The present study aims at improving the freezing tolerance of
whole strawberries by infusing cryoprotectants in their structure.
We here report preliminary results on the use of trehalose and AFP
alone or in combination for preserving cell viability and texture of
strawberry fruits. Suutarinen, Änäkäinen, and Autio (1988)
described the heterogeneous structure of strawberries (Fig. 1).
Epidermal cells form the compact outer layer. The second layer is
composed of hypodermal cells and the third layer of cortical cells
with larger intercellular spaces. The other two zones are the
vascular bundles and the pith. The heterogeneity of strawberries
and their genetic inability for cold-induced responses challenged us
to investigate their preservation during freezing/thawing cycle by
infusion of cryoprotective solutions.