the lowest capacity to hold juice (20.40 %), which spoke of its unsuitability for freezing.

Based on these data it should be noted a small loss of fruit quality of studied varieties after defrosting. Strawberry fruit should be stored and sold frozen maximum within 9 months of storage.