Effect of magnetic field on quality improvement of medium‐term delivery frozen pepper

Abstract The water loss of medium‐term delivery frozen pepper is significant, resulting in the decline of product quality and the loss of nutrients. Hydrocolloids have been proved to help reduce the water loss of fruits and vegetables. Applying magnetic field can reduce the size of ice crystals during freezing, thus preventing cell damage and reducing water loss. In this study, the pickled red pepper was first soaked in gellan gum solution, and then frozen by magnetic field assisted freezing method to reduce the water loss of pepper products during storage. The process was accelerated by repeated (2–6 times) freezing and thawing, so as to reach the standard of medium‐term delivery faster. At the same time, the thawing stage was also supplemented by the action of magnetic field to explore its thawing effect. The results showed that freezing at 10 mT and −20°C and thawing at 4°C and 10 mT can better maintain the texture characteristics of pepper products compared to the control group, thereby reducing the water loss from 40% to 5%, increasing the color appeal, and reducing the loss of red pigment. Practical applications This study provides a simple and novel method to reduce the water loss of frozen products during thawing. These steps combine hydrophilic colloid and magnetic field exploration to reduce the water loss of frozen products, and provide new ideas for product freezing and thawing.