Stabilizing the Quality of Fresh Sichuan Pepper ( Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.) via Quick- Freezing Preservation Technology and Packaging Methods

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This work aimed to develop a preservation strategy combining quick-freezing technology with appropriate packaging materials to stabilize the quality of Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.) during frozen storage. First, the effects of quick-freezing parameters (temperature, time, and the number of stacking layers) on the quality of Sichuan pepper were investigated; then the quality stability of quick-frozen fresh Sichuan pepper during storage was evaluated using four packaging materials, including aluminum-plastic (Al/PET/PE), polyphenylene ether (PPE), polyethylene-polyamide (PA/PE), and polyethylene–polyethylene terephthalate (PE/PET). The results showed that freezing temperature had the greatest impact on preservation effectiveness, followed by stacking layers, and then freezing time. The optimal quick-freezing parameters were determined to be a freezing temperature of −100 °C, a freezing time of 25 min, and one stacking layer. Al/PET/PE packaging provided the best preservation effect. After 150 days of storage, the L* and a* of the Sichuan pepper packaged in Al/PET/PE decreased by 15.5% and 16.04%, respectively. The numbing substances and volatile oil content decreased by 12.42% and 4.33%, respectively. Ultimately, the linalool and limonene contents decreased by 16.83% and 12.75%, respectively. Overall, the optimized quick-freezing treatment combined with Al/PET/PE packaging effectively delayed browning and limited the loss of important flavor components during frozen storage.