The freezing process was studied at -5 degrees C to determine the physicochemical properties and the freezing point temperature (FPT) of chestnuts. The cooling curve method was used to measure the FPT. A multiple linear regression model was also developed to predict the FPT. The FPT was found to be dependent on the sugar content. It seems that the FPT is also influenced by the mass of the chestnut. For a certain chestnut (mass 13.95 g, sugar content 5.14%), the FPT was observed to be -1.7 degrees C. A high correlation was found between the freezing point predicted by the model and the measured one. Hence, the developed model might be used to predict the FPT of chestnuts for efficient and effective storage. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.