# Shaping the Properties of Osmo-Dehydrated Strawberries in Fruit Juice Concentrates
## 3 Results and Discussion
### The Impact of Fruit Concentrates on the Physical Properties
2.2 The Impact of Fruit Concentrates on Changes in the Texture and Structure of Osmotically Dehydrated Strawberries  
Food texture is another of the parameters characterizing food products that determines their quality. It is described as a combination of product characteristics that the consumer can perceive through visual, auditory, and tactile receptors [23]. The deformation test of fresh and osmotically dehydrated strawberries was carried out on the basis of the compression test. The work that was needed to deform the fresh fruit slice was about 2.49 mJ, while the maximum force corresponding to the hardness of the fruit was about 1.37 N (Figure 3). Osmotic dehydration of strawberries in sucrose and juice concentrates resulted in a statistically significant decrease in both of these indicators, especially after a longer processing time. This is the result of the osmotic mass exchange, which causes a partial disturbance of the natural semi-permeability of the tissue and its destruction, mainly in the surface layer of dehydrated fruit. Strawberries dehydrated in a cherry concentrate, after 3 h of the process, were characterized by the lowest value of compression work, obtaining the result of 0.42 mJ. On the other hand, the highest (1.72 mJ) and closest to the value of compression work needed to deform fresh strawberries was found in strawberries dehydrated in a sucrose solution for 0.5 h. The research by [PERSON] [43] showed that, due to the concentration and penetration of osmotic substances in osmotically dehydrated strawberries, there was a decrease in elasticity and an increase in the hardness of the samples. It was found that the changes in the texture could also result from the formation of the surface saturation of the samples with the components of the osmotic agent. As a result, firmness decreased to 3 h of osmotic dehydration but cohesiveness increased, while adhesiveness and elasticity remained at a constant level. Figure 3: Effect of the type of osmotic agent (sucrose and fruit concentrates) on the mechanical properties of osmodehydrated strawberries. Different letters (small letters are for max force, capital letters are for compression work) above columns show the statistical difference (\(p<0.05\)). The decrease in the maximum compressive force of osmotically dehydrated strawberries confirmed the softening of the fruit [44] and depended on the type of osmotic agent. The lowest value of the maximum compressive force was found in strawberries dehydrated in a cherry juice concentrate for 1 h (Figure 3). However, the values of this indicator in the remaining samples, including the raw material, did not differ significantly and constituted the second homogeneous group. Changes in the texture of osmotically dehydrated strawberries can be observed using images taken with the scanning electron microscope (Figure 4). According to [PERSON] [43], osmotic dehydration by immersion in a sucrose solution of 60\({}^{\circ}\) Bx at 40 \({}^{\circ}\)C for 4 h causes changes in texture due to the effect of changes in the water content on the pectin and cellulosic components of fruit tissues. The thin cell walls of strawberry tissue may promote damage to the cell texture and the intercellular space. Osmodehydrated samples may have detached cell walls and a damaged mid-lamella as a result of cell plasmolysis and shrinkage [45]. Changes in the shape and volume of cells and intercellular spaces are visible. This is due to the deformation and folding of the surface. It was found that the type of osmotic agent caused changes in the structure of dehydrated strawberries, which became looser in relation to fruits not subjected to dehydration. There was an increase in the volume of internal spaces when the tissue of non-dehydrated strawberries was more compact. In addition, as a result of the saturation of strawberries with sugars and other components of osmotic agents, cell walls thickened.