[en] This research work is about dehydrofreezing assisted by DIC treatment as an innovative conservation process of apple fruits. Samples previously dehydrated and DIC treated were frozen at -30 °C and at two different practical freezing rates. The effects of sample water content (W) and practical freezing rate (PFR) on freezing characteristics and apple texture were examined. Thaw exudate water (TEW) of 200% and 100% db samples was approximately 3 g/100 g water. Whereas, it was lower than 0.5 g/100 g water for samples with 30% db W during thawing at 4 °C. Moreover, the impact of PFR on TEW was significant and very important only for high W samples. For samples whose water content was lower than 100% db, firmness was as higher as the W was lower, without any significant impact of PFR. (Author)

[en] Apple samples were submitted to partially drying prior to freezing. Then, quality assessments were achieved in order to evaluate the quality of these various frozen samples during frozen-storage. Significant positive effects of water content were observed on thaw exudate water and total color difference of dehydrofrozen/thawed apples. Total polyphenol content and total flavonoid content losses were important for samples without any dehydration pretreatment. They noticeably decreased when water content decreased during the whole period of storage. Thus, a partial removal of water prior to freezing is a relevant way to maintain the stability of fruit quality during long-term frozen-storage. (Author)