Freeze Drying of Fruits and Vegetables

The greatest way to preserve fruits and vegetables for extended periods of time, throughout the off-seasons, and to minimize food waste is to dry them. Fruits and vegetables that are freeze dried have greater overall quality in terms of color retention or improvement, shrinkage reduction, higher ability for rehydration, preservation of microstructure, ascorbic acid retention, and valuable bioactive components. Furthermore, freeze drying can be used to encapsulate various fruits and vegetable extracts, broadening the range of food applications. However, following freeze drying, different fruits and vegetables respond differently. Overall, freeze drying is the most effective drying method for producing high-quality end products in comparison to other drying methods.