Comparative study of Selva and Camarosa strawberries for the commercial market

Selva and Camarosa strawberry varieties were characterized chemically and physically. The importance of keeping the stem until processing, the influence of different transport periods under refrigerated conditions, the effects of freezing and exposure to air of damaged surfaces were evaluated. During freezing, losses of ascorbic acid, sucrose, fructose and glucose were reported for both varieties. However, keeping the stem intact minimizes the losses of ascorbic acid in frozen fruits. The exposure to air of cut surfaces affects ascorbic acid content of fresh fruits, with the highest losses reported in Camarosa. Selva showed properties important for commercial use, as compared to Camarosa, with regard to a higher resistance to thawing and higher contents of total phenolics, total protein, and ascorbic acid.