Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate

The present study investigates the impact of freeze drying on the physical, cooking, and functional properties of some chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i>) cultivars. Freeze drying was applied to reduce the cooking time in addition to evaluating its effect on other quality attributes. The r...

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Main Authors: Najeebah Farooq, Idrees Ahmed Wani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/10/1687
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author Najeebah Farooq
Idrees Ahmed Wani
author_facet Najeebah Farooq
Idrees Ahmed Wani
author_sort Najeebah Farooq
collection DOAJ
description The present study investigates the impact of freeze drying on the physical, cooking, and functional properties of some chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i>) cultivars. Freeze drying was applied to reduce the cooking time in addition to evaluating its effect on other quality attributes. The results revealed a significant reduction in cooking time in the freeze-dried chickpeas (67.00–77.33 min) compared to the control chickpeas (80.33–93.66). Additionally, functional properties were enhanced, such as the water absorption capacity, which increased from 0.84–0.98 g/g to 1.051–1.24 g/g, the oil absorption capacity, which increased from 0.73–0.98 g/g to 0.909–980 g/g, and the foaming capacity, which increased from 42.58–45.16% to 44.37–47.20%. The textural analysis revealed that freeze drying resulted in a decrease in hardness from 2.72–3.91 kg to 1.48–2.05 kg among the cultivars. The structural analysis indicated notable modifications in starch granules, supporting the observed changes in pasting behavior, which exhibited increased peak and breakdown viscosities. However, a reduction in antioxidant activity, viz., DPPH, TPC, TFC, and FRAP, was observed, indicating a potential trade-off between the preservation technique and nutritional quality. This study underscores the potential of freeze drying to improve the cooking and functional properties of chickpeas, with a special focus on their cooking properties.
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spelling doaj-art-c4f3376dbcb248f896bbcbd6ea04cafc2025-08-20T01:56:19ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-05-011410168710.3390/foods14101687Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate ClimateNajeebah Farooq0Idrees Ahmed Wani1Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, IndiaDepartment of Food Science & Technology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, IndiaThe present study investigates the impact of freeze drying on the physical, cooking, and functional properties of some chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i>) cultivars. Freeze drying was applied to reduce the cooking time in addition to evaluating its effect on other quality attributes. The results revealed a significant reduction in cooking time in the freeze-dried chickpeas (67.00–77.33 min) compared to the control chickpeas (80.33–93.66). Additionally, functional properties were enhanced, such as the water absorption capacity, which increased from 0.84–0.98 g/g to 1.051–1.24 g/g, the oil absorption capacity, which increased from 0.73–0.98 g/g to 0.909–980 g/g, and the foaming capacity, which increased from 42.58–45.16% to 44.37–47.20%. The textural analysis revealed that freeze drying resulted in a decrease in hardness from 2.72–3.91 kg to 1.48–2.05 kg among the cultivars. The structural analysis indicated notable modifications in starch granules, supporting the observed changes in pasting behavior, which exhibited increased peak and breakdown viscosities. However, a reduction in antioxidant activity, viz., DPPH, TPC, TFC, and FRAP, was observed, indicating a potential trade-off between the preservation technique and nutritional quality. This study underscores the potential of freeze drying to improve the cooking and functional properties of chickpeas, with a special focus on their cooking properties.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/10/1687chickpeasfreeze dryingcooking propertieshard-to-cook defect
spellingShingle Najeebah Farooq
Idrees Ahmed Wani
Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate
Foods
chickpeas
freeze drying
cooking properties
hard-to-cook defect
title Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate
title_full Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate
title_fullStr Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate
title_short Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Cultivars Grown in an Indian Temperate Climate
title_sort effect of freeze drying on the engineering cooking and functional properties of chickpea cultivars grown in an indian temperate climate
topic chickpeas
freeze drying
cooking properties
hard-to-cook defect
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/10/1687
work_keys_str_mv AT najeebahfarooq effectoffreezedryingontheengineeringcookingandfunctionalpropertiesofchickpeacultivarsgrowninanindiantemperateclimate
AT idreesahmedwani effectoffreezedryingontheengineeringcookingandfunctionalpropertiesofchickpeacultivarsgrowninanindiantemperateclimate