Effects of magnetic field‐assisted freezing on the freeze‐drying characteristics and quality of pectin–sucrose cryogels

Abstract BACKGROUND The physical quality of freeze‐dried food products is defined by their porous morphology. To enable efficient regulation of the physical quality of fruits and vegetables, pectin–sucrose cryogels were selected as a model system. Cryogels frozen under varying magnetic field conditions were subsequently freeze‐dried, and their drying characteristics, microstructure, texture, and rehydration properties were analyzed. RESULTS A vacuum freeze‐dried pectin cryogel system was developed to simulate the natural network structure of fruits and vegetables. The results showed that magnetic field‐assisted freezing led to the formation of a small and lamellar pore structure in cryogels. Additionally, the drying time for samples frozen at −20 °C and subjected to a 10 mT magnetic field was comparable to the control group with no magnetic field, but the rehydration rate was higher (10.37 g g −1 ). Correlation analysis showed that magnetic field strength had a significantly negative correlation with drying rate, number of peaks, maximal force, and positive area ( P < 0.05), and a significantly positive correlation with rehydration rate ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Magnetic field‐assisted freezing produced small lamellar porous structures, which enhanced the product's rehydration and texture quality. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.