FROZEN FRUITS USED IN ICE CREAM 

 Frozen Strawberries 



Variety Studies 



Twenty of the more important northeastern varieties were frozen in the ratit) 

 of two pounds of fruit to one pound of sugar. These studies were carried on over 

 a three-year period, 1929, 1930 and 1931. Approximately 130 cans were paci<ed 

 for the variety studies. The fruit was grown on a fertile, gravellj' loam soil, 

 picked when fully mature, and frozen the same day. The fill of the container 

 was the same in the variety studies, i. e., the weight of contents was constant at 

 five pounds. In general, the storage period at 10° to 15° F. was for 12 months. 

 This allowed comparisons to be made with the freshly harvested fruit of the 

 succeeding season. 



Results of examination of the 2:1 packs are summarized in Table 1. Although 

 comparisons were also made in these varieties where the ratio of fruit to sugar 

 were 1:1, 2^:1, 3:1 and 4:1, the results are sufficiently like the 2:1 packs so that 

 reproduction of all these data will be omitted. Fruit solids or "fruit" in the 

 defrostetl packs was determined by weighing the portion remaining after drain- 

 ing for two minutes on an 8-mesh sieve of 10 inches diameter. 



Besides the 20 varieties classed in Table 1, commercial packs of Klondike, 

 Ettersberg, and Marshall were also examined. All three rated very high in 

 appearance and flavor both after freezing and in ice cream. The ratings given 

 the several varieties are shown in Table 1 and require no discussion. It is note- 

 worthy to observe the rather close limits for soluble solids, 5.9 to 7.6 per cent, 

 and titratable acidity, 0.90 to 1.43 per cent. Of course, even the same variety 

 will vary greatly with the degree of maturity. At least two pickings during the 

 course of two seasons were considered in determining the number of berries per 

 pound. This method gives an excellent comparative idea of the size of the 

 individual fruits. Plavor, appearance and other organoleptic properties of 

 frozen fruit were judged by groups of several men with experience in the exam- 

 ination of fruit products. In general, the varieties which were considered best 

 flavored when fresh, were also best both after freezing and after incorporation 

 into fruit ice cream. The more acid varieties were usually unsatisfactory. The 

 varieties which have a red or pink flesh, such as Howard Supreme, Senator 

 Dunlap, or Aberdeen, gave more highly colored frozen products than the light- 

 fleshed varieties. There was slight surface darkening in all the packs, no signi- 

 ficant differences being noted among the several varieties. For most varieties 

 2.5 to 3 pounds of fruit to the pound of sugar gave a frozen product of optimum 

 flavor. A few of the sour varieties were best when packed with sugar in the ratio 

 of 2:1. More data bearing on the ratio of fruit to sugar are presented in Table 2. 

 In no case did ratios of fruit to sugar, greater or less than 2:1, cause any signifi- 

 cant change in rating of any variety of fruit. That is, there was no advantage 

 gained in comparing the freezing qualities of varieties of fruits at ratios of fruit to 

 sugar other than 2:1. 



Effect of Varying the Ratio of Berries to Sugar 



For this experiment both mixed variety, field-run strawberries and separate 

 varieties were used. All were harvested in 1929, 1930 and 1931. The purpose of 

 the work was to determine the most satisfactory fruit to sugar ratio in frozen ^ 

 packs for use in ice cream. In all, 97 one-gallon cans were packed. The fruit- 

 sugar ratios used were 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 and 1:0. The fruit was prepared and 

 frozen as described in the variety tests and w&s examined from 11 to 16 months 

 after packing. The data are summarized in Table 2. 



