Biochemical Dynamics and Quality Attributes of Strawberry Fruits across Maturity Stages with Respect to Different Preservation Methods

Strawberry is nutritious but perishable, and it is susceptible to quality flaws and infections after harvest. Objective: To examine strawberry biochemical changes with harvest maturity and preservation methods. Methods: The experiment was factorial with a completely randomized design (CRD). Strawberry cv. Chandler fruit was harvested at three color-based maturation phases (M1: 0% red, M2: 50% red, and M3: 100% red), frozen, and freeze-dried and analyzed for quality. Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), vitamin C, total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity, SOD, POD, CAT, and organoleptic characteristics were assessed for quality. Results: Due to harvest maturity, completely ripe strawberries displayed higher biochemical properties such as total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and TSS/TA than 50% and 0% of red strawberries. 100% red strawberries also had greater TPC and POD. Compared to strawberries picked during the green stage (0% red color), strawberries harvested at 100% and 50% red color had better aroma, color, and flavor. TSS, TSS/TA, Vitamin C, antioxidants, total phenolic content, and peroxidase were better in freeze-dried strawberries than frozen strawberries. Conclusions: The superior fruit aroma and color rating made frozen strawberries more popular than freeze-dried ones. The preserved fruit retained these qualities better for 7 months in dried storage. This study found that strawberry fruit should be harvested at 100% red and freeze-dried for commercial use.