A Magical Snack that Locks in Deliciousness and Nutrition

Fresh strawberries are undeniably delicious. However, with a water content as high as 90%, they are extremely delicate and have a very short shelf life of just a few days. If stored for too long, they easily rot and deteriorate, which is a pity. The advent of freeze-drying technology has successfully solved this problem.

Freeze-drying, formally known as Vacuum Freeze Drying, is commonly abbreviated as the FD technique. Its principle is based on the three states of water under different pressures and temperatures. During this process, fresh strawberries are first rapidly cooled, causing the water inside them to freeze into solid ice. Subsequently, in a vacuum environment, the strawberries are heated, and the ice directly sublimes from a solid to a gas, removing the water from the strawberries and reducing their water content from 90% to 5%. As a result, the strawberries are transformed into a lightweight, crispy freeze-dried form that can be stored at room temperature for up to a year or more.

The greatest advantage of this process is that it avoids the evaporation of water in its liquid state, thereby preventing damage to the cellular structure and preserving the original nutrients, color, aroma, and taste of the strawberries to the greatest extent possible. Research from the China Food Machinery and Equipment Network shows that nutrients such as vitamin C, dietary fiber, and various minerals rich in strawberries are well-preserved during the freeze-drying process. Compared with fresh strawberries, although the relative content of components such as energy, carbohydrates, and potassium increases due to the reduction in water, this also means that when consuming the same weight of freeze-dried strawberries, more nutrients can be ingested.