Partial removal of water before freezing: cultivar and pre-treatments as quality factors of frozen muskmelon (Cucumis melo, cv reticulatus Naud.) Original Research Article

The influence of both the cultivar and the dehydration method, applied before freezing, on quality characteristics of dehydrofrozen muskmelon spheres has been studied. Water was removed from muskmelon cultivar Mirado and Rony, prior to freezing, by Dewatering–Impregnation–Soaking in concentrated solution (DIS) for 1 h, air dehydration and combined DIS-air dehydration to a final 50% weight reduction. The results of the analysis of exudate loss, texture, colour, aroma composition and sensory characteristics ascertained the crucial importance of the cultivar which had a great influence on the quality of the end products. Moisture reduction prior to freezing reduced exudate loss and improved texture at thawing. All the pre-treatments caused the loss of ethyl esters, namely “positive” aroma compounds, while the alcohols, “negative” aroma compounds, increased in air dehydrated fruits and remained stable in the DIS-treated ones. This finding could explain the higher sensory acceptability of the DIS-treated fruit when compared with those pre-air dehydrated.