WSU Announces New Way To Preserve Frozen Raspberries
Washington State University scientists say they have come up with a new way to preserve the structure of frozen raspberries when thawed. WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering professor, Shyam Sablani, said it’s a three step process before the berries are frozen. First he noted infuse pectin and calcium into the berries, which he said improves the texture of the berries.
"The second step we partially dry these berries. We do not dry them completely because we don't want them to look like a raisin. Doing this partial drying, berries do not lose their shape and they also maintain the color similar to the fresh raspberries.”
The final step is to cover the berries with a food grade edible coating that’s often used in coating pre-baked frozen pies. Sablani said raspberries freeze very well, but they lose their texture over time and leak juice, hence making them very difficult to incorporate them into bakery goods.
"The next step in our research is we want to really secure funding to do larger scale trials with bakery companies as well as dairy companies.”
Washington accounts for roughly 95% of processed frozen red raspberry production in the U.S.
If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com