Abstract:Peach pulp mixed with k-carrageenan was applied to form the recombinant preserved peach (RPP) by hot air drying, in which erythritol was selected as the co-solute. The effect of erythritol addition (0%, 1%, 5%, 9%) on the quality characteristics of RPP was investigated. Based on the drying experiment, with the increase in erythritol concentration, the water mobility was significantly decreased as well as the drying rate. Color analysis illustrated that with increasing erythritol addition, the L value (brightness) of RPP was significantly increased, while the value of a (redness and greenness) was decreased. The electronic nose sensors W1C, W3C, and W5C had larger response values. When subjected with erythritol, the response values of the sensors were increased. Additionally, PCA analysis revealed the significant difference in the flavor between the control group and the RPP groups. Texture analysis suggested that the highest hardness, chewiness and gumminess were observed in RPP with 9% erythritol, which were 30.51 N, 7.21 N, and 14.42 N, respectively. However, the cohesiveness was significantly reduced compared to the control group. Meanwhile, no statistical significance was achieved in elasticity between control group and RPP groups. As erythritol increasing, the shrinkage of RPP was significantly decreased. Compared with the control group, the 1%, 5%, and 9% treatment groups decreased by 4.00%, 12.25%, and 17.75%, respectively. The low field nuclear magnetic resonance results showed that the water mobility was evidently altered by the erythritol. The proportions of the moisture with low flowability in RPP with 5% erythritol and 9% erythritol were increased. Raman spectroscopy was applied to evaluated the changes in chemical group under the different treatment, in which the vibration peak near 2 918 cm-1 gradually became sharp. These results suggested the formation of dense structure through the hydrogen bonding, which reflected the excellent texture properties at the macro-level.