Improving Household Food Security: A Comparative Analysis of Freezing and Drying on Sensory Qualities of Mushroom

Postharvest loss remains one of the major causes of food insecurity in developing countries such as Ghana. While mushroom is consumed by many Ghanaian households, fresh harvested mushrooms have very limited storage life. The objective of this paper is to examine the effects of freezing and drying on the keeping and sensory qualities of mushroom. In this study, mushroom samples, namely blanched frozen and unblanched frozen mushroom, were preserved by freezing and drying for a period of eight weeks. Portions of the four preserved samples as well as a control (fresh mushroom) were cooked in equal quantity, slightly seasoned with salt and lightly cooked. Thirteen panelists were involved in a consumer acceptability test in terms of color, texture, aroma, taste and overall acceptability using a nine-point hedonic scale. The results of paired sample t-tests indicated that blanched frozen sample followed by unblanched frozen and unblanched sundried were not statistically significantly different from the fresh mushroom sample in terms of sensory characteristics and overall acceptability. Color is a quality attribute, which together with aroma, taste and texture play an important role in consumer acceptability. It is recommended that fresh mushroom is preserved by blanched or unblanched freezing to avoid food spoilage and ensure food security at the household level. Keywords: food security, preservation, freezing, drying, sensory qualities, mushroom