Non-conventional freeze-dried fruits preserve their quality attributes through molecular gastronomy and microencapsulation techniques

Novel rehydratable fruits were developed by combining microencapsulation and molecular gastronomy. Strawberries were impregnated with pepper oleoresin, while black sapote and mango macrospheres were enriched with pepper or orange peel oil microcapsules. All fruits were freeze-dried and subsequently rehydrated. Particle size, color, texture, rehydration capacity, moisture content, and vitamin C levels were evaluated. A sensory evaluation was carried out on rehydrated fruits. Pepper oleoresin microcapsules (0.114 μm) were effectively incorporated into strawberry through impregnation, achieving a water loss of 0.666 g/g and a solids gain of 0.0163 g/g, and their rehydration capacity (RC) was 69.612 %. For macrospheres (1.5 cm diameter) made of mango-pepper and black-sapote orange, RC values were 37.363 % and 35.349 %, respectively. Texture profile analysis showed that macrospheres behaved like gummy candy. Vitamin C was preserved (Tukey, p < 0.05) in all the fruits, while color parameters significantly changed (Tukey, p < 0.05) in both macrospheres. Sensory evaluation with 120 panelists yielded an overall acceptability score of 7.26, with color being the attribute that has the most influence on this value, as showed by a Pearson's correlation test (R values 0.864–0.823). This study suggests that culinary culture can be innovative by merging molecular gastronomy, microencapsulation, and scientific approaches with local cuisines and raw materials.