Chapter 13: Chilling and Freezing

Chilling and freezing are not simply throwing fruits or vegetables into a refrigerator or freezer and forgetting about them. In Chapter 13, we look into the whys and hows of chilling and freezing with emphasis on the growth of ice crystals and their potentially negative impact on quality. Climacteric ripening of fruits, and the effects of chilling on the respiration of fruits and vegetables are explained together with moisture loss under chilled and frozen conditions. We also look at freezing times, as well as the influence of chilling and freezing on the various attributes of fruits and vegetables. The relationship between temperatures and the growth of microorganisms is discussed, along with staling of bread (i.e., retrogradation), and cold sweetening of potatoes.